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About this episode of the I Love Edmonton Real Estate Podcast
In this episode Rob Swyrd, owner of Robart Services, joins me, Jason Scott, to talk about electrical issues you might face in your home.
Robart Electrical Services Ltd is a family-owned business with over in residential and commercial electrical services. Rob and I talk about how he became an electrician, what the 35 years of experience most common issues he sees people facing, and what to look for when hiring an electrician. Rob also talks about their 100 amp upgrade process they have with Epcor and the training program they offer to help Realtors and home inspectors.
- [00:30] How did you become an electrician?
- [01:51] What are the most common electrical issues you see people face?
- [02:10] Aluminum wiring is a huge issue with the Insurance Bureau of Canada.
- [04:15] Pig tailing is a common fix to problems with aluminum wiring. It involves placing a copper connector under the screw or plug of the switch.
- [05:30] When we do pig tailing, we take out an electrical permit from the city of Edmonton and have an inspector come in and check our work.
- [07:35] What are some other issues that home buyers should look for when buying an older home?
- [11:30] How common are houses that need to be upgraded to 100 amp service?
- [12:10] A lender will not give money if the house is not insurable.
- [12:40] We have a system worked out with EPCOR for upgrading to 100 amp service. Robart shows up at the site between 8:30 – 9:00 am, EPCOR arrives between 9:30 -10:30 am, the inspector shows up between 1-2 PM and after they are done they call EPCOR, who comes back to connect the power between 3- 4:30 pm.
- [16:00] Knob and tube wiring is the 3rd major thing that we deal with. It is a method of wiring that was popular in the 1950s but is not accepted today. If you have this kind of wiring in your home you have to have the whole place re-wired.
- [18:30] Ungrounded circuits were also popular until 1964 and have a risk of electrocution. We install GFI’s into unground circuits to protect it as if it were grounded.
- [20:05] What do you mean by ‘master electrician’?
- [21:37] What should someone look for when hiring an electrician?
- [23:45] We at Robart created an electrical training program for Realtors and home inspectors that help them identify if a home is a 60 amp home or a 100 amp.
- [27:50] If you call EPCOR and ask them what amperage your house is, they will always say 100 amps because all the wiring they use from the pole to the house is 100. Otherwise, if it was 60 amp it would break.
- [30:20] I go through a lot of light bulbs, why is this happening?
- [33:30] Rob tells a story about one of his craziest experiences on the job.
- [35:50] We have started using thermal imaging so we can check all the plugs and switches to see if there are any heat sources to help prevent fires or damage.
Connect with Rob:
Tel: (780) 238-8195
Email: robartelectric@me.com
Social:
More About the I Love Edmonton Real Estate Podcast
Host Jason Scott of The Mortgage Group talks to everyone and anyone who knows real estate in Edmonton.
Learn from local experts and get the inside scoop on anything that impacts Edmonton’s real estate market. Whether you are thinking of buying, selling or investing in the Edmonton market, Jason and his guests are here to help.
We interview top real estate professionals, decision-makers, influencers, and people who can help you learn more about what’s happening in Edmonton.