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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Huron Expositor, 1970-02-05, Page 14'A.. • -•• The old familiar barn (top left) that for generations has dotted the• Canadian countryside is gradually giving way to the more modern single storey structure (seen at top right). Feed for livestock is tragsported from the silos by electric augers and elevators. Nerve centre of the farm building complex is the flectrical panel (seen at lower right). • - CHECK YOUR HOME. FOR ELECTRICAL FIRE HAZARDS • 'DURING' • • NATIONAL ELECTRICAL WEEK One out of every 10 fires in Ontario is caused by the misuse of electricity ! GLOSSARY OF ELECTRICAL^ TERMS A unit of measure for the quantity or volume of electricity moi'ing through a conductor — compares with the amount of water flowing through a pipe. A unit of measure for the pressure of electricity moving through a con- ductor — compares with the pounds of pressure of water. A measure of electric power equal to one ampere forced through a cir- cuit by one volt of pressure: A unit of 'power equal to 1000 watts or 1.34 horsepower. A unit of work or energy equal to that expended ,in one hbur' at a rate of one kilOwatt. AMPERE: VOLT:' WATT: • KILOWATT: K I LOW ATT-HOUR : lb Al. A :4.• • !'" •.•"•"•"'":•'. How much home are you missing through outdated wiring? R. S. BOX, Chairman Supplementary electric heating r. takes the chill out of a chilly room • 0 fba.-.T14 911•I ON EXPOSITOR, SEAFQRTH, ONT., FEB. 5, 1970 HOUSEWORK'S AS EASY A Electricity Wonder Space Age,. Energy Canada. Replacing a blown-dut fuse is easy, and safe, if certain precau- • tions are taken. A fuse is a safety device. It operates like a safety- valve. Too much current flowing. through the wires causes the fuse to burnout, cutting off the flow of electricity. • litstead of being annoyed when a fuse blows, the homeowner,, should be concerned about find- ing out why the fuse burned out. Generally it -is just a matter of plugging too many lights and ap- pliances into a single circuit. For ELECTRICITY KEEPS THEM DOWN ON THE FARM WHEN YOU'RE LIVING BETTER ELECTRICALLY! Let us help you get the most out of electricity. Make certain you are taking advantage of a, properly planned electrical service that will avoid overloading — 'that is adequate to • handle today's additional appliances. Call Us Now For a Free -Estimate • NATIONAL " ELECTRICAL, WEEK FEBRUARY 8th to 14th • FRANK . KLIN 'LIMITED PHONE 527-1320' SEAFOIRTH The Apollo 12 spaceship that took man to the moon and back is an 'amazingly complex assem- -bly of more than two million parts and ten different systems, one of which, the electrical sys- tfm, is the heart of the spaceship. The lives of the astronauts de- pended upon an uninterrupted source of electrical power to maintain the spaceship's life-sup- port system, computer, communi, cations and other systems. All systems were carefully monitored by the astronauts. A defect in any one of the compon- ents had to be corrected or corn- The scene is a barn on ,a large dairy farm in a Canadian prov- ince. Enter a young lad named Andy who gets up half an hour earlier than most city boys his age,- Andy flips several switches, then stands back to listen as a number of machines spring to life. in no, time at all 200 pure- bred Holstein cattle .are fed and watered. Andy then flips another switch to start the barn, cleaning machinery. After that, he 'has breakfast and heads for school. Sounds easy, and it is, when compared to the back-breaking tasks that faced Andy's 'grand- father 30 years ago and even his father 15 years ago. • Automation on the farm is helping the farm operator perl form the hard, hack-breaking and time-consuming tasks in a quar- ter of the time, at a kfraction of the cost of the Manual labour that would be, necessary for the same volume of work. Electrically driven machinery has, replaced the hired hand and other members'of the faniily-Who Migrated to the cities over the past two decades. Twisting augers worm their way through long lines of iron piping to deliver feed to livestock when time clocks announce, the time for breakfast. Chopping mills mix and grind a variety of grains, protein sup- plement, minerals and medication in proportions designated by dial settings, to prOduce the maximum Weight gain, and production pensated for immediately. Our industrial plants, office buildings, transportation systems, defence complexes, hospitals and other essential facilities are, also dependent upon an abundant, un- interrupted source of electricity. Maintenance staffs ensure that electrical circuits are not over- loaded and that defects are reme- died promptly. The homeowner, like the astro-. naut and commercial building staff electrician, should ensure that the home's electrical system is maintained at peak efficiency, says the Electrical Bureau of example, most circuits are cap- able of carrying 15 amperes, therefore most fuses in the fuse box should not be rated higher than 15 amps. Roughly speaking, an amp is little more than 100 watts. About 1.,600 watts (sixteen 100-watt light bulbs or some such combin- ation burned at the same time) will fully "load" a 15-ampere cir- cuit, Add one more light bulb anti you have an over-loaded cir- cuit and a burned-out fuse. Another cause bf blown-out fuses is a short circuit. The sud- den surge Of electricity through the short circuit causes the fuse to blow. If it didn't .blow, you would have a fire instead. Do not use a fuse of a higher rating than your circuits call for. Using 20-amp instead of 15-amp fuses will reduc.e the number of bloWn 'ruses but increases the danger of overheated wires and the hazards of a fire. Keep replacement fuses handy, on top of or next to the fuse box is the best place. It just isn't had luck that, most fuses burn out at night — it's more likely that you are using more electricity than usual. Keep a flashlight handy. Don't try to replacb a fuse in total dark- ness. Know where the main house service switch is located. It should he right there beside the fuse box or circuit breaker. Pull the switch to "off" before you 'change any fuses. A circuit breaker panel replaces the fuse box in many new houses. Each circuit has a breaker - that looks like an ordinary light switch; these flip, to the "off" position when a circuit is over- loaded. Instead of replacing a fuse, ,you simply mGye the breaker to the "on" position. if the breaker continues to flip , off, look for the trouble and eliminate it. The most common fuse is the one with a glass or mica window in the top. The window will be blackened or the wire inside burned through in a blown fuse. Never, NEVER, use a coin or foil underneath a fuse. You might as well not have, ny fuse at all. Stove cartridge fuses are held in place above the screw-in fuses by a fuse holder equipped with a small: metal handle. Pull th'e handle out to cut off the flow of current. Replace the burned out fuse and replace the fuse holder. Know which fuse or breaker controls each circuit in your home, A numbered list of the cir- cnits or a wiring diagram should be glued inside the cover of the fuse box or circuit breaker panel. • HOUSEHOLD CIRCUIT BREAKER PANEL — the top circuit breakers control the kit- chen'range and other heavy ap- pliances, i.e. washer, dryer, etc. The breakers below control . branch circuits, i,e. lighting and portable appliances. consumption on the farm has doubled with each decade since 1948. Prosperity on the farm is a reality 'today. It has been made possible, through the harnessing of highly: efficient low cost elec- trical energy and machines. Ute It Properly This. is National Ele,ctrical Week, a good time to make sure that electricity is used properly in your home. Faulty extension cords are a diajor cause of elec- trical. fires: They provide a quick, easy- and convenient method of hooking pp a lamp or other ap- pliance • but the, convenience is often misused. Don't run them under Carpets, over nails or through walls. The extension cord could become damaged, the bare wires touch and a fire could re- sult. ' Keep your home safe. -. levels. ' Pressure pumps send water -through - plastic-hosing -to-elee-- frically-warmed water bowls. Chain-like racks push manure along gutters behind the rows of cattle to central pits. The manure is often stored in large concrete tanks before it is distributed on the fields. The new, modern machinery is installed in the modern, single- storey 'Mel and' alqminurn ing without windoWs that is re- placing the old style, frame barn with hayloft. Electric fans coun- terbalance -the heat given .off by ,the animal population and create a carefully - controlled environ-' ment for the livestock. . COnsumption of electrical energy on the farm has risen dramatically over the last two .decades, according. to the Farm Electrification Bureat. • In 1948, average monthly con- sumption on farms was 241 kilo- watt hours. Ten years later, it was 441 kilowattthours and .in 1968" it was 934.' In short, electrical 4.• $ economically Take the 'cold spots out of yoqr home without the expense and inconvenience of extending your present heating system. Find out about the Many typei of electric heating units available by calling us. —Ask us too how little it costs to • up grade your electrical service. NATIONAL ELECTRICAL WEEK FEBRUARY ...8th to 14th FUSES Fuses- are the safety valves in your electrical wiring, Fuses greater than 15 amperes must not be used in ordinary lighting and receptacle circuits, as the'conductors in these circuits can safely carry on, ly 15 amperes. Never replace blown fuses with pennies,' washers, tin foil or oversize fuses. If 15 ampere fuses will not allow you to operate the lights and appli- ances which are now connected in a circuit, then this circuit is overloaded. FLEXIBLE CORDS Flexible -cords must not be used, for permanent wiring, that is, to make permanent . extensions • to. circuits. These cords are not large enough to safely carry as much current, as the permanent wiring without becoming dangerously :overheated, - Flexible cords create electrical fire hazards when they are: (a) bare or badly deteriorated; (b) run under rugs; (c) ailed to baseboards, door or win- dove frames, walls and ceilings; (d) run through partitions, walls and fltiors; (e) permanently connected to pgrman- , ent • wiring by splices or joints; (f) operating -appliances - which have• heating elements such as ket- tle's, toasters, Irons., rangettes and heaters; (grussi to provide multiple branches an outlets from 'tile socket or outlet. • • • FIXTURES and APPLIANCES All fixtures 'and appliances must be approved by the oanadip Standards Association. Check for: (a) home-made and unapproved fix- , tures and appliances;, (b) loose or improperly made joints and connections - these may cause overheating; '(c) deteriorated wiring in fixtureS - usually caused by heat; (d) wattage of lamps (light bulbs) too high for fixtures, causes excessive heating; (e) deteriorated fixtures, denoted by rust, bare wires, broken sockets; (f) drop cords used to operate irons, toasters aneheaters, or other ap- pliances. If you receive an electrical shock from any appliance, have it checked immediately.- PERMANekT WIRING Check for: (a) bare or improperly made and tap- ed joints and connections; loOse electrical connections may produce excessive heat.; (b) sparking switches; (c) receptacles (wall plugs) that heat up when in use; (0) objects hting on operrwiring; (e) cables connecting water heaters, oil burners, sump pumps, dryers and other ectrical equipment, in- securely fastened, giving a poor ground; (f) Switches, receptacles and light out- lets in the kitchen,. basement, bath- room, utility rooms and garage not. grounded; (g) interference on radio or televi- sion receivers;*thiA May be caused by poor' electrical connections in, your wiring system. When this house was built it was hard toimagine all the wonderful ways in which electricity Wbuld be serving us today. That's why the Wiring 'in so many older homes just isn't adequate for today's needs. • There, are many signs. Fuses blowing,. Lights dimming. Appli- ances performing sluggishly. Cluttered extension cords. Not enough outlets. So, if you're planning to mod- ernize your home, think first of the wiring. Have a qualified elec- trical contractor check it..You'll be,surprised at how easily and inexpensively it can be updated. Or just ask Ms The Name of the Game is Electrical Lining. F. C. 3. SILLS, Mayor —$50 BONUS Your PUC will help with the cost and pay $50 towards the • , • cost of upgrading any DOMESTIC OR COMMERCIAL SERVICE .For Information Contdct Your Local Utility 'or FAectrical Contractor NATIONAL ELECTRIC WEEK - FEB. 8 - 14 • it 4 4 Sills Hardware, HEATING PLUMBING ELECTRICAL WORK(' PhOne 527-1620 — Seaforth D'OBLBAN, SILLS, Corangsilaner WALTER SCOTT, Manager Hir SE/WORT' PUBLIC UTILITY • COMMISSION if you recognize any of *lurid hateedt In Your home, ACT NOW. ell' your Public Utility Commission, Ontario liura I Hydro, or a qualified electrician. A