Electrical Repair in Ajax: Commuter Town, EV Chargers and Panels From the 1990s

What the ESA requires of every job

Ontario’s Electrical Safety Code is enforced by the Electrical Safety Authority. A business doing electrical work for hire must hold an ECRA/ESA licence, the number belongs on its trucks and invoices, and for most jobs beyond a like-for-like device swap the contractor files a notification of work with the ESA and an inspector may visit. The record of that inspection is what a buyer, an insurer and the utility will ask for. Use the ESA’s public contractor lookup before paying a deposit.

A handyman offering to run a charger circuit or wire a basement apartment without a licence is offering work you cannot insure. Ajax’s registered second units have their own electrical requirements under the building code.

• ECRA/ESA licence number on the quote
• Confirmation that a notification of work will be filed
• ESA inspection certificate after the job
• Load calculation for the whole house
• Photos of the panel before and after

Fitting a charger or heat pump without a new service

A Level 2 EV charger draws as much as an electric range; a cold-climate heat pump with electric backup can draw more; a basement apartment adds a second kitchen. Whether they fit on a 100-amp service depends on everything else in the house, which is what a load calculation under the code establishes. Many Ajax houses do not have room for all of it. Before quoting a 200-amp upgrade, a good electrician will propose an EV energy-management system, which monitors the whole-house load and throttles the charger when the house is busy; the code permits these and they are often far cheaper than new service.

For a heat pump, ask whether a gas backup keeps the load within the existing service. For a hot tub or a second kitchen, the load calculation usually says upgrade.

When a service upgrade is unavoidable

A service upgrade involves three parties: the electrician who replaces the panel, meter base and service entrance; the ESA, which inspects it; and Elexicon Energy, which disconnects the supply, reconnects it and may need to change the service drop. The Elexicon appointment carries lead times of weeks in a busy season, so book the upgrade before the car or the heat pump is delivered, not after. Ask the electrician whether 200 amps is enough for what you plan over the next decade and whether the panel has room for the circuits you will add.

Getting a fair quote

A good quote states the number of devices and circuits, whether walls or ceilings will be opened and who patches them, the panel and breaker brand, the permit and inspection, the Elexicon coordination if any, and the warranty. Ask whether the work is done by a licensed electrician or an apprentice under supervision, and whether the price is fixed or hourly. Consumer Protection Ontario’s rules on written contracts and cancellation apply to work agreed in your home.