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Electrician Tips: Aspects to Consider for Cable Selection and Application | Wilmington, NC
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Electrical cable systems are an essential part of the electric power distribution system that enables the transfer of electric power from one place or device to another.
Over 122 million residential customers in the United States rely on cables to provide power to their heavy appliances, light their bulbs, and charge electric devices. If your house is old and you want to engage in a remodeling or upgrading project, it is also good to consider changing the electrical system, including wiring and cables.
Owners of new residential construction buildings in Wilmington, NC, also need to invest in the complete electric system to provide power in their new home. To make the correct selection of the cables and the accurate installation, you will need the help of a professional electrician that has the required knowledge of the cable system. The following are some of the aspects to consider for cable selection and application in homes.
Cable Construction
The first factor to consider when selecting cables for installation and application is the type of cable construction. At this point, the electrician will evaluate the cable arrangement, insulation, conductors, and finish covering used to get the best option for your home.
The electrical contractor will have to check the conductor materials used in making the cables, which might be aluminum or copper. The materials should fit the environmental conditions of North Carolina and be easy to install and maintain depending on the stranding of the cable conductors.
The electrician will also evaluate the cable arrangement before selecting the best ones for installation and application. The electrical conductors can either be in three or single-conductor arrangements. While single-conductors are easy to install, splice, and allow the formation of multiple-cable circuits, they also have higher reactance and shield currents that might be catastrophic with overheating circuits and outlets.
The electrical technician should also consider getting three-conductor cables with a ground wire that offers the lowest impedance path appropriate for your home. The electrician might also check the type of cable insulation and finish covering before recommending the cables to purchase for the new construction or upgrading project.
The aspects to check include complexity or ease of installation, service conditions, and the type of load served. Evaluating the operating temperatures such as corrosive atmosphere, extreme cold, and high ambient temperatures is also appropriate in getting the most durable cables that give the best customer experience.
Cable Installation
To ensure that the selected cables will perform satisfactorily, you should get a licensed, experienced, and qualified electrician to make accurate electrical installations that will fit the load served and the electric distribution system. An electrical professional can install power cables either indoors or outdoors, depending on the electrical distribution system in your home.
A poorly versed electrical technician will make the best electrical components and systems perform disappointingly, compelling you to make frequent electric repairs. The quack can damage or weaken the insulation cable while installing them, making you spend more in replacing the damaged parts.
Therefore, you should be willing to look for the best electrical professionals through referrals or from the best electrical companies in Wilmington, NC, for proper and accurate installations.
The expert will adhere to all the required industry practices to prevent future electrical system failures. The professional can also recommend routine inspections and maintenance of the cable system to prolong its lifespan.
Cable Size
The size of the cables is another aspect to consider. The hired electrician should evaluate the size of the cables depending on their current carrying capacity, short circuit rating, and voltage regulation before selecting them for installation and application.
The carrying capacity for various-sized cables is based upon thermal heating and should never be overlooked. The electrical expert knows how to evaluate current ratings of the right-sized cables to make sure they are appropriate for the insulation covers selected for installation in homes.
Voltage regulation is also vital when analyzing the type of cables to purchase for application in your home. The regulator ensures your house has the correct load voltage to prevent problems such as overheating that might lead to electrical fires or damages to appliances.
The licensed and bonded electrician should also check for short circuit withstand capabilities on each side of the cable before selecting the right-sized cables that fit your home’s electrical system for peak performance to avert thermal damage.
Cable Operating Condition
The electrical professional should also consider how the cable withstands voltage stresses during abnormal and routine operations. The professional should check the cable insulation levels to determine if they belong to the grounded, low-resistance grounded, or resonant grounded systems.
The grounded systems protect against ground faults within a minute, ungrounded systems take an hour, and the low resistance insulation cables prevent ground faults indefinitely.
So, your electrical professional should select cables from a category that meets your cable’s insulation needs to offer the appropriate protection against high voltage stresses that lead to current leakage between cells and ground, causing ground faults.
Shielding
The last consideration for buying cables is the shielding power they contain. The electrician should check if the electric cables have shield coverings or are standard unshielded. The electrical contractors should make the appropriate buying decision by selecting the ones with shielding.
The shielded power cables protect against severe electrical hazards such as short circuits. Cable systems with no shield coverings are prone to have particle ionization in case of high voltages. Therefore, having the electrical expert install the shielded power cables in your home will lower the possibility of electrical accidents.
Here to Help!
Whether you want to change the entire cable system of your home or require emergency electrical services, you can count on Mister Sparky of Wilmington for professional help.
Our electrical company in Wilmington, NC, has years of experience and is staffed with licensed and qualified electrical technicians that do the job right the first time. You will get an experienced electrician who will provide top-notch and quality services, including installation, repairs, and replacement of the cable system.