The safety devices the code requires and the ones it does not yet, installed and tested by licensed electricians.
Hard-wired, interconnected smoke and carbon monoxide alarms, ground fault protection where water and power meet, arc fault protection in living areas and a surge device at the panel: none of these are expensive, and each one has prevented a tragedy somewhere in Edmonton this year. MNR Electric installs and tests them in an afternoon, and brings older homes up to the current requirements when a suite, a sale or an insurer calls for it.
Hard-wired, interconnected alarms with battery backup on every level and in every bedroom, including the Alberta Building Code requirements for secondary suites.
Ground fault protection for kitchens, bathrooms, laundry, garages, exteriors and anywhere within reach of water.
Arc fault breakers for bedrooms and living areas, the code's defence against fires that start inside walls.
A type 2 surge protective device at the panel that shields every appliance, furnace board and computer in the house from utility surges and nearby lightning.
Child-safe receptacles throughout, required in new homes and a quick upgrade in older ones.
A room-by-room check of your home's electrical system with a written list of what is unsafe, what is not to code and what is fine.
Smoke alarms are required on every level, in every bedroom and in the hallway serving bedrooms, interconnected so they all sound together. Carbon monoxide alarms are required near sleeping areas in any home with a fuel-burning appliance or an attached garage, which is nearly every Edmonton home. Alarms should be replaced every ten years.
Furnace control boards, heat pump compressors, induction ranges, televisions and computers all contain electronics that a single surge can destroy. A panel-mounted surge device costs a fraction of one furnace board and protects everything behind it.
A GFCI protects people from shock by sensing current leaking to ground, which is why it belongs near water. An AFCI protects the house from fire by sensing arcing inside damaged cords and cables, which is why it belongs in bedrooms and living areas. Modern panels use both.
Yes. A typical older-home safety package is interconnected alarms, GFCI in wet areas, AFCI breakers and a surge device, done in a day with a permit for the circuit work.
A service call covers alarms, GFCI and surge protection in one visit. Call 24/7 if an alarm is sounding and you cannot find the cause.
