FAQ

Emergency room doctors treat over 4,000 individuals each year for injuries caused by faulty electrical outlets—don’t let anyone in your family fall victim to an electrical accident. Electrical fires and related injuries can be prevented by properly inspecting the outlet receptacles in your home. SML Electric has compiled a list of warning signs that signal an electrical problem is occurring behind your walls.

It’s not uncommon for homeowners to immediately spot an electrical issue. Any good handyman will tell you that they can fix it themselves without a problem. Unfortunately, there is a problem. Handymen are not qualified to handle electrical work. Electricians have to undergo years of extensive training and certification processes to obtain his or her license. Sure, a license may seem like a piece of paper, but that paper is something that can save your life.

When you are resetting circuit breakers or changing fuses too often. When you turn on your air conditioner and the lights dim in the room. When your lights flicker or go on and off. When you can smell electricity burning. When you have six electronic devices going into one outlet in back of your electronics center. When you have receptacle outlets overburdened by multi-plug strips. When a three-prong plug needs a two-prong adapter. If you have to run extension cords to plug in electrical devices.

Most states call for 100 amps minimum, but with all the new electronic devices, air conditioning and electric heat, I would suggest 200 amps especially in new homes. This also gives you some space for future additions. This is not a job for an unlicensed person to attempt. In most cases it involves replacing everything from the service loop (this is the wire that extends from the top of your meter to the utility tie in ) up to and including the main panel.

BC Hydro is only going to charge you for the electricity you use. There are many things you can do to help save electricity and reduce your bill. For example, electric hot water tanks are less efficient than gas ones, if you have and older electric water heater then consider and upgrade. Monitor your electricity use, turn off lights and devices when not using them. Change your lighting to more efficient bulbs Replace light switches with motion detectors in room to automatically turn light on and off. Try to make use of natural lighting whenever possible Switch to more efficient LED holidays lights. Change old incandescent lights, older fixtures and appliances to newer more efficient ones.

Flickering lights are annoying and may be a sign of a potentially dangerous electrical problem, or something simple – like a bulb that is on the fritz. If replacing a light bulb doesn’t work, call an electrician right away. Your flickering lights could be due to loose wiring and lead to an electrical fire.

If the same breaker trips again and again, call SML Services. You may have too many electrical appliances and/or devices plugged into the same circuit, resulting in an electrical overload and causing your breaker to trip. Or, you may have a deeper electrical issue on your hands. A SML electrician will help diagnose your issue and recommend a plan of action to fix your breaker.