E-Care Electrical Services
GTA
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GTA
(1)
Residential | Commercial | Installations | Repairs | Electrical Audits | Build Outs | Upgrades
E-Care Electrical Services specializes in residential and commercial electrical services. Whether you need a small wiring fix or the installation of state-of-the-art "smart home" automation, we get the job done right.
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1 customer review
Toni
Electricians
Quick response and quick to schedule visit. Reasonable prices. Great service !
Reply from E-Care Electrical Services
Thank you for taking the time to leave us such a beautiful review. Most people don't bother to leave reviews about positive experiences, and that's what makes you the star. It's only when we receive such positive feedback, do we rest knowing that we have done our jobs well. Thank you for giving us this proverbial pat on the back, you made our day! We will strive to deliver great experiences consistently, please do come again.
Panel upgrade
Your electrical panel is the heart of your home’s electrical system. It takes the incoming power from the street and distributes it, as required, through the circuit breakers. When too much power is being drawn through a circuit breaker, it “trips” off to protect the wiring. An overloaded situation like this can cause excess stress/heat, resulting in melting which creates smoke, along with fire. Your electrical panel not only powers all the things you love in your home, such as that big TV, it also protects the people you love most from dangerous situations.
Homes are not what they used to be. With the additions of fancy electronics, car chargers, high-end appliances, etc., your old panel may have a hard time keeping up with the demand. Despite the fact that most devices within a home are more energy efficient than ever, the issues stems from the fact that we are putting more and more items into the home that require electricity. If your panel is original, or is more than 10 years old, it is time to think about replacing it.
Does the size of my service affect my house?
Up until the mid 1930’s, houses were fed with a mere 60 Amps of power. Today, that wouldn’t even power your dryer and stove together. Older homes are typically supplied with 100 Amps, which is okay for a home under 2,000 square feet with average household appliances. If you were to build a home today, in 2019, the code would require you to be fed with a minimum of 200 Amps of power. If you have an undersized service, you may notice that your main circuit breaker constantly “trips” off and shuts down your house. If this is the case, you must upgrade your service to a larger size. If you are thinking of adding any large appliances or equipment into your home, such as a secondary suite, EV car charger, hot tub, etc., you will need at least 200 Amps of power.
How will I know my panel is on its way out? What are the consequences?
Old electrical panels may start to show signs of malfunctioning in as little as 10 years of use. If your panel is 20 years or older, you should have it inspected and/or replaced by a licensed electrician.
As dust, grease, and other particles float through the air, they make their way into your circuit breakers and can prevent them from tripping. Old circuit breakers are also at a risk of not functioning due to being worn out; this could either be from the breakers tripping on and off too many times or just simply having power run through them for years.
Some of the signs of a worn out electrical panel will present themselves in other areas of the home, not just the panel. Here is a list of potential symptoms that could mean you need a new panel upgrade:
You can see rust, corrosion, or moisture around the panelThere has been a fire or smoke damage in the homeYou can hear crackling or popping sounds coming from the breaker boxThe breakers are warm/hot to the touchHalf of your home is without powerAppliances do not seem to be operating at full powerLights dim or flickerBreakers fail to resetYou have fusesYour home is fed with a 60Amp electrical serviceYour home is fed with a 100Amp electrical service and breakers still tripYou are buying a new, large piece of equipment/applianceThere is no main breakerYour meter is located inside, instead of outside, of your home
Specific panel manufacturers may be a threat to your home, watch out!
Most of us are familiar with brands such as: Siemens, Square D and Eaton. What may look like a normal panel, may in fact be a threat to your home. Between 1950 and 1990, there were a few brands of panels that had, and still have, manufacturer’s defects and bad designs. Here is a list of those brands:
Pushmatic Bulldog & ITE
Federal Pioneer Electric / Federal Pacific Electric
(Stab-Lok)
Zinsco
Any brand of fuse panel
Any brand of split-bus panel (no main breaker)
Pot Light installation
Professional Potlights installation
-chandelier installation
-under cabinet &crown moulding lighting
-wifi switch/dimmer ,timer, usb plugs
-underground wiring
-panel upgrades
-add or remove switches & reseptacles
-Troubleshooting
-appliance installation
- Installation of high quality Slim LED Pot Lights by professional licensed electricians in the shortest time and for an excellent price!
Knob and Tube Wiring replacement
Getting to know knob and tube wiring
Becoming the owner of an older, heritage style home, can be thrilling, but also incredibly challenging. If your house was built prior to 1950, you’ll need to consider the type of wiring the home has, for instance, copper, aluminum, or knob and tube (k&t). If it is an older house, and it has never been completely rewired, it could have knob and tube wiring. If this is the case, it’s quite likely you’ll have a problem when you begin shopping around to get house insurance.
Just because the home has k&t wiring, it doesn’t mean the house is in imminent danger of burning down. If the wiring has been well maintained and hasn’t been used as a clothesline in the basement, it may be just fine.
What is knob and tube wiring?
You won’t see any k&t wiring in newer homes, but if your home was built in 1950 or earlier, take a look in the basement. If you notice wires running through porcelain cylinders or “tubes” inserted in holes in the wooden floor joists, you have knob and tube wiring. You’ll also see porcelain “knobs,” which keep the wires secure, and prevent them from touching the wood along which the wires run. The wires are usually insulated with a rubberized cloth fabric.
One of the main differences between modern wiring and the old knob and tube, is that there is no ground wire. Therefore, this type of wiring cannot accommodate any electrical items with three pronged plugs, and the risk of shocks and fire is much greater. Also, the black and the white wires run separately, while in more modern wiring, you will see that the black wire, the white wire, as well as the ground wire, are all enclosed in a single cable. Another difference is the wire insulation. Modern wiring is insulated with plastic, while knob-and-tube uses rubber. The breakdown of the insulation over time on knob-and-tube wiring is often the reason it is replaced. It’s important to note that this is frequently the result of overheating or mechanical abuse.
You may have found it difficult to obtain home insurance if your home has k&t wiring. In fact, this type of wiring is not inherently dangerous. Problems arise when the insulation around the wires begins to deteriorate with age, or when home handymen have made alterations to the wiring. Knob and tube wiring should never run through insulation, especially blown-in insulation, as this type of wiring requires open space to keep cool. Any insulation surrounding the wiring can cause serious problems. In fact, this wiring is sometimes referred to as “Open Wiring” which helps to emphasize the importance of maintaining open airspace around the wire at all times to prevent any overheating.
There is nothing in the building code in Canada which states k&t wiring must be removed from existing homes, but it is considered obsolete, and can’t be used in any new construction.
What can go wrong with knob and tube wiring?
Any of the problems listed below can cause short circuits or overheating. To avoid these problems, you may need to replace your house’s wiring. If in doubt, have an electrical inspection done.
Insulation over the wiring: If household insulation is installed over knob and tube wiring, a fire is just waiting to break out. The wiring is coated with a rubber/cloth insulation. It needs lots of space to dissipate the heat that builds up when an electrical current is flowing through. If there’s no room, because it’s been covered with insulation, a very dangerous situation is created.Excess use: Knob and tube wiring was installed when there were really very few electrical appliances in the average home. Nowadays, with TVs, sound systems, computers, washers, and dryers, the system can easily become overheated. Many times, there is overuse of extension cords, and power bars, as well. Old systems, are just not designed to handle the demands for electricity that occur in our modern computerized world. The ground pin (or 3rd prong) on power bars or other electrical items should never be removed to accommodate the two pin outlets used in k&t wiring.Alterations: Most problems occur with k&t wiring as a result of improper alterations being made to the existing wiring. As it’s such an old system, proper replacement parts are not always available, which could be the reason a lot of makeshift handyman fixes are so dangerous. Knob and tube wiring is easily accessed in the basement, which is perhaps the reason why this wiring is often spliced unsafely with modern wiring by home handymen, as opposed to certified electricians.Damage: Serious problems can occur when this type of wiring is damaged, either due to wear and tear, handyman fixes, or other types of damage. Porcelain knobs and tubes can crack, and the wires tend to sag and fray over time exposing live wires.Brittle insulation: The rubberized cloth insulation on k&t wiring becomes brittle over time, and can flake off.
Plugging in a lamp, or even a TV, in your living room or bedroom really doesn’t pose much of a risk when you have k&t wiring. However, in places where there’s a possibility of contact with water, for instance, the bathroom or kitchen, this type of ungrounded system could be extremely dangerous.
What can you do to maintain your knob and tube wiring?
If you currently have k&t wiring in your home, the International Association of Certified Home Inspectors (InterNACHI) provides the following advice:
Have the system evaluated by a qualified electrician. Only an expert can confirm that the system was installed and modified correctly.Do not run an excessive amount of appliances in the home, as this can cause a fire.Replace all outlets with ground fault circuit interrupter (GFCI) outlets. These are 3-prong outlets with a built-in reset button.Where the wiring is brittle or cracked, it should be replaced. Proper maintenance is crucial.K&T wiring should not be used in kitchens, bathrooms, laundry rooms or outdoors. Wiring must be grounded in order to be used safely in these locations.Rewiring a house can take weeks and cost thousands of dollars, but unsafe wiring can cause fires, complicate estate transactions, and make insurers skittish.Homeowners should carefully consider their options before deciding whether to rewire their house.The homeowner or an electrician should carefully remove any insulation that is found surrounding k&t wires.Prospective home buyers should get an estimate of the cost of replacing k&t wiring. They can use this amount to negotiate a cheaper price for the house.
What is the life expectancy of knob and tube wiring?
Copper wiring can last up to 100 years. Knob and tube can last a long time, too, but one of the main problems with k&t wiring, of all the ones listed above, is the problem with old, worn, insulation. This tends to become brittle, and can easily break off, leaving bare wires exposed. Experts recommend you replace the wiring as soon as the insulation becomes brittle.
The replacement cost of a home’s entire system with copper wiring really varies depending on the size of the home and the amount of k&t wiring in place. But it is not outrageously expensive, and can be done fairly quickly, and with very minimal damage. The end result will be a more efficient, safer home, and will also increase the resale value should the time come when you decide to sell.
What will your home insurance company want to know?
Your insurance company will always want to know what type of wiring your home has. They’ll want to know if the entire house has been wired this way, or if some of the home has been updated. They may require you to have an electrician inspect the wiring, before they can offer you home insurance. A number of problems can occur when only part of the house has been rewired, and the rest of the home still has knob and tube. The connections between the two systems may expand and contract at different rates, causing connections to become loose.
Also, knob and tube wiring runs on a 60 amp service, but most insurance companies will require your home to have a 100 amp service/ breaker panel.
There are companies that will refuse to insure you with k&t wiring, as they consider the risk to be too high. However, there are others that will insure your home, perhaps with a higher premium or higher deductibles. There may also be a requirement to have an electrical inspection done by a professional before coverage can be offered.
Buying a beautiful older home has its benefits as well as its challenges. Having to cope with knob and tube wiring is definitely one of the biggest challenges you’ll face. However, if the wiring in your home is well-maintained and in good shape, even though it has been around for a while, you shouldn’t have a problem obtaining home insurance coverage.
Other commonly asked questions
Can knob and tube wiring be grounded? If the electrical outlets in your home have three prongs, it’s safe to say that the wiring connected to it has been appropriately grounded. Knob and tube wiring does not feature a third plug-in located just below the other two, and thus does not adequately protect from electrical shock if a wire comes loose.
If you’re trying to figure out what type of wiring your property has overall, however, simply checking your outlets for two or three plugs will not be enough. Since other electrical systems, such as sheathed duplex electrical wiring, also use two-pronged outlets, you’ll need to be more in-depth with your research before coming to a final diagnosis.
Unfortunately, if you’re hoping to ground an existing k&t system you will be sorely disappointed. In the interest of staying up to code—not to mention ensuring your home is properly, and safely, wired top-to-bottom—you’ll have to rewire the whole property.What is the cost of replacing knob and tube wiring? The exact price of rewiring your house can change dramatically depending on size, overall conditions, age of the property, access to wiring and other factors that are impossible to predict without a firsthand look. So, it’s best to consult with a licensed electrician to get an accurate estimation of what you can expect by project’s end.
How can you tell if a house has knob and tube wiring? If you’re not sure whether or not your house uses k&t wiring, it’s worth taking some time to do a brief inspection of the property to find out. The easiest method will involve checking key areas, such as exposed joints in the basement or attic, for any white ceramic knobs nailed to the joists with electrical wiring twisting through them. Barring any unpredictable circumstances, the presence of these telltale signs will almost certainly mean that your house was wired using the k&t method.
It’s worth pointing out, too, that you may still have k&t wiring in your home even if you don’t find any of these indications. In these cases, you’ll want to plan a complete diagnostic to be absolutely certain of what wiring your home uses. In the end, you’ll feel safe, secure and more knowledgeable of your home overall—and both you and the property will be better off for it.
ESA Inspection and ESA defect correction
CONSUMERS>HIRING AN ELECTRICIAN>HIRING A LICENSED ELECTRICAL CONTRACTOR
Hiring a Licensed Electrical ContractorWhat exactly is a Licensed Electrical Contractor? Do you just mean “electrician”?
In Ontario, any business that offers or performs electrical work must be licensed by the Electrical Safety Authority. The Licensed Electrical Contractor employs qualified electricians and a designated master electrician, and must abide by the Ontario Electrical Safety Code, the Occupational Health and Safety Act, Workplace Safety and Insurance Act, and other applicable laws. The Licensed Electrical Contractor must also meet other obligations related to conducting electrical work, including supervision, administration and safety requirements.
How do I tell the difference between someone who is a qualified electrician versus a Licensed Electrical Contractor?
Always ask for their electrical contractor’s licence number from ECRA/ESA. It should be on their business card, estimate and their vehicle. Also, make sure to get an ESA Certificate of Inspection when the electrical work is complete, for your records.
You can verify and/or find a Licensed Electrical Contractors in Ontario using ESA’s contractor locator tool using the 'search by contractor' function.
FIND A LICENSED ELECTRICAL CONTRACTOR IN MY AREA
Licensed Electrical Contractors (LEC) are the only businesses in Ontario legally authorized to do electrical work in your home.
Always ask for an ESA/ECRA licence number to make sure you’re choosing the right electrical contractor. And if you’re using a general contractor or other trade professional who subcontracts the electrical, the work always needs to be completed by a Licensed Electrical Contractor. Ask your general contractor, check the status of the person working in your home or find a Licensed Electrical Contractor here.
