Money Saving Tips

How many times have you called a service technician for a service call just to find out it was something simple? If only you had known you could have fixed it yourself! Well maybe we can give you a few electrical tips that might save you a service call. Our first priority is our customers. If we can help the solve their problems over the phone we will because some of the small electrical problems you can fix yourself.

How do you reset a tripped circuit breaker?
Most circuit breakers are simply reset by moving the handle to the full off position and then back on. If the breaker re-trips to the center position, then the circuit has a fault and needs to be repaired by a qualified electrician. Sometimes a breaker will get a little hot and letting it cool down for about fifteen minutes will let it reset. Also sometimes you can hold the breaker in the off position while at the same time applying pressure in the off position will let the breaker reset.

How do you reset a tripped GFCI?
All GFCI receptacles have a "Test" and "Reset" button or a "T" and "R" button on the face of the receptacles. Push the "Reset" or "R" button to reset. If the GFCI fails to reset you could have a defective GFCI receptacle or some other type of electrical problem which is not letting the GFCI reset. In either case you need to call a qualified electrician to make the necessary repairs.

You only have half power in your house?
Sometimes we get calls from our customers stating that they only have half power or that they have some power in a few rooms but not every room. It has been our experience that about eighty percent of the time it will turn out that the customer has a problem with the utility company. Let us explain. The utility company will bring the power from their location and attach it to the pole or pedestal at your house. Power to the pole or pedestal is the responsibility of the utility company. Power from the pole or pedestal to your house is your responsibility. More times than not when you have "half power" it turns out to be a utility company problem on their end, but not always. Sometimes it can be a faulty main breaker or circuit breaker, sometimes it is the result of an underground break in your service wires, or any combination of things. If the problem started for no apparent reason and you weren't doing anything that you think might have caused it, you may consider calling your utility company first. If it turns out to be your responsibility, you'll need to call a qualified electrician. Bottom line, if it turns out to be your utility company, you'll save yourself some money because they will make the repair at no cost to you.

Recessed lights keep cycling on and off?
You always need to make sure that your light bulbs are the correct wattage for the type of lamp or fixture you are using. In the case of recessed lights, one of the biggest reasons they will cycle on and off is because the bulbs have to high of wattage for the fixture. Before you replace any light make sure the wattage is correct.

We at Higher Power Electric are always trying to save our customers money whenever we can. If you have an electrical question and you think we can help, please call. We'll do whatever we can to help.