Electrical, Power, and Lighting

An AFCI is a safety device that shuts power off when it detects dangerous arcing in wiring.

An automatic transfer switch detects a power outage and activates a backup generator without anyone flipping a switch.

Bonding is connecting metal parts together so they stay at the same electrical potential.

Carbon monoxide is an invisible gas from combustion that can build up when vehicles run or when fumes enter the home.

A carbon monoxide alarm detects carbon monoxide, an invisible gas that can make people sick or worse.

A circuit breaker is a safety switch in the electrical panel that trips when a circuit pulls too much power or has a fault.

Conduit is a protective tube that routes wires and makes it easier to replace or add wiring later.

A contact sensor is a two-piece device that detects when a door or window is opened or closed by sensing the separation of its halves.

A dedicated circuit serves one major appliance or one heavy load, instead of sharing with general outlets.

The electrical panel is the box that distributes power to circuits in your home. It holds breakers that shut power off when something goes wrong.

Electrical rough-in is the stage where wiring, boxes, and runs are installed before insulation and drywall.

EV charger rough-in is planning and installing the electrical pathway for a future electric vehicle charger.

A GFCI is a safety device that shuts off power quickly when it senses a shock risk, especially near water.

Grounding is connecting the electrical system to the earth so fault energy has a safe path.

A junction box is a protective box where wires connect. It keeps connections safe and accessible.

A load calculation is a method for estimating how much electrical demand your home will have with existing and new equipment.

A load management device shares electrical capacity between high-draw appliances so they do not all run at full power simultaneously.

Low-voltage wiring covers systems like internet, cameras, doorbells, and speakers.

A manual transfer switch requires someone to physically flip circuits from utility power to generator power during an outage.

Matter is an open standard that allows smart home devices from different brands to communicate with each other across platforms.

A neutral wire is the white wire in a switch box that completes the circuit and provides constant low-level power to smart switches and dimmers.

A service upgrade increases the amount of electrical power the home can safely use, often by upgrading the main service and panel.

A smoke alarm detects smoke and alerts you early in a fire.

A standby generator is a permanently installed, fuel-powered generator that starts automatically when utility power is lost.

A transfer switch is a device that safely switches a home's electrical supply between utility power and generator power.

Wire gauge is the thickness of a wire. Thicker wire can safely carry more current.