Electrician Services FAQ

Your service panel might not be sufficient to handle your electrical load. If they flicker when your air conditioner or furnace kick on, that is normal. If they flicker on and off independent of any other devices, call AAA and we will test your system.

GFCI is “Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter” devices. This prevents you from being shocked by shutting down the electric right at the plug when it senses small amounts of resistance. GFCI should be installed in bathrooms and kitchen outlets where moisture and standing water often exist.

The black button tests the unit by deactivating it from the system. The red button is the reset button to reactivate the outlet or string of outlets that are on it.

If it beeps in a consistent manner it’s usually an indication that it needs a new battery. If it is an intermittent chirp, it’s often a sign that the unit is bad. It’s better to replace the entire house’s batteries all at once every year to minimize confusion and insure that your units are functioning optimally.

Using a bulb with too high of wattage can cause excessive heat in the unit and burn it out more quickly. Be sure to use the maximum wattage or less in your outlets. Power surges also cause bulbs to burn out more quickly than their life allows.

Newer recess can light fixtures are rated for a maximum wattage bulb and are equipped with a thermal device that does not allow a bulb larger than what it is rated for. If a larger wattage bulb is used, as the excess heat builds up, the thermal device will shut the can off until it cools as a safety option.

Yes, however if the amount of lights exceeds what that outlet can handle, it will be tripped at the breaker. In this event you need to use additional outlets.

St. Louis has frequent lightening strikes so surge protection on your home devices like computers, televisions, stereos etc only makes sense. Outlet surge protectors are inexpensive and protect your devices

Yes, when large compressors and motors kick on, it causes a minor momentary voltage drop in the overall home. This is normal and not a cause for concern.

Yes, if the overall load exceeds 20 amps your breaker will trip the box off. If this happens, one of the appliances must be moved to another outlet.

This might be from improperly installed bulbs. Try to maneuver the bulbs so the are properly inserted. It may also be because the bulb is about to fail or from minor power fluctuations from other devices in the home. If it is turning all the way off and on again, it’s often ballast failure.

Disconnect the devices that caused the trip. Then turn the breaker all the way off, wait a few seconds, then turn on again. This is a mechanical device, so this may require several attempts.