ATLANTA ELECTRICIANS

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How electricity works

Electricity is delivered to the home by either underground or overhead service wires.  After going through the electric meter, the wires enter the service panel (also called the main fuse box, or the main electric panel).  Starting at the service panel, different circuits or loops connect to different parts of the house.  Standard circuits, or 120-volt circuits, power items such as lights and standard wall outlets.  Heavy-duty circuits, or 240-volt circuits, power such items as kitchen appliances, electric dryers, and air conditioning equipment.  Although some older houses still have 60-amp service, 200-amp service is typical in most houses.

Circuit breakers and fuses

In the electric service panel, each circuit has a circuit breaker or fuse designed to interrupt the flow of electricity when too much current is drawn through the circuit.  Generally, newer panels use circuit breakers, while older panels use fuses.  The service panel has one main circuit breaker or fuse to shut off all power to the house in case of extreme emergency.  Once a circuit breaker is tripped or a fuse is blown, some of the appliances that caused the problem should be turned off before the circuit is reset.  Switching a tripped circuit breaker all the way to the "off" position and then back to the "on" position resets it.  Blown fuses must be replaced.  If you have a fuse box, you should have spare fuses on hand.  Fuses come in different sizes for different circuits.  For safety reasons, a burned-out low-amp fuse should never be replaced with a higher-amp fuse.  For example, do not replace a 15-amp fuse with a 30-amp fuse.

Grounding

The ground leg, the third round leg on most power cords, is designed for safety.  Many appliances, such as computers, are encased in metal.  If the case is not properly grounded and an electric short occurs in the appliance, it is possible for the case to become electrically charged.  The ground provides a path for electricity to travel safely out of the house and into the earth in an emergency.  Breaking off the ground leg on a power cord is dangerous.  By breaking off the ground leg, the homeowner typically assumes all liability for the appliance or product and voids all manufacturer's warranties. 

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