Electrical

The electrical system is one of the simplest, most logical systems in the home. The basic understanding of the electrical system starts with the simplified notion that electricity must travel in circles. It starts somewhere, does some work somewhere else, and needs to return home. The entire path is called a circuit. There are three basic terms:Ê volts, amps, and watts. Volts is a measurement of electrical pressure. In house wiring it is a constant of 120 or 240 volts.

Amps (amperes) is a measurement of the electricity flowing past a given point. The amperage rating usually refers to the amount of electricity a wire can handle before a protective system (circuit breaker) rescues it. For instance, if the whole house is rated at 200 amps the main wires entering the meter are large enough for that much amperage. If the total demand in the house is higher the wires overheat, unless they are protected by a main breaker. If a circuit is rated at 20 amps the wires can handle that much amperage before the breaker automatically isolates the wire from the source of electricity. Watts is a measurement of the actual power being used.Ê It is what your meter measures and what you get billed for. Watts is the measurement commonly used for telling you how much electricity in an appliance or fixture we use when it is on.

How You Get Electricity
Electricity enters the home through wires buried underground. At Lakewood our homes are served by three wires:Ê two "hot" wires of 120 volts each and one "neutral" wire that provides a return path to complete the electrical circuit. Such a system has 120 volts for normal household needs the capacity of 240 volts for heavy-duty appliances. Older homes have two wires, one "hot" and one "neutral", and have 120-volt capacity.

Types of Light

• Incandescent
  Incandescent bulbs produce a yellowish-white light that flatters skin tones and highlights warm colors. The light is easy to direct. Incandescent bulbs cost more to operate, expend more energy in heat than light, and do not last as long as fluorescent tubes.
• Fluorescent
  Fluorescent tubes spread light, do not overheat, last a long time, and are about four times more economical to run than incandescent bulbs. They are available in many colors from cool blues to full spectrum white or warm tomes. The initial cost of the fixture is high.

Communication
Lakewood Homes offers homebuyers a wiring technology that should keep up with the growing demands for home office space and entertainment. Every Lakewood home includes Category 5 wiring, which allows the capability of four phone lines, plus a computer network without costly additional wiring and retrofitting.