Importance of proper electrical work in the kitchen
Replacing receptacles look easy enough but is it proper to do it by yourself? In many instances, saving a few bucks is not the answer because your electrical safety is based on the skills of an Toronto electrical contractor. First of all, you don’t just change outlets; they have to be replaced with spec grade receptacles. Receptacles are described with terms like general grade, specification grade, heavy duty, industrial grade, commercial grade, residential grade and so forth. General use grades are the most common and costs about less than a dollar. The specification grades are more costly but it is worth spending the extra money for high wattage devices. In the kitchen, you use equipment like toasters, countertop grills, waffle makers, coffee makers and oven. The specification grade ensures that high load is efficiently handled.
General grade receptacles are intended to supply a variety of electrical loads in areas that are seldom used. It is usually the area where you frequently plug your vacuum cleaner or charge your tablet computer. Many kitchens have residential grade receptacles that have a quick wiring feature; however, this is dangerous because it can easily lead to overheating when you plug in a high wattage device. According to the National Electrical Code, the distance between receptacles should be at least 2 feet in countertop spaces but you can use a double receptacle in the counter location where you do most of your work with electrical kitchen tools. In order to avoid overloads and tripped breakers, make sure that the double receptacle is placed on two different circuits. A microwave should always be on a circuit by itself.
It is cheaper to do electrical work in the kitchen during construction or remodeling. An electrical contractor like in Toronto will include a GFCI (Ground Fault Circuit Interrupting) on kitchen outlets near sinks where there is tendency for the outlet to get wet. Outlets near sinks should at least be six feet away with GFCI protection. GFCI circuits are known to be extremely sensitive to shorts and will immediately trip should a problem occurs. Perhaps you have experienced a mild electrical shock when you touch your stainless sink while you are working with an electrical mixer; the GFCI outlet will prevent this from happening.
If you insist to change receptacles on your own, the best way is to make sure that power is off the circuit. Make sure that connections are tight and you did not simply stab the wiring on the back of the receptacle. Make sure that outlets will properly hold a plug in place.