What You Need To Know! Warranty, Returns, and Exchanges

Civic Recycling Products are Professionally Reconditioned and Under Warranty

At Civic Recycling, we pride ourselves on doing things the right way. We know that taking care of our customers is paramount to operating our business and is the key to our success. With that comes certain warranty guarantees, guarantees we are proud to make. We stand by all the products we sell, whether brand new or from our selection of professionally reconditioned products. We also know, however, that things happen, and occasionally, a product may not be to the standards that we have set. For this reason, we have set up a comprehensive warranty policy to take care of any mishaps. 

When you purchase any electrical product from Civic Recycling that product comes with a one-year warranty. If this product does happen to fail at any time under normal operating circumstances, we will replace, refund, repair or offer store credit (at the discretion of the Store Manager) for up to a year from the original purchase date. This is an important policy to us and to you for the simple reasons that we stand by our products and if they happen to fail we’re going to rectify the matter in the best way we know how.

Civic Policy: What about Returns and Exchanges?

We also offer a comprehensive return and exchange policy to handle any other needs you may have. Regarding returns and exchanges, our policy is as follows:

• Returns or exchanges on in-stock items can be made within 30 days of the invoice date - these may, however, be subject to a 20% restocking charge (again, at the discretion of the Sales Manager);

• Returns or exchanges on in-stock items after 60 days of invoice date will not be accepted;

• Returns or exchanges must be accompanied by the original receipt(s);

• Any form of reimbursement will be consistent with the original method of payment;

• Civic Recycling must receive all returned merchandise in saleable condition;

• The shipping cost of any return or exchange remains the responsibility of the customer unless the merchandise is being returned because the order was incorrectly filled by Civic Recycling or the merchandise is defective;

• There are no returns or exchanges on special order items.

Our Policies are Meant for you to Breathe Easy

We have these policies in place to make dealing with us as easy as possible. What all of this amounts to is that we want to put our best foot forward to protect you when products just so happen not to perform the way they should. If you have a product that you’re not sure about, don’t hesitate to bring it in, either. Any member of our team will happily walk you through any potential solutions to your problem and figure out the best way to go about it. 

Our one-year warranty and extensive return and exchange policies are there to take care of any issues you should have. If you need a hand or something explained, feel free to call or email our service or sale centre at any time. Also take a look through our new and professionally reconditioned products online; we guarantee you’ll see something you like. As Canada’s #1 Circuit Breaker Specialist we’re always looking for ways to do right by you.

Top 8 Myths About Reconditioned Electrical Equipment

Ever heard something about electrical equipment you weren't too sure about? What about reconditioned electrical equipment? Depending on what you heard it may be flat out wrong. Knowing the facts about reconditioned equipment is important. According to PEARL knowing the difference can "save you big bucks while helping your company meet environmental goals".

PEARL is the Professional Electronics Apparatus Recyclers League. They ensure the quality AND safety of electrical equipment. Here at Civic Recycling we are a proud member and are certified with the organization.

Pearl has a fantastic article showcasing the top myths about reconditioned equipment. We will be showcasing and summarizing each point in our "Top 8 myths" post. Know the difference between fact and fiction from Civic Recycling and PEARL!

The myths are as follows:

Myth #1 - Reconditioned electrical equipment could be counterfeit

Reconditioned doe not equal counterfeit. Reconditioned models may not be supported by original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) but that does not mean they can be lumped under the same categories as surplus and counterfeit. As always all equipment is tested to high standards. Civic Recycling would know right away if anything was out of place.

Reconditioned equipment is obviously not new and in the case of counterfeit equipment, it almost always is. Counterfeit models will likely be in new packaging and can't easily be mistaken for a reconditioned one. Most often residential style breakers or MCCBs is where counterfeiting occurs.

Myth #2 - Reconditioned electrical equipment is not as safe as new

Reconditioned electrical equipment is just as safe as new models as we have already outlined in a previous post. It may even be safer! This is because OEMs only batch test their products, reconditioning requires 100% device testing. The fact that the testing standards are so high are a testament to this fact. Civic Recycling is so sure about safety standards that we offer a 1-year warranty on all our products. Pretty great right? Visit our testing page for more on our process. Typically the general standards are as follows:

• Conduct initial test

• Disassemble, inspect, and clean

• Replace/recondition worn and aging components

• Reassemble

• Perform verification test

• Document

• Certify

Myth #3 - Reconditioned equipment is less reliable, lower quality than new

As the PEARL article states:

"If a piece of electrical equipment was reliable and high quality when it was new, then older electrical equipment reconditioned to perform as good as or better than the original must also be considered reliable and high quality. Quality isn’t a question of new versus reconditioned, but rather, can you trust the source of the equipment? If you’re familiar with an OEM brand, you probably trust them."

And on top of that, all PEARL certified companies such as Civic Recycling hold themselves to high standards in testing and quality.

Myth #4 - Reconditioned electrical equipment costs less, but more to operate

This argument is valid for certain types of equipment such as new TP-1 transformers and circuit breakers with solid-state trip technology or zone alarms. But most electrical equipment is passive and is not required to consume electricity to do its job. So the argument is not valid for most of the 21 types of standard electrical equipment covered by PEARL.

In addition, new and reconditioned equipment will be field-tested regardless. Onward to safety!

Myth #5 - Reconditioned electrical equipment increases liability

Let's start by saying that each piece of reconditioned equipment is tested twice. Once before reconditioning and once after. Say one out of 100 breakers were tested coming off an assembly line...which would you trust more? Both are pretty solid bets but liability is not an issue for reconditioned equipment.

Myth #6 - Only OEMs can properly recondition electrical equipment

OEMs say that a company needs to understand the exact electrical engineering behind an electrical device and should only purchase reconditioned products from OEMs. However, there are some differences between private OEM reconditioning versus public PEARL reconditioning standards

1. PEARL uses independent, third-party electrical engineers to review its standards (OEMs do not).

2. PEARL makes its standards available to the public for review and comment. Open and transparent! OEMs don't do this.

Myth #7 - Reconditioned electrical equipment invalidates the (UL) mark

Underwriter Laboratories (UL) official position is that independent testing and certification companies takes no position on the validity of UL marks after the equipment leaves the factory.

Myth #8 - Myths make for bad business decisions

By debunking myths and focusing on facts we can be sure to develop competitive solutions to electrical needs. The goal is to purchase the highest-quality electrical equipment at the best possible price and with the least amount of lead-time. Civic Recycling is happy to be serving Canadians since 1995.

A quick recap on each Myth we have debunked!

• Reconditioned electrical equipment could be counterfeit

• Reconditioned electrical equipment is not as safe as new

• Reconditioned electrical equipment is less reliable, lower quality than new product

• Reconditioned electrical equipment costs less to buy but more to operate

• Reconditioned electrical equipment increases liability concerns

• Only OEMs can properly recondition electrical equipment

• Reconditioning electrical equipment invalidates the Underwriter Laboratories (UL) mark

• Get It Straight: Myths make for bad business decisions

For the full article take a look at the original PDF document:

http://www.pearl1.org/downloads/Busting-Myths-About-Reconditioned-Electrical-Equipment_lowres.pdf

Massive Inventory Online and at the Civic Warehouse

Amazing Electrical Product Inventory

Wether you are looking for obsolete electrical equipment or new electric products, think Civic Recycling. Our new and reconditioned products are priced competitively and tested rigorously. Our warehouse is located in Calgary but we ship anywhere in Canada. We stock many brands including General Electric, Westinghouse, Schneider,  Square D and more.

We are also excited about our new online store where you can order 24/7.

Convenient and Easy Shopping Online!

Through our online store we ship anywhere in Canada for only $39 . Looking to make a large order? We are pleased to inform you that shipping for orders over $500 are free! You can order through the online store or call anytime. If you are in the area feel free to stop in and take a look at our massive inventory of circuit breakers, fuses, panels, transformers, motor controls and more. Not to mention a variety of electrical supplies including nuts, bolts, lugs, plugs. Nuts, bolts, lugs, bits, pieces. -Supplies

New and used electrical wholesale is our specialty. With the largest selection of breakers in Canada we treat our customers right. That's why we deliver all breakers with written test results. Our strict testing standards are Pearl Certified and good for one whole year, 100% guaranteed.

It's in stock? That's a switch!

Even though we have a massive inventory, there is a chance we don't have what you are looking for. If that's the case we will help you find it and get it for you! That's how much we love breakers. Going above and beyond is how we became Canada's number one circuit breaker specialist.

Civic Recycling is Environmentally Friendly

In addition to having obsolete electrical equipment in stock, we also recycle fluorescent ballasts, lamps and fixtures. We do this for the benefit of the environment so harmful chemicals such as mercury don't end up in our landfills. We even offers Recycling Certificates so your company can meet and even exceed environmental requirements. Drop off any unbroken fixtures at our warehouse or we will pick them up within city limits for a $50 charge.

The Many Benefits of Civic Recycling

A quick recap on the reasons why you should shop with us:

• Every molded case breaker comes with a written test report and a unique tracking number.

• Professionally reconditioned products that are 100% guaranteed.

• You can shop the online store 24/7. Convenient and easy!

• Obsolete equipment, if we don't have it we will find it.

• Get your motor running, browse Motor Controls.

• All transformer needs in one location, and

• Fuses? Yup we've got them too.

• Massive inventory online and at our warehouse!

Feel free to contact us here to learn more, to order or find a specific product.

You can also search our online store by keyword, manufacturer, part number/category, or by the number of poles, volts and amps.

Surplus Breakers? Recycle and Make Some Money!

In today’s tight economy, everyone appreciates extra cash. If you’re an electrician or own surplus electrical supplies, we at Civic Recycling may be able to help you get some spending money. If you have unused, unwanted or surplus circuit breakers and other electrical equipment, we’d be happy to purchase them from you - paying you real money for your parts.

Earn Additional Income by Recycling Electrical Equipment

Recycling electrical equipment helps you and helps the environment; we make it worth your time if you have many parts you don’t want or need. Typically, we pay between 5 and 20 percent of what we’re able to sell components for. The specific price we can offer you will depend on a number of factors, such as the condition of your equipment, our current stock and the demand for the items.

Whatever we’re able to offer is money in your pocket for items you had lying around. Depending on your equipment, we might be able to offer you enough to take your family out for dinner or to pay your bills. In the end, it all depends on the current market and equipment demand. 

Recycle All Kinds of Electrical Equipment

What can you recycle?

At Civic Recycling, we accept many different kinds of electrical equipment. We’ll look at everything from circuit breakers and transformers to transfer switches and splitters. Some other common components that we purchase include:

• Motor controls

• Service entrance panels

• Fuses

• Fittings

• Cable connectors

Even this is only a partial list of the products we’re interested in. Visit our electrical products page for more.

Contact Civic Recycling for a No-Obligation Offer for Surplus Equipment

Of course, we wouldn’t expect you to sell your electrical equipment without knowing what you’d get for them. That’s why we offer free, no-obligation offers.

To see just how much you could get for your electrical equipment, send us a list of what you have or give us a call at 1-888-502-4842. (If you’re emailing us a list, it helps us if you can include some pictures of the components.)

We’ll get back to you within 24 hours with an offer or any questions we have. Find out tomorrow what you could get by contacting us today.

Electrical Safety: The Top 5 Points You Need To Know

Civic Recycling offers new and reconditioned electrical equipment. Our certified technicians follow our rigorous testing standards on all reconditioned products. Safety is our top priority and so we have put together some information to keep you safe.

Electrical safety is critical both at home and at work. Here, we look at 5 top considerations to enhance your safety.

Electrical Safety: Use sockets with tamper-resistant (TR) receptacles

The National Electrical Code (NEC) requires that all buildings constructed or renovated after 2008 have tamper-resistant (TR) receptacles. TRreceptacles are special devices with spring-loaded shutters that close off the contact openings of the receptacles. Because both springs need to be compressed before the shutters can open, electrocutions resulting from accidental insertion of a conducting material into one contact opening can be minimized.

Ensure that your home has ground fault circuit interrupters (GFCIs)

When there is a break in the grounding path of a low-resistance current, the current can take an alternative path to the ground through the user. This is called a ground fault. Ground faults are common and have resulted in severe injuries and even deaths in the past. Ground Fault Current Interrupters (GFCIs) are lightning-quick circuit breakers used to cut off such faults.

Protect your electrical outlets with Arc-Fault Circuit Interrupters (AFCIs)

Replacement receptacles should be arc-fault circuit interrupter (AFCI) protected. An AFCI is an electrical safety device that helps to prevent fires.  It resembles a GFCI in the sense that both devices have test buttons and a reset button. The main difference, however, is that GFCIs are designed to protect people from getting electrocuted whereas AFCIs are meant to prevent fires.

Be extra careful with transformers

Transformers must be carefully tested before installation and continuously monitored thereafter. Make sure that there is no continuity (electrical leakage) between the primary and secondary coil. Also, ensure that there is no leakage between the power cord and any metal external parts such as the rivets. Most transformers are equipped with circuit breakers for additional safety.

Use only tested devices that meet industry quality standards

The design and manufacture of electrical devices is guided by certain industry standards. The Canadian Electrical Code or CE code develops and maintains these standards. Our neighbours to the South follow the National Electric Code and the National Fire Protection Association. Electrical components that fail to meet these standards might expose you to unnecessary danger. Civic Recycling certifications meet and often exceed the standards set out by PEARL (Professional Electrical Apparatus Recyclers League), NEMA (National Electrical Manufacturers Association), IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers) and NETA (InterNational Electrical Testing Association).

All Civic Recycling electric devices; from circuit breakers to transformers, and fuses to motor controls, are tested to the highest standards to ensure that they are not only safe but very reliable.

Over 35,000 Circuit Breakers in our New Online Electric Parts Store!

We're excited to announce that we've put our circuit breaker inventory online in our brand new store -- available for your browsing and ordering needs 24/7!

There's over 35,000 circuit breakers with lots of obsolete and out-of-stock circuit breakers. (and that's not even all of them -- that's all we could manage in this first release of our online eCommerce store). We test, certify and guarantee all circuit breakers for 1 year from date of purchase.

We carry new circuit breakers. Our reconditioned breakers sell for a fraction of the cost of new ones, with the 1 year guarantee. What more can you ask for?

We're a full service shop -- a wholesaler electric part store. So, within our walls you'll also find a wide selection of transformers, fuses, switches, etc..., also with the same 1 year guarantee. Right now, we've only got our circuit breakers for sale through our online store; we'll keep working to get everything we have online asap! We'll also continue to add more photos of circuit breakers, too ... all in good time! 

Calgary and Canada

While we're based in Calgary, we've had customers from across Western Canada and a few from the East experience the wide and exotic warehouse full of circuit breakers. We've made the leap head first into online eCommerce and look forward to serving our customers everywhere from Vancouver to Toronto.

No matter where you are in Canada, if you need it quick, you get it quick. Calgary enjoys same or next day service; the rest of Canada is no more than 2 to 5 days shipping. Who else are you gonna call for the hard-to-find obsolete breaker?

Expanding to better serve you

The last few years have been super busy!

For starters, we've been busy ensuring that every used or reconditioned breaker we sell meets or beats industry standards set out by such organizations as PEARL (Professional Electrical Apparatus Recyclers League), NETA (InterNational Electrical Testing Association), NEMA (National Electrical Manufacturers Association) and IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers)

We moved into our new offices with a spacious warehouse, got our inventory organized, updated our website and now added our eCommerce store to make it easier than ever to do business with us when it suits your schedule. It's all designed to be used on your mobile phone or tablet, too.

We know you have a choice of who you buy your electric parts from, and we're working hard to earn your business -- we offer a difference with a huge inventory of new, obsolete and out-of-stock circuit breakers, amazing prices, world-class reconditioning, testing & certification, and our great team is ready to help out with a smile. 

Electricians with existing Civic Recycling accounts

For electricians that already have accounts with us at our head office, you'll need to also create an online account for yourself here: https://civicrecycling.com/my-account/ We debated about "auto-creating" an online account for you based on the information we have for you on our internally, but since you had explicitly not agreed for us to do that with your information, we didn't! (as per Canadian Anti-Spam Law CASL). 

Enjoy our online electric parts store!

Thanks for all your past support, and we're looking forward to helping lots of new customers online.

If you have any problems or suggestions or need help using the online store, let us know. Call Calgary: 403-236-9600 Toll-free: 1-888-502-4842, or send us an email.

We <3 Breakers!

We Carry Obsolete Brands Just For You!

“If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” can be valuable advice to any enterprise trying to keep a close eye on business expenditures, but if it is broken, you’ll want it fixed in the most efficient way possible. For older electrical equipment that has performed well into old age but is now showing signs of fatigue and is maybe halfway to the bone yard, the first idea for getting things back to normal may be a replacement. Replacement of your older systems with new, higher-tech (albeit more expensive) equipment, though, is only one potential solution. An alternative would be to fix existing equipment back to proper working order, if possible. At Civic Recycling, we carry Obsolete Brands!

Reconditioned as Good as New

Why replace an entire system when only small parts of it are giving you trouble? Repairing instead of replacing is almost always the less expensive route to take. It takes less time and money to replace a single bad breaker with a high-quality (though obsolete) reconditioned one than it takes to replace an entire panel. In addition, having access to lightning-quick service like we provide here at Civic Recycling can save an operation a great deal of down time, providing more savings.

What’s It Going to Take?

If you’re dealing with equipment that’s gone out of date or been discontinued, proper parts can be difficult to locate/obtain. That’s where a specialist dealing in obsolete electrical equipment becomes so important. Finding obsolete parts like circuit breakers from Bulldog, Sylvania, Commander, CEB, Westinghouse, Cutler-Hammer, GE, ITE, Square D, Siemens, and Taylor is certainly possible, especially for someone able to surf the Internet for potential providers. Once your item has been found, however, it’s critical that you ensure it's been properly refurbished, tested and certified to perform as it should. A written guarantee is also a plus. Our surplus supply will make sure you always have what you need.

Consult the Certified Specialists in New and Used Electrical Equipment

Being certified in reconditioning and testing used, obsolete equipment is no small deal. Our technicians are PEARL-certified. This sets us apart from all our Canadian competitors. PEARL, the Professional Electrical Apparatus Recyclers League, is approved by ANSI, the American National Standards Institute, setting regulatory standards longer than anyone, as an accredited Standards Developer.

Our technicians are trained and experienced in totally reconditioning used and obsolete breakers, repairing where needed, testing, certifying and then guaranteeing each unit we sell for a year’s time. When you need new and used electrical equipment, think of being civic and, when possible, recycling! Call us.

Find Out Where Canadian Electricity Comes From

Canadian Electricity? We are, in fact, big consumers of electrical power. In fact, when calculated per capita, we’re the fourth largest consumer of electricity in the entire world. Only Iceland, Finland and Norway use more electrical energy per person. And within this country, Albertans consume the second greatest amount of electricity of all the Provinces, second only to Saskatchewan. In total electric kilowatt per hour used per person in homes; however, Alberta comes in number one, at 15,334 kWh per person.

Where Does Canadian Electricity Come From?

The production of electricity is achieved through the turning of a turbine, which requires application of some type of mechanical energy. The energy used to turn the turbine can come from a variety of sources, including:

• Coal

• Hydro Electricity

• Fossil fuels such as natural gas and oil

• Wind Power

• Solar Panels

• Biomass/biogas

• Nuclear (uranium), and more 

Water is King for Most Canadian Electricity

While Canada is a global leader in hydroelectric production, with nearly 60% of all our electricity coming from water turning those turbines, there’s still a lot of coal being burned to make power, at about 18% of the total. Burning natural gas and oil make up for about 8% of electrical generation nationwide, although, in some Provinces, such as Ontario, they’re responsible for the creation of almost 25% of Canadian electricity being produced. This is slightly more than the 22% coming from hydro but significantly less than the 32% of total electricity coming from nuclear power plants in the Province.

Alberta’s Electricity Generation

As of late in 2014, homes, businesses and agricultural operations depended on Alberta’s near-14,600 megawatts (MW) of electrical generation capacity then currently installed. 78,000 MW of this generation capacity has been newly built since 1998. Much more is needed to keep up with the increasing demand.

This power is delivered through a system of approximately 24,000 km of installed transmission lines. About 43% of the electrical generation capacity in the Province comes from the burning of coal. Nearly 40% comes from the use of oil and gas. Because water isn’t nearly as plentiful in Alberta as it is in other locations, only a small amount of hydroelectric generation occurs here. Throughout Canada, different areas depend on different energy resources to create the mechanical energy responsible for producing electricity. In some areas near the ocean, even wave technology is being utilized.

Co-generation and the Environment

Co-generation makes up almost 1/3 of Alberta’s electric generation capacity, which is both efficient and environmentally sound since the process produces substantially lower greenhouse gases. With co-generation, fuel such as gas or biomass is much more efficiently used since not only is electricity being generated, but also heat and/or steam are byproducts that can be used for a variety of purposes, primarily industrial. Alternatively, waste heat generated through various industrial processes can be redeployed to produce electricity. This, too, is quite efficient since this heat would otherwise be wasted.

Other Energy Options in Alberta

The production of electrical energy is a vital service to all Albertans, and the electrical energy consumption is more common than any other type of energy use, not only on an individual, personal basis but also commercially, industrially and agriculturally. It’s also the most convenient form of energy to use as well as the quickest to deliver to the customer.

Alberta’s policy regarding electric micro-production allows individuals to create their own electricity, often in an environmentally friendly fashion, and even receive credit for any excess electricity produced and sent back to the existing power grid. Here at Civic Recycling we give a thumbs up to anything electric-related that benefits the environment, saves our customers money and makes life just a little bit better.