Test the Voltage Stability of Your Home's Electrical System

In addition to our electrical safety inspection, Emerald State Electric also offers voltage drop testing and thermal imaging. Voltage drop are a contributor to conductors and connections overheating, as according to Ohms Law, when volts go down, amps go up and this adds to the demand on your electrical system. Voltage drop can also cause resistive loads such as incandescent lights and electric heaters to run less effectively and never reach their rated values. This may overheat their motors and cause them to run poorly. Voltage drop can be caused by several factors including undersized wiring, circuits which have been run too long, loose or deteriorating electrical connections, extension cords, outlet adapters and other common causes.

One of the main benefits of the voltage drop test, is it will give your electrical contractor a fairly accurate rough idea of the quality of your electrical connections on a circuit without having to open up every device and junction box in your home to physically inspect every single connection, which could easily cost you thousands of dollars. A simple voltage drop test will tell us if your voltage drop exceeds 3%, the recommended maximum voltage drop allowed by the NEC. If your system exceeds 3%, there is a good chance your wiring is too small for the load being served, or that you may have bad electrical connections in that circuit. Bad electrical connections are a common cause of excessive voltage drop, especially in older homes which are still utilizing the original electrical devices and wiring.

For more information on checking home voltage stability or to schedule a full home electrical audit, give Emerald State Electric and call at 253-EMERALD (363-7253) or send us an online quote request form.