Appliance Analysis Findings - Newsletter

Jan 2007

Happy New Year and welcome to the latest edition of Appliance Analysis Findings.

Understanding Electricity in Your Home

We use it daily but few of us understand how electricity works or understand the circuitry of our home’s electrical system. The drawing at the left outlines heating, electric, and air conditioning circuits. (See a realted drawing of the drawing.)

It seems simple enough but if you are planning to renovate or build a new home, it makes sense to call in a licensed electrician. The heating, electric, and air conditioning are complex, closely regulated, and a mistake can prove costly. Too often we see what can happen if you don’t.

New Year Case Study: Was a clock radio the cause of a home fire?

Appliance Analysis, Inc. was recently sent the remains of a clock radio that had been involved in a manufactured home fire. The investigators at the scene had determined that this clock radio was the source of the fire. The insurance company wasn’t so sure. Was it? Visit the Appliance Analysis case studies to find out.

What is Arc Mapping?

The experts at Appliance Analysis used arc mapping to solve the mystery of the clock radio above. Arc mapping is a technique used in fire investigation that relies on finding the locations of electrical arcs or faults that occurred during the fire; the locations of the electrical arc can indicate the progression of the fire over time.

The basis of the technique is the assumption that, when fire (or hot gases created by the fire) impinges on an electrical line, it will melt the wire insulation and cause an electrical fault at the first point that it reaches on the electrical line.

Methods such as arc mapping are what separate Appliance Analysis from other investigators. We specialize in understanding appliances and the latest technologies available to determine and prove cause and effect in residential and commercial accidents. Visit the Appliance Analysis web site for a list of investigation services.