Outlet Installation near you

Ground-fault protection guards people against shock where water and electricity meet. ESA states that all outlets within 1.5 metres of a sink must be GFCI-protected, which takes in kitchen counters, bathroom vanities and laundry tubs, and that all 120-volt, 15- and 20-amp receptacles in your backyard must be protected by a Class A GFCI. The protection can come from a GFCI receptacle or a GFCI breaker in the panel; the electrician chooses based on how the circuit is laid out and where you'll be able to reach the reset button.

Arc-fault protection guards the house against fire. ESA explains that an AFCI cuts the electricity to the outlet when it detects an electrical arc behind the walls. Adding outlets often brings the requirement with it: Technical Safety BC's upgrade bulletin specifies that a dwelling circuit with added receptacles must be AFCI protected. Each province applies its own edition of the electrical code, so the exact locations and exceptions are for your electrician to confirm.

Tamper-resistant receptacles, sometimes called child safety outlets, stop a hairpin or a key from reaching live contacts. ESA says they should be used throughout the home, and that the only time they aren't required is when the outlet is out of reach, such as behind a washing machine or another large appliance, or more than two metres above the floor. ESA recommends putting them everywhere anyway, which also retires the plastic plug covers that children soon learn to pull out.

USB receptacles are a convenience upgrade rather than a safety one. They fit a standard box, so they're easy to add while other outlets are going in, but charging output varies between models, and like any electrical product they should carry a recognized Canadian certification mark. Put them where phones and tablets actually charge: beside beds, at the end of a kitchen counter or near the entry.

Outdoor receptacles work hardest when the weather is worst. ESA says an outlet exposed to rain or snow needs a cover plate marked Extra Duty, the in-use style that stays closed with a cord plugged in, and like every backyard receptacle it must be GFCI protected. Mount outdoor outlets above the level where snow piles up and away from the roof's drip line, on a circuit with room for block heaters and holiday lights running at the same time.

A GFCI that trips during wet or freezing weather is usually telling you moisture has reached a plug, a cord connection or the box. Resetting it once is reasonable, but if it keeps tripping, unplug everything and have the electrician check the outlet, the cover and the cords, rather than having the GFCI swapped for an unprotected receptacle.

Adding even one receptacle extends a circuit, and that is regulated work. In Ontario, a Licensed Electrical Contractor files a notification with ESA before the work starts; in Quebec, the job goes to a contractor licensed through the CMEQ; in British Columbia, an electrical installation permit comes from Technical Safety BC or, in some cities, the local government. The new ground-fault, arc-fault and tamper-resistant devices are part of what an inspection looks at, so keep the paperwork with your house records once the work is accepted.