6B — December 27 - January 16, 2020 — Industry Leaders — Owners, Developers & Managers — M id A tlantic
Real Estate Journal
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Industry Leaders
By Bob Kilroy, Jewel Electric Supply Quality ground- fault protection
T
he 2015 revisions to the UL 943 require im- provements in GFCI
of the GFCI to respond to a ground fault. If the Self-Test function detects a problem, the GFCI must deny power or provide visual and/or audible indication. 2.) Reverse line-load mis- fire function - repeated: If the line cable is wired to the load terminals of a receptacle GFCI, power to the receptacle face will be denied. This re- quirement applies to the initial installation and any subse- quent re-installations. To maintain UL certification, all manufacturers must meet these revisions with GFCIs
tors or anything electrical for that matter can cause fires, electric shock or explosion risks that may cost tenants or work- ers their lives, cause serious property damage and involve unpredictable financial liability to you. Fake component often will void warranties for entire systems and can also result in severe financial losses and liabilities for you the owner. Think of it this way: who is going to be responsible when a counterfeit circuit breaker fails to trip and lives are put in jeopardy because of the risk of fire or other life safety issues?
So how do you protect your- self? How do you know you are getting what you bargained for? Although a lot of counter- feit parts originate in China, counterfeits could almost come from anywhere so the point of origin is not a surefire clue. How can you be sure what is being installed meets all of the current codes and is real, not just a great looking knock-off? Your first line of defense is dealing with reputable suppli- ers. Suppliers who are invested in their industry. Suppliers who understand and appreci- ate their responsibility to you the property owners. Owners should emphasize to all con- tractors and representatives the importance of using only the most up to date and authen- tic parts. Many manufacturers will tell you that nothing is safe from counterfeiting and counterfeits are often difficult to identify because of their designed ap- pearance and packaging. The products themselves are often sub-standard and may not per- form like an authentic product. Manufactures claim that more than half of the counterfeit products produced have some sort of critical performance fail- ure when tested. Fraudulent parts are not held to the same quality control standards and are a big safety concern. Write your job specifications in such a way that they leave little room interpretation. Eval- uating proposals from different organizations can sometimes be challenging however, if you make your specification strong enough, you can feel confident you will be receiving the desired level of service at the expected price without excessive change requests during the installa- tion or repair. When evaluating price proposals be sure you are comparing apples to apples. It is important to ensure that the service, parts, or processes be- ing supplied are comparable. Large differences between pro- posals should raise a red flag. Remember, if a price looks to good to be true, then it might not be what it appears to be. Speak to one of our experts while at the POA show to learn more about some of the changes to the National Electrical Code that can impact your proper- ties. Stop by the Jewel Electric Supply booth while at the POA show. Bob Kilroy is the VP at Jewel Electric Supply.
produced after 2015 . It is important for property owners to be aware of these and other changes because changes in codes and products can cre- ate an atmosphere where sec- ond rate counterfeit materials can flourish. The responsibility of not allowing substandard substitutes to be used at your properties becomes your re- sponsibility, the person who has the last word; final say. The quality of the materials used is a critical factor to a successful project. Substandard fuses, circuit breakers, wiring devices, timers, switches, mo-
performance that will pro- vide better p r o t e c t i o n from serious inj ury and electrocution from electri- c a l s h o c k . T h e s e i m - provements include:
Bob Kilroy
1.) Auto-Monitoring or Self-Test function: This func- tion allows for periodic, au- tomatic testing of the ability
Markets we serve: Commercial Industrial Residential
Electrical Contractors State, Municipal & Government Hospital & Institutions Property Management & Hospitality Products we offer: Wire, Pipe, Fittings & Wiring Devices Switchgear, Panelboards, Motor Controls & Motors Lighting & replacement Lamps LED Retrofits, Fixtures and other Energy Efficient Products Sub-Metering Equipment Meters, Tools & Ladders Safety Devices & Equipment Fire Alarms, Smoke Detectors & Burglar Alarms Generators Services we offer: On time Deliveries to meet customer requirements 24/7 Emergency Response Inventory Management Project quotes Lighting & Energy Audits Customer Training
455 Third Street Jersey City, NJ 07302 Ph: 201-653-1613 Fx: 201-653-5470 Bob Kilroy bkilroy@Jewelelectric.com
Markets we serve:
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