Frequently Asked Questions

One Of The Best San Diego Electrician's. Great prices and quality. Military Veteran Owned Business.

My lights are flickering, is that dangerous?

Your lights may be flickering for any number of reasons ranging from completely normal to dangerous.

It is normal and not dangerous if your lights dim or flicker when large appliances such as an air conditioner come on. This is caused by the appliance drawing a larger amount of power to start up the motor.

If the lights are flickering in one fixture or room, this can be caused by an issue with the fixture, the circuit breaker or one of the outlets or switches on the circuit.

Flicking lights throughout your house can be caused by problems in your electrical panel or from the utility. If all the lights in your home are flickering, you should call a licensed electrician to evaluate the issue.

Why does my circuit breaker keep tripping?

The function of a circuit breaker is to limit the amount of current flowing through a wire so that it does not exceed the rating of the wire. If too much current is flowing through a wire, it will heat up and can become a fire hazard. It is very important that the correct size of breaker is used to match the size of the wire.. The most common reason your circuit breaker to trip is because the circuit is overloaded. The best way to resolve this is to lower the load but using less electricity from that circuit (unplug something or don’t use more than 1 appliance at a time) or to add an additional circuit to support your electrical needs. Never put a larger size breaker that the wire rating in your panel. A tripping circuit breaker is doing its job to protect your home. There is a reason it tripped, and you should find out why.

What should I do if my circuit breaker trips and won’t reset?

“My breaker tripped and won’t reset” is a common call that we get at Point Loma Electric. Some common reasons why a circuit breaker won’t reset are that the circuit is overloaded, there is a short circuit somewhere or the breaker itself could be bad. If your circuit breaker won’t reset or trips repeatedly, that is symptom of an electrical problem that needs attention from a licensed electrician. If you have circuit breaker that won’t stay reset, never replace the breaker with one of a higher rating. This is dangerous and can cause your wires to overheat and could even possibly lead to a fire.

How do I reset a circuit breaker?

There are actually 3 breaker positions, “off” to the left, “on” to the right and tripped which is actually in the center. Many times people just push the switch to the “on” position and it won’t stay on. You need to push it firmly OFF first and then push it to the “on” position until you hear or feel it click.

What is a GFI or GFCI and why do I need them?

GFI stands for Ground Fault Interrupter and GFCI stands for ground fault circuit interrupter. They both mean the same thing. The purpose of a GFCI outlet is to prevent shocks or possible electrocution in locations that could potentially be exposed to water or are ungrounded.

My Power is out, what should I do?

If your power is out:If the power is out in just part of your house:First check your electrical panel to see if you have a tripped circuit or blown fuse. If your breaker is tripped, reset it by first firmly pushing it to the OFF position and then firmly turning it back ON. If the breaker does not reset there are a number of issues that could be the cause.

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