Certified Electrician FAQ
• My circuit breaker keeps tripping, can I put a larger one in its place?
• Why do my lights get dimmer and brighter?
• What is the advantage of having a whole house surge suppressor?
• How can I save money on my electric bill?
• What is a GFCI receptacle and what is its purpose?
• Am I required to have GFCI receptacles?
• Why does my smoke detector beep every so often?
• What should I do if some of my house is without power?
• Why do I need to look at my service cable on the outside of my house by my
electric meter?
• Why do I need to have a certified electrician do my work? I can make the
light come on when I turn the switch on.
• Why can't you give me an estimate over the phone?
• How can I get backup power without spending a lot of money?
My circuit breaker keeps tripping, can I put a larger one in its place?
The tripping is caused by one of two reasons: First - there is a short circuit, usually a loud pop is heard when resetting. Second - the circuit is overloaded, this is a common situation because we have more appliances today then when our homes were built. The circuit breaker is sized to match the size of the wires in the walls. If you replace your breaker with a larger one, you are heating up the wires in the walls beyond their capacity which can cause heat and eventually a fire.
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Why do my lights get dimmer and brighter?
The lights get brighter from voltage spikes given off by appliances and the power company. This happens to all electrical items in your home and reduces the life of these items. The lights get dimmer from large appliances starting up and from appliances on the same circuit that draw lots of power. You will usually notice them dimming during the hot summer months when air conditioners are running. The voltage the power company is supplying to your home is reduced from increased demand.
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What is the advantage of having a whole house surge suppressor?
A whole house surge suppressor will help protect your home's appliances and electrical systems in the event of a lightning strike or power surge from the power company or you home's appliances.
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How can I save money on my electric bill?
Here are seven different ways that you can reduce your electric bill expenses.
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Use compact fluorescent lamps
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Timers for lighting, hot water heaters and swimming pools
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Dimmers for lights
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Install attic fans
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Programmable thermostats for both heater and air conditioning
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Unplug appliances such as TV's and even AC chargers for cell phones
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Photo cells (photo cells tell if it is light or dark) on your light fixtures
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What is a GFCI receptacle and what is its purpose?
GFCI stands for ground fault circuit interrupter. If installed properly, they will trip instantly if they detect current leaking to ground, they eliminate a shock hazard. The National Electrical Code requires them in kitchens, bathrooms, laundry rooms, garages, unfinished basements and outdoors. Basically, they are required anywhere you may come in contact with water.
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Am I required to have GFCI receptacles?
Yes. In order to sell your home it must be updated to meet today's code. Even if you are not planning on selling your home, it is in the best interest of you and your family to have them installed as protection from electrical shock.
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Why does my smoke detector beep every so often?
Usually a smoke detector beeps when the battery is in need of replacement. If new batteries don't stop the noise, the detector may need replacement due to the age of the device. Most manufactures recommend smoke detectors should be replaced every five years because they desensitize over time. If you replace your smoke detectors, it is best to replace them with interconnected smoke detectors so that when one goes off they all go off. Interconnected detectors are also available in a wireless format.
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What should I do if some of my house is without power?
The first thing to check is the circuit breaker box to see if one is tripped. To reset a tripped breaker you must first turn it off and then back on. If you do not turn it off first it will just spring back and not reset. If it trips again call Mike Giradi Electric. Do not keep resetting the breaker until the reason for it tripping is discovered since it could be a fire hazard. If all breakers are on and none tripped, push all the reset buttons of the GFCI receptacles located in the kitchen, laundry room, bathrooms, garages, basements, and outside. If still no power or it keeps tripping call Mike Giradi Electric.
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Why do I need to look at my service cable on the outside of my house by my electric meter?
Over time the main cable bringing power into your home deteriorates caused by exposure to sunlight, rain, snow and wind. If the outside of the gray cable looks cracked, damaged, or missing it will allow water in and run through the inside of the cable to the electric meter and into your home's main panel. We all know that water and electricity do not mix.
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Why do I need to have a certified electrician do my work? I can make the light come on when I turn the switch on.
Just because a light works, does not mean that it is right, safe, or to code. You wouldn't try trial and error putting brakes on your car. For the same reason you should not do your own electrical work. If the wiring is not done correctly, you could start a fire.
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Why can't you give me an estimate over the phone?
To give you an accurate price, it is best that we come out to your location and assess what you would like done. There are too many variables that can affect the cost of the job such as light fixture weight, ceiling heights, if there is attic access or not, the material the walls and ceilings are made of such as drywall or plaster, if there is space in the electric panel or not, how to get wires from point A to point B and how far it is from point A to point B, etc.. Without us looking at the job, we could give you a price over the phone that is either too high or too low and that would not be fair to either one of us.
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How can I get backup power without spending a lot of money?
A portable generator is a great source of backup power during a cold winter outage from an ice storm, or a flooding hurricane or even a tropical storm. We can install a power inlet box on your home or business to plug the generator into and we can wire it directly to your electric panel SAFELY so you can still have the comfort of heat and electricity when you need it most.
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