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Frequently asked questions and their answers:
Legend: "code" = National Fire Protection Association's (NFPA) National
Electric Code (NEC)
I do all types of electrical work for homes and some commercial properties. My focus is residential customers who require Electrical Excellence, a step up from the ordinary or average installation service. I prefer installing products from well established manufacturers and built with quality as a defining term of use. I couple these products with my attention to detail, and deliver a final package worthy of its surroundings - your home or office. And remember, anything electrical can be automated or integrated into a complete automation system, not just the lighting.
2. What is your service area?I enjoy working within San Mateo County and San Francisco, most often in Atherton, Hillsborough, Los Altos Hills, Palo Alto, Portola Valley, Woodside, San Francisco and a few areas within the greater Bay area. I will work other places where Electrical Excellence is a requisite. My time is valuable to me, as is the time of most everyone I work for, so I will bill for travel time.
3. May I get a list of references?I have never asked anyone for permission to use them as a reference and I doubt I ever will. All of my work is via word-of-mouth, so the people I work for know at least one other person on our list as clients.
4. What type of automation do you do?Anything that has a controllable feature is a candidate for an automation scheme. I typically provide lighting automation with Litetouch or Lutron as the preferred systems. If you are going beyond lighting automation (audio/video, security, etc.), I like to work in conjunction with Audio Arts to insure a professionally designed, installed, and integrated system. Having others, with professional experience in their field, perform what they do best helps insure Electrical Excellence.
I also do control design/build for some of Rollamatic's more complex control schemes, and at times integrate this with Litetouch or Lutron.
5. Why do so many contractor's I call for a quote not show a real interest?
There are times when an individual has an idea or a concept but needs help finalizing the design. When a contractor is called and hears "I would like you to come out and look at a kitchen I am planning", it means there is still a lot of design work ahead. I like to ask if there are drawings. If there are no drawings or design in place, it usually means I will spend a lot of my time providing input and helping make design decisions, time that many people do not seem to want to be charged for. If you want competent contractors to bid on your work, you need to have completed as much of the design work as possible, whether by yourself, a designer, or an architect . It may help you to review the California State Contractor's License Board page about what you need to do before getting a contractor involved. Or, give us a call! I will be more than happy to lend some guidance. If you would like to pay for design time, I will do design work.
Call us! Another great way is by references or recommendations from friends. If someone you trust cannot recommend a contractor to you and you call a contractor, ask for a list of the last three jobs comparable to what you would like done. Absolutely go to the California State Contractor's License Board and check out their license number, verify the owner's name and insurance, and see if there are any unresolved complaints.
7. Why do I need a service upgrade and who determines the need?
You will need a service upgrade as soon as the calculated load of your home exceeds the load rating of your service or when you begin tripping the main breaker due to overload. A calculated load only takes into a consideration a portion of your home's connected loads and a person's lifestyle may go beyond the calculation. Typically an engineer or a competent electrician may make the initial determination, in that the calculations are based on existing code requirements.
Paperwork must be filled out and submitted to the the utility having jurisdiction (in most cases Pacific Gas and Electric Company). However, once you get into the service size of most custom homes, an engineer's stamped calculations is your greatest assurance of conformity and safety. Aretae Electric is able to do all of the initial calculations for you. If it becomes necessary, the information I gather and organize may then be used by an engineer to finalize. This is often the best route to follow, because it is the electricians who need to be well acquainted with the electrical infrastructure of the home.
A loss of power or dimming lights due to overload is not always the primary problem with an undersized service. Undersized services can also cause a voltage drop to the extent electrically powered devices are damaged, such as motors in large appliances. If you ever notice your lights dimming momentarily when a motor is turned on, this may be an indication that your service is reaching or has exceeded its ability to provide power at a proper voltage level.
9. Why do my lights dim at random times, then go back to normal?
Dimming may be an indication of the need for a service upgrade. However, there are times where the utility providing power is not providing it at the level necessary for your service needs, either due to a transformer and/or wires being undersized. Some utilities will baulk at making the necessary upgrades until they have forced the home/business owner to make unnecessary upgrades to their equipment. Have a competent electrical contractor review your service before you proceed with any work you will have to pay for.
10. Why do you charge for estimates?
I typically DO NOT charge established clients for estimates. However, when I receive calls from people who do not have plans or designs, and who need further design help, I must recoup the cost of coming out or sending someone out. Very often the input I provide to such persons is then passed along to other electrical contractors who then use the information to perform the work with less effort on their part. I am not in a position where I need or want to spend money with little chance of being awarded a project, in essence paying to improve someone else's house. Therefore, I do charge a service fee to visit customers whose sole intent is to solicit ideas and potential costs. If you would like to save a little money, come to our office or email me, I will be glad to reply.
11. Why are your rates higher than others?
I have found that my rates are only higher than those electrical contractors whose sole goal is to get in and out of a jobsite with a minimal amount of effort. Yes, they may save you money up front, but I am often asked to come in and make reparations to the electrical system after they have left your job. I have been here since 1985 and have an established clientele who understand that a professionally installed system takes time and requires quality materials, as well as wanting assurance of a safely operating home upon completion. I carry full bonding and liability. I am not interested in doing any work where the "cheapest" price is the main focus. My rates are actually less than many noted high-end electrical contractors.
12. What is one of the main problems you encounter when troubleshooting?
One of the main problems starts with something initially allowed by the code and is subsequently compromised by inept electricians, landscapers, "do-it-yourselfers", handymen, etc; "shared neutrals". First of all, what is a neutral? It is using what the code defines as a grounded conductor, or the electrical wire (typically one of two, three -most often on a home, or four wires, and the one with no insulation on it if overhead) from the utility to your home that is attached to the ground; it is usually white, to complete a path of electricity. The neutral makes a complete circuit, a path for the electricity to move on. Every 1/60th of a second the electricity flows in on one wire, through whatever you are turning on, then out on another, then reverses direction the next 1/60th of a second, etc.
The code allows for the neutral to be "shared", in that one neutral may be used to complete the circuit for each of the other wires coming into your home. This is "OK" if the code is strictly adhered to. However, what normally seems to take place is either someone comes along and "shares" it with circuits that are common to the same wire coming into your home, tap off of it somewhere else in the house to complete something they are too lazy to bring the proper neutral to, or too hindered by what someone is willing to pay them, or you want to add a generator to your home but only want to feed certain circuits. ALL circuits sharing a neutral must be added to the loads in a panel fed from a generator, e.g, if you have two dishwashers on two separate circuits and they share a neutral, it is not safe and is a code violation to move only one of them into the generator fed panel.
15. What ARE YOUR RATES?See my RATE PAGE.
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