Circuit breakers are designed to trip in the case of an overload or short. In many cases we get call from people stating that they have checked the breakers and didn’t see any tripped. The problem is that most brands of circuit breakers don’t actually move when they are tripped. In order to know for sure you need to check each one by either gently tapping on the breaker toward the “off” position. In many cases if the breaker is tripped, it will move easily to the middle or off position. Just flip it all the way to OFF then to ON. This will reset the breaker provided the problem no longer exists. If you can’t determine if a breaker is tripped by this method, you may have to flip each breaker to OFF then back to ON until you find the one that was tripped.
In most cases, a close or even direct lightning strike will cause varying types of damage. Mostly it effects items with electronic parts. Everything from computers, TV’s, DVR’S, telephones, even your appliances with electronic timers and controls. In some instances electronics in furnaces and air conditioners are effected.
The biggest problem with lightning strikes is that so much of your electrical system is hidden behind walls and in attic spaces. To really find out if you have any damage from a lightning strike, you need to have us come out to do an inspection of your system. Size and scope of the inspections vary and our electrician will explain the differences when he visits with you. In some cases, your homeowner’s insurance may pay for the inspection.
We DO NOT charge to have an electrician or estimator come out to bid a project. New construction, remodeling, service upgrades and generators are good examples of this. If we are called out to give you a price to “repair” an existing problem and the electrician needs to spend some time to find out what that “repair” would be, then we would charge a service call fee and a troubleshooting fee.
This is a fairly common problem in older homes with older electrical services. Your home has two 120V circuits coming into your panel. Together they make the 240 volts you need for the larger appliances like central air conditioners, electric dryers and electric ranges. If the lights and timers work on your electric range but the burners won’t heat up, then there is a good chance you have lost one of the “legs” or one of the 120V feeds coming into your home.
We ALWAYS recommend that you call the electric utility first. Some times the problem is at the transformer or on the feed coming to your home. If that is the case, they will fix it at no charge to you. If the problem is in you electrical service, they will tell you and at that point you call us and we will come out to find the problem and recommend a solution.
In some cases, flickering lights are an indicator of potential problems on that particular circuit. Loose connections or overloaded circuits are the most frequent cause of flickering lights. It’s always best to have that checked out by a qualified electrician.
© 2025 Grasser Electric, All Rights Reserveed
