The life expectancy for a concrete tile roof is marketed as a 50 year roof.  However, the underlayment and batten system, even if good material and the proper installation procedure was used, will not last that long and will have to be replaced generally around 30 to 40 years.  Many tile roof underlayments and battens must be replaced much sooner because of the inferior materials and installation procedures used – sometimes within the first five to eight years.  The concrete tile also loses color and some surface texture after several years.

Tile roofs are prone to moisture penetration from wind driven rain or snow more than any other type of roofing product. That is why the underlayment, batten system, and flashing and how they are installed is so very important and is the key to how long a tile roof lasts.  Most Concrete Tile roofs are only single ply roof systems where Asphalt Shingles are 2 plies, and Wood Shakes and Shingles are 2 and 3 plies.  Almost everything gets in under a tile roof from rain and snow to leaves, dirt, and even small birds, animals and their nests and of course insects like wasps and bees.  I found a snakeskin once that had been shed.  However, a concrete tile roof can be a very good roof, but only if it and the underlayments, battens, and flashings are installed correctly.

An electrical circuit is a closed loop formed by a power source, wires, a fuse, a load, and a switch. When the switch is turned on, the electrical circuit is complete and current flows from the negative terminal of the power source, through the wire to the load, to the positive terminal. Any device that consumes the energy flowing through a circuit and converts that energy into work is called a load. A light bulb is one example of a load; it consumes the electricity from a circuit and converts it into work — heat and light.

There are three types of circuits: series circuits, parallel circuits, and series-parallel circuits. A series circuit is the simplest because it has only one possible path that the electrical current may flow. If the electrical circuit is broken, none of the load devices will work. A parallel circuit has more than one path, so if one of the paths is broken, the other paths will continue to work.

A series-parallel circuit attaches some of the loads to a series circuit and others to parallel circuits. If the series circuit breaks, none of the loads will function. If one of the parallel circuits breaks, however, that parallel circuit and the series circuit will stop working, but the other parallel circuits will continue to work.

Many “laws” apply to electrical circuits, but Ohm’s Law is probably the most well known. To understand Ohm’s Law, it’s important to understand the concepts of current, voltage, and resistance. Current is the flow of an electric charge. Voltage, or electrical potential difference, is the force that drives the current in one direction. Resistance is the opposition of an object to having current pass through it.

Ohm’s Law states that an electrical circuit’s current is directly proportional to its voltage and inversely proportional to its resistance. So, if voltage increases, for example, the current will also increase, and if resistance increases, current decreases. The formula for Ohm’s Law is E = I x R, where E = voltage in volts, I = current in amperes, and R = resistance in ohms.

Source voltage is another important concept in electrical circuits. It refers to the amount of voltage that is applied to the circuit and is produced by the power source. Source voltage is affected by the amount of resistance within the electrical circuit and affects the amount of current. The current is affected by both voltage and resistance. Resistance is not affected by voltage or current, but it affects both voltage and current.

Electric ground is a term that is used in airplanes and on boats, where there is no connection to the ground. In Great Britain, the term used is earth or earthing to indicate that an electrical circuit is ground.

In the installation of mains electricity, an electrical ground describes a wire connected directly to the earth. The wire usually runs along the body of the actual metal equipment cases. The purpose of the wire is to divert any excess electrical current away from the equipment.

Should an electrical current pass through the electrical ground, the circuit is broken and the equipment will not receive any more power. However, the electric ground stopped the additional current from destroying the equipment. If an electrical ground is not properly installed into the ground itself, then the electrical energy remains in the circuit and can cause a fire and explosion.

Electrical power equipment usually comes with a permanently connected grounding conductor. Most electrical plugs have three prongs, arranged in a triangular formation, with two vertical prongs parallel to each other and one round conductor located below. This third conductor has a pin that connects it to the electrical ground built into the outlet.

Electrical outlets are all designed to accommodate the three prong plug. When the outlet is being installed, the third prong is connected to the electrical ground. This method ensures that each item plugged into an electrical outlet can be linked to the ground.

Never break off the third prong of an electrical plug, as this is the electrical ground for your electronic equipment. If it breaks off, return the product to the manufacturer and do not attempt to repair it yourself or use it without the third prong. The power supply to consumers fluctuates widely and any excess current can cause an electrical surge without an electrical ground to protect you.