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7 guides

Electrical safety

What protects your house, GFCI, arc-fault and smoke alarms, and the warning signs: a breaker that trips, a burning smell, aluminum wiring.

  • 7 guides
  • 7 reviewed by a master electrician
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Protection devices

3 guides

6 min readGFCI outlets: where they are required, and why they tripA GFCI outlet (DDFT in French) cuts the power in a fraction of a second when current leaks to ground, for example through a person. The Code requires it near water and outdoors: within 1.5 m of a sink, bathtub or shower, on all outdoor outlets, at the hot tub and at the pool. If it trips often, there is a reason.
  • A GFCI cuts the power in a few milliseconds when some current leaks to ground, perhaps through you.
  • It is required for ordinary outlets within 1.5 m of a sink, bathtub or shower, and for all ordinary outdoor outlets.
  • At the hot tub, the pool and the whirlpool bath, GFCI protection is mandatory, at a safe distance from the water.
Read the guide 6 min readArc-fault breakers (AFCI): what they do, where they’re required, and why they tripAn arc-fault breaker detects electrical arcs, the small sparks in a damaged wire or a loose connection that can start a fire. In new work and in renovations that touch those circuits, the Code requires it for almost every outlet circuit in a dwelling, with a few exceptions such as the kitchen counter and the fridge. It sometimes trips for reasons that aren’t a fault.Read the guide 4 min readOutdoor outlets: what the 2026 Code requires, and where to put themUnder Québec’s 2026 Construction Code, all ordinary outdoor outlets must be GFCI-protected, including block heater outlets, which used to be exempt. Only outlets 2.5 m or more above the ground are exempt. An outdoor outlet also needs a weatherproof box and a protective cover, and it must be installed by a licensed contractor.Read the guide

Warning signs

3 guides

4 min readBurning smell, hot outlet, crackling breaker: what to doAn unusual smell, a hot outlet or panel, crackling or sparks are never normal. If there is smoke or fire, get out and call 911. Otherwise, turn off the circuit at the panel, unplug what is plugged in and have the installation checked by a master electrician.
  • Smoke or fire: get out and call 911.
  • Smell, sparks, hot outlet or switch: turn off the circuit at the panel if it’s safe, and unplug what is plugged in.
  • A panel giving off abnormal heat calls for a master electrician, according to Québec.ca.
Read the guide 7 min readBreaker keeps tripping: the causes, what to check and when to call an electricianA breaker that trips is doing its job: it cuts a circuit that is overloaded, short-circuited or faulty. Here is how to reset it safely, how to tell the cause from when it trips, and when it is time to call a master electrician.Read the guide 5 min readAluminum wiring in a 1960s-1970s house: what to do, and what your insurer asksFrom the mid-1960s to the late 1970s, many houses were wired with aluminum. This wiring isn’t condemned: the risk is at the connections, which need devices and connectors marked for aluminum. Here is how to recognize it, the signs to watch for, what the Code requires and what the insurer asks.Read the guide

Smoke alarms

1 guide

6 min readHard-wired, interconnected smoke alarms: what changes when you renovateWhen you renovate, you often affect the smoke alarms without knowing it: a new bedroom, a finished basement, open walls. In new work, the rules require hard-wired, interconnected alarms on every floor and near the bedrooms; when one sounds, they all sound. We build them in during rough-in.
  • An alarm on every floor, basement included, near the bedrooms and, according to Québec.ca, in each bedroom where someone sleeps.
  • Interconnected, they all sound together; hard-wired, they keep a backup battery for outages.
  • A hard-wired alarm can’t be replaced by a battery model, according to Québec.ca.
Read the guide

Free tools for this topic

Words to know

The whole glossary
GFCI
An outlet or breaker that cuts power in a fraction of a second when current leaks to ground, for example through a person (DDFT in French). The Code requires it near water and outdoors: within 1.5 m of a sink, bathtub or shower, on all outdoor outlets, at the hot tub and at the pool.
Arc-fault breaker (AFCI)
A breaker that detects electrical arcs, the small sparks in a damaged wire or a loose connection that can start a fire. The Code requires it for most outlet circuits in living areas, in new work and in renovations that affect those circuits.
Grounding
The connection of the electrical installation to the earth. The electrician checks it along with the electrical service; old two-slot outlets have none, and inspection reports often point them out.
Bonding
Connecting the metal parts around a pool or hot tub together. The Code requires it depending on the type of pool and its metal parts, along with GFCI protection and distances from the water.
Disconnect switch
A switch that completely cuts power to an appliance. For a heat pump or a hot tub, it is mandatory and must be within sight of the appliance.
Interconnected smoke alarms
Hard-wired alarms linked together: when one sounds, they all sound. The rules require them on every floor and near bedrooms in new work; they go in during rough wiring.
Aluminum wiring
The wiring installed in many houses between the mid-1960s and the mid-1970s. It is not condemned, but its connections need compatible devices and connectors.
Construction Code, Chapter V
Québec’s electrical rules. Chapter V (Electricity), 2026 edition, has been in force since March 26, 2026; according to the CMEQ, it will be the only applicable code as of October 17, 2027.

In your town

We do this work in Sherbrooke and the surrounding municipalities. Each town page gives the electricity utility and the municipality to contact for permits.

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