Help Center
Stay Ready for an Emergency or Power Outage, Always Have:
- A Working Flashlight with Fresh Batteries
- Candles and Matches
- Fire Extinguisher
How do I reset a breaker that is off or tripped?
Remember that breakers trip for a reason so be sure not to stand directly in front of the panel when working on breakers! To reset, push the handle of the breaker all the way to the “Off” position then flip to the “On” position.
What do I do if I lost power in my house?
First, check to see if you’ve had a power outage by asking a neighbor or calling your power company. You can also look around to see if street lights or stop lights are working correctly. Call and ask your power company if they will come check your incoming power at no charge, this will help determine if the issue is on your end or not.
If your incoming power is good and you have no power, call for a service electrician.
I have power but some stuff is off and some stuff is on, what’s wrong?
Take a moment to verify what is working and was is not working. Often times you can use a small lamp to test your outlets. It is helpful to know if the outage is contained to a particular room or area of outlets. You can then go to your breaker panel and check for tripper breakers. A tripped breaker will be noticeable as it will not be all the way to the “On” position, it should be in between “On” and “Off”. In the case of many older breakers, they will not move to the tripped position, in this case you can slide your finger gently along the handles, if there is a tripped breaker, it should move to the middle position. If you do not have breakers, but instead see screw in fuses, give us a call, it’s time for an upgrade!
If you are not comfortable flipping breakers or changing fuses or do not see a tripped breaker, call for a service electrician.
I had a light go out and now it won’t turn on, what should I do?
Change the light bulb! Change it with a good light bulb! Change it with a light bulb that you can verify works!
We know it sounds crazy, but we actually change A LOT of light bulbs that customer’s thought were good. If you change the light bulb and it still doesn’t work, give us a call!
What is a GFCI outlet, what does it do and what are those buttons?
GFCI stands for Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter and they come in several forms. Most common, is the GFCI outlet, then the GFCI breaker and finally a Faceless GFCI. You will see GFCI outlets mostly in Kitchens, Bathrooms, Garages and Outdoors. GFCI outlets come with two buttons – TEST and RESET. To test that the GFCI is working correctly, unplug anything that might be plugged into the outlet, then press the TEST button. At this point, you should hear a click or see an indicator light come on or go off (if available, depending on the brand). Next, press the RESET button, again you should hear a click or see an indicator light if equipped. Plug something into the outlet and test it out! This should be done once a month!
I am hearing a “beeping” “chirping” sound every so often, like 15-30 seconds, what is it?
Most likely what you are hearing are smoke detectors or carbon monoxide detectors or smoke/carbon monoxide combo detectors that have a low battery. It’s time to change the 9volt battery in the detector which usually means ladder work! Sometimes, they are really high up and if you are not comfortable on a ladder or do not have a large enough ladder, give us a call. We recommend changing all the batteries in all the detectors when this happens.
