Frequently Asked Questions about Electrical and Plumbing Installations, Residential and Commercial Construction Projects, Structured Cabling, and WestCore Industries Ltd. FAQ

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

When will my electrical panel need to be upgraded?

Depending on your local insurance policy and/or the additional electrical loads you are adding to your home, you may need to upgrade your electrical panel. Examples of situations requiring an upgraded electrical panel include a new legal suite, adding a hot tub, or up sizing overall square footage.

If you have a 60 amp service, most insurance company polices require you to have a 100 Amp service. As well, if you are renovating your home or adding an electrical furnace or heat pump, you may require your main service size to be increased. The average cost to upgrade can start at $1,800.00 for a 100 Amp installation or $2,300.00 for a 200 Amp installation. Westcore Industries is available for accurate estimates including load calculations if you believe that you require a service upgrade.

Is there an electrical service maintenance plan I should be following?

Yes it is suggested to test all GFCI devices (Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter) at least once a month. You should also have a qualified electrician go through your panel and tighten all termination points. The inspection should include grounding and a check of all electrical systems to ensure they are in proper operation.

Do you have suggestions for handling power outages?

WestCore is a local installer of the Generac Power Systems Inc., makers of standby power generators for residential, commercial and industrial use. WestCore can sell and install a Generac power generator so that the system will automatically kick in when a power outage occurs. For more information on Generac products, please click here.

Where can I find information on reducing power consumption?

B.C. Hydro encourages power conservation and has a information, programs and contests to encourage power conservation. For more details, click here to visit the B.C. Hydro web site.

What is causing a shortage of hot water in my home or business?

There are several common reasons for a shortage of hot water. Two of the reasons we see most frequently are:

• A burned-out element in the hot water tank
• Too much demand on an existing hot water tank, perhaps because of more people living in a home, the addition of a basement suite or rapid of expansion of a business, especially if the business requires hot water.

Westcore can correct the first problem by testing the hot water tank element and replacing it if necessary. Westcore can correct the second problem by upgrading the old water tank with a tank sized to meet the increased demand.

Why is my water pressure low? Why does the water pressure suddenly drop when I'm having a bath or shower? Why does the cold water "cut out" in my shower so I get scalded.

This is a frequent problem that can be caused by several different factors. Older homes often have smaller lines leading from city water lines, so are more susceptable to drops in pressure, especially when more than one fixture is drawing water at the same time. For example, if the washing machine and dishwasher are both in operation, you may find you cannot get enough water pressure for a shower.
The easiest fix is an adjustment of the pressure reducing valve for the home. To avoid scalding, pressure balanced shower valves can be added to maintain an even temperature when showering.

Do you have any suggestions on how I can conserve water?

You can conserve water by using a low flush or variable flush toilets. Low flush toilets use less water on every flush. Variable flush toilets have two settings, one for low flush and one for heavy flush.

You can conserve hot water and energy by installing a recirculating pump. Advantages of a recirculating pump are:

• Hot water on demand
• Heating can be controlled by a timer to match peak usage, thus reducing power consumption
• Less use of the heating element in your hot water tank, which increases the longevity of your hot water heater.

For additional ideas on water conservation, click here to visit the Regional District of Nanaimo website.

More questions on plumbing issues?

If you have more questions or concerns about your plumbing, please click here to contact the mechanical and plumbing services division of Westcore Ltd.

Structured Cabling

Click on the question to 'jump' to the answer.

What is structured cabling?
What types of equipment can use structured cabling?
Why use structured cabling?
Does structured cabling improve resale value?
What are the components of a home wiring system
How do I design the right structured cabling for my needs?

What is structured cabling?

Structured cabling system or structured wiring refers to all of the cabling and components installed in a logical and organized way. It’s designed to be relatively independent of the type of equipment that uses it.

What types of equipment can use structured cabling?

Structured cabling can provide for your current and future needs for electronic systems. Installing a wiring system as you build your new home or office is only a fraction of the cost of retrofitting later. Plan ahead. Before hanging the first sheet of drywall, consider the electronics you’ll want in your new business or home.

• Telephone
• HDTV
• Audio-stereo
• DVD and or Digital cable box
• Computer
• Fax
• Cable/ HDMI
• Modem/ Internet access
• Home Theater
• Satellite
• Home automation

A properly designed structured cabling system will allow you to just plug in what you need: phones, cable, I- pod, audio, computers and other electronics, all with a standard network face plate, from anywhere in your facility. Things change, advances in technology and changes in your lifestyle or how you use technology can be accommodated if you plan correctly.

Why use structured cabling?

Consistency
A structured cabling system can use the same cabling for system for everything, from phone, fax, data, internet and audio.

Long Life
Structured cabling is an investment that will last for the long term.

Support for multi-vendor equipment
A standards based structured cable system will support your applications and hardware even after you change or mix and match vendors. With the proper cabling system you will not have to rework the cabling when you upgrade to another product or model.

Support for future applications
Your structured cabling system will support future applications like multimedia, video conferencing, distributed audio and whatever else the future in technology offers - with little or no upgrade pain.

Does structured cabling improve resale value?

Homes built today without an upgraded wiring system will not be able to accommodate the demands of new technologies. As such, they will not retain value as strongly as those built with solid technological infrastructure and, in fact, may not even be considered by a large percentage of future homebuyers.

With the rapid growth of new technologies for the home, the ever-changing working environment (telecommuting, home businesses, ect.) and the revolution in home education and entertainment opportunities, it is proved that installing structured wiring will potentially increase the resale value of the home.

Components of a home wiring system

The wiring infrastructure in most homes has not changed in 50 years and is unable to fully support the technologies that are available to customers today. However, today’s wiring systems are created to handle today’s technologies and provide the electronic foundation for a “connected home.” This advanced infrastructure is necessary to ensure that your family can be connected to today’s services and prepared for new technologies.

An advanced home wiring system is usually comprised of three main components.

The Media Panel.
This service center is the part where all outside services enter the home, including cable, satellite, phone, audio, data, internet, ect. This central hub distributes these services to locations throughout the house in way similar to how the electrical breaker panel controls electrical flow.

High performance cables
Certain services like high speed internet, digital satellite, distributed audio, and digital TV require high performance cables to allow full access throughout the home. Most systems include RG-6 for TV and HDMI (high definition multi-interface) from flat screen to digital cable box. Category 5 enhanced or better twisted pair cable for phone, audio, and data connections. These cables deliver all the performance you need today, while providing the capacity to handle tomorrow’s technology.

Outlets
The outlets in each room determine which services are available in that room. Each outlet can be customized to a consumer’s specific needs based on which services are desired in that room (I-pod dock station controlled by volume control into in-room speakers) Proper outlet design and location with the high performance wiring is mandatory for your structured cabling system.

How do I design the right the right structured cabling for my home or business?

Contact your cable installer specialist at cell (250-714-6854) office (250-758-5388) or e-mail jared@westcoreltd.com

If you have a general question about Westcore, electrical, mechanical, or plumbing that you would like to have answered, please click here to contact a Vancouver Island WestCore office.