For most of us, access to electricity is a given. We just walk into our homes, flick a few switches, and we have lights, a working computer, a dishwasher and refrigerator, and plenty of heat to keep us warm or air conditioning to keep us comfortable in the toasty months. Unless we have a problem, we usually don’t give a second thought to the electrical systems in our homes.
But did you know that between 2013 and 2017 about 15 percent of the fires in Canada that resulted in structure loss were caused by faulty electrical wiring or some other reason related to a home’s or building’s electrical system?1 That’s a high percentage! And though that number has decreased a little in the last few years, that’s more than 600 fires. And those are just the ones for which data was recorded, so that number could potentially be much higher.
Nonetheless, the need for up-to-date wiring and code compliance is essential in keeping you and your family safe. That’s why Stapleton Electric offers Vancouver-area homeowners the opportunity to purchase our HomeSafe Inspection Package, which can provide you with the peace of mind that comes with knowing the electrical systems in your home are safe and unlikely to cause a fire or other calamity.
What is the HomeSafe Inspection Package?
The Canadian Electrical Code was established to keep everyone safe from electric-related fires. Indeed, electrical wiring in Canada follows regulations and standards for installation of building wiring. Because electrical code compliance is fluid – it changes constantly – what was valid yesterday is not necessarily compliant with today’s minimum standards. That means if you live in a house where the wiring and outlets haven’t been updated for a while, for example, there’s a good chance that your system is “out of code”.
With the purchase of our HomeSafe Inspection Package, we can give your home an electrical check-up to verify that you system is indeed up-to-date or to validate any concerns you might have about your home’s wiring being outdated and unsafe. We’ll check each and every room in your house – including garages and outbuildings that have electricity – to make sure that everything in your home complies to the Canadian Electrical Code.
Once the inspection is complete, we can make recommendations as to necessary changes to make your home safe.
What’s involved?
During our HomeSafe inspection, we look for particulars that pertain to each room of your house. Here are a few examples.
Kitchen
- Most countertop receptacles are required to be GFCI
- There should be no face-up receptacles
- There should be one receptacle or your island or peninsula
- Receptacles should be no more than 20 inches above countertops
Bathrooms
- You should ONLY install GFCI outlets in bathrooms
- No receptacles should be face-up on countertops
- There must be at least one receptacle within 3 feet of the outside edge of sink basin.
Other rooms
- Receptacles should be on any wall space that is more than 24 inches wide.
- Hallways that exceed 10 feet in length must include at least one receptacle.
- Wall receptacles should be placed every 12 feet
While a lot of this might seem like common sense to some homeowners, you’ll find that homes built prior to a certain time will be void of these Canadian Electrical Code-mandated things, all of which are designed to protect persons and property from endangerment due to electrical malfunctions.
A trained set of eyes may be exactly what you need in order to insure that you’re never going to be one of those fire-related statistics that show up in national data each year. When the experts from Stapleton Electric inspect your home for potential problems, you can be sure that the end result will be a home that we keep you and your family safe.
Our HomeSafe Inspection Package is affordable and can be set up at your convenience. We’ll also offer affordable pricing on any repairs required thereafter, and because honesty is the best policy, you’ll never pay for any unnecessary repairs.
For more information on how the HomeSafe Inspection Package can benefit you or for further information on any of our residential services, call our office at 778-985-9395 or use the contact form on this website.
1https://www.mcscs.jus.gov.on.ca/english/FireMarshal/MediaRelationsandResources/FireStatistics/OntarioFires/FireLossesCausesTrendsIssues/stats_causes.html
