Scherer Electric Blog: Posts Tagged ‘Electrical Repairs’

Trouble With a Recessed Light? Let’s See What We Can Do!

Monday, March 29th, 2021
lightbulb-standing-up

When a lightbulb in a fixture like a standard lamp burns out, the solution is simple: you put in a new bulb. As long as you make sure you match the wattage of the next bulb with the fixture, everything should be fine. (If bulbs are burning out frequently, however, you may have other problems that will require professional electrical assistance.)

When a recessed lightbulb burns out, you can also put in a new bulb—but you might discover that the light still isn’t working. A recessed fixture can present a different challenge, because it’s set into the ceiling and it isn’t something you can just swap out with a new lamp. You may need to have an expert at indoor lighting in Amherst, NY fix the problem. Below we’ll look at what might be wrong (aside from a standard burnt-out bulb). 

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4 Home Electrical Troubles That MUST Have an Electrician

Monday, March 1st, 2021
scorched-outlet

We’re a professional electrical contractor, so it makes sense that we would recommend homeowners only call on Angola, NY electricians with licenses to solve their household electrical troubles. But we don’t do this just because we want more business. We wouldn’t be western New York’s favorite electrician if all we cared about was picking up jobs. As experienced professionals, we understand the importance of the skill of a trained and licensed electrician when it comes to fixing household electrical problems. We’re here to keep the lights on and keep our customers, their families, and their property safe.

For example, below are four electrical troubles you may encounter in your house that must receive service from a licensed electrician to diagnose and/or correct. Don’t risk DIY work or calling an amateur “handyperson” for any of these situations. At best, the problem will remain. At worst … well, imagine whatever electrical disaster you wish, it’s not an exaggeration. 

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A Power Outage! What Do You Do?

Monday, February 15th, 2021
flashlight

Winters in New York can be beautiful as long as you have a home with a good heating system, the right insulation, and a steady supply of electricity. But with our low temperatures, a sudden loss of electrical power to your house can mean a serious emergency. Storms, power plant accidents, power surges, even accidents within the home’s electrical system can leave you trapped without the electricity you need to get by. 

Our first message about power outages is not to panic. There are steps you can take, and in many cases a professional Angola, NY electrician can provide you with the help you need. Below are steps you can take when the power suddenly goes out in the winter.

ONE: Check on your electrical panel

It’s possible the reason that you’ve lost power to the house is that the main breaker in the electrical panel has tripped. Check the panel to see if all the breakers are in the “on” position. If they are, test the main breaker switch to see if this restores power. 

An important note of caution: an older breaker panel may be the source of the electrical failure, and we recommend calling us to investigate if the panel needs to be replaced. 

TWO: See if this is a municipal problem

In other words, go talk to your neighbors to discover if they also have lost electrical power. If this is the case, then you aren’t dealing with a specific problem in your home, but an issue with the municipal power supply. 

THREE: Call the power company

If you determined in step two that the issue is municipal, the next step is to call the power company to see the extent of the problem and how long you can expect for it to continue. In fact, the power company may not even know the problem has occurred, so you’re doing the community as well as your home a service by alerting them to the outage so they can take care of it.

FOUR: Unplug major appliances

Those appliances may not be receiving any power at the moment, but when power is restored it can bring with it a surge that can damage them. This is mainly a problem for precision electrical appliances such as computers, the microwave, and the entertainment system. 

FIVE: Don’t try to do any DIY stuff

If you suspect that you might be able to fix some of the electrical problems that caused the blackout, please resist. Electric services need to remain in the domain of professionals. Once the power is restored, you’ll have an idea of what needs repairs, and you can call our team to handle them. Otherwise, please leave the tools alone. You might make a mistake, and when the power does come back on, it could create a major hazard.

SIX: Think about getting a generator

This isn’t so much a step as it is an important moment for reflection. If you have a whole-house backup generator, you wouldn’t be in this emergency situation right now. We recommend you call us once the power is restored to schedule an installation for a whole-house generator—one of the best “insurance policies” you can have against this problem occurring again. 

Scherer Electric is Western New York’s Favorite Electrician! Call us for 24/7 emergency service when you have electrical problems.

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Handyman vs. Electrician: Does It Really Matter? (Yes It Does!)

Monday, January 18th, 2021
electric-tools

We’ll admit that there is something people find attractive about the term handyman (or handyperson). It creates this image of a “jack of all trades” who can whip up solutions when there are problems. You can call on the handyman when things go wrong.

But this is not the case. When it comes to electrical jobs in a house, there’s a massive gulf between bringing in a “handyperson” and calling a licensed electrician (a.k.a. an electrical contractor). It matters who you call, because the consequences when something goes wrong, as well as the likelihood of something going wrong, is far higher with the handyman.

If you read nothing else in this post, just remember this: for any electrical service in your home, only call a licensed electrician. 

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The 5 Best Tips to Lower Your Electrical Costs

Monday, September 28th, 2020
lightbulb-on-its-side

Do my electric bills have to be that high?

If you find you’re asking yourself that question month after month when the utility bills arrive, then the answer is probably no. Unless the cost for electricity has taken a steep rise in your area, extremely high electrical utility bills are often warning you of wasteful practices or a malfunctioning part of the electrical system. You can take steps to correct this problem. Some are simply tips, while others will require the assistance of East Aurora, NY electricians.

Below we’ve listed the five best tips for cutting into the high cost of powering your home.

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The Buzzing in the Wall—Sinister Forces, Or Electrical Problem?

Monday, August 17th, 2020
electrical-blueprints-sm

We can’t completely discount that the buzzing sound you hear coming from your wall is from supernatural or other-dimensional force. But in our long history as a Buffalo, NY electrician, we can say that most of the times we’ve received calls about buzzing coming from walls, it was an electrical problem—except the occasional wasps’ nest. We’re glad those customers called, because this buzzing sound can indicate serious electrical issues that need certified electricians to investigate and solve. (Sorry, we aren’t equipped for the wasps.)

Now you may not find the buzzing sound “scary,” but it’s irritating. Let’s look into what might be happening to cause it.

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How Long Will My Home’s Electrical Wiring Last?

Monday, August 3rd, 2020
electrical-parts

A home has two hard-working “circulatory systems,” plumbing and electrical. Because both are mostly hidden from view even as they do essential work, it’s easy for a homeowner to dismiss them as something that will last as long as the house does.

But that’s not the case. When it comes to electrical wiring in Orchard Park, NY, you do need to have concerns about the age of the wiring. Not just for as long as you’ve been in the house, but for as long as the wiring has been in the house, period. If you live in a vintage home and the wiring has never had an update, it’s important to know about how long the wiring can expect to endure.

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Why a New Electrical Panel May Be Necessary

Monday, June 8th, 2020
electric-tools

An important job we often focus on here at Scherer Electric is making upgrades to electrical panels for homes. In our long history as a top Amherst, NY electrician, and as Western New York’s Favorite Electrician, we’ve seen plenty of outdated panels in homes that needed to be replaced many years ago. There are also specific panel types that are hazardous, such as Federal Pacific panels that we advise all homeowners have replaced as soon as they can.

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Why Do the Circuit Breakers Keep Tripping?

Monday, April 13th, 2020
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The electrical panel in your house, a.k.a. the circuit breaker panel, is the main “switching station” for the electrical system. This is where the incoming electrical current from the grid divides up into the circuits for the rest of the house. The breakers are in place to prevent an overload on a circuit from damaging the electrical system and causing problems like electrical fires.

When a circuit breaker trips, it means there was too much draw on that circuit. The switch temporarily shuts off the circuit, and you’ll lose power to part of the house. When this happens, we recommend you shut off all appliances in the area and unplug the outlets. Then go to the panel and find which breaker has tripped. Reset it, and then go back to plug in the appliances and turn them back on.

In most cases, this will solve the problem. But what if the circuit breaker keeps tripping? This indicates a larger problem, and you’ll probably need professional electricians in Clarence, NY to help you solve it.

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When Is an Electrical Noise in the House a Reason to Worry?

Monday, February 17th, 2020
woman-covering-ears

“Do you hear a buzzing sound? I could swear I hear a buzzing sound. Anyone else hear that?”

Have you said something like this before in your home? It may have been nothing—an “audio illusion,” it happens. It may have been minor trouble. Or it could have indicated a serious electrical concern. We’re going to look at household electrical noises and when you should call an Amherst, NY electrician to find out if there’s a repair problem that needs to be taken care of.

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