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A GFCI is a “ground-fault circuit interrupter.” It measures the current flowing through the hot wire and the neutral wire. If they differ by more than a few milliamps, the presumption is that current is leaking to ground via some other path. This may be because of a short circuit to the chassis of an appliance, or to the ground lead, or through a person. Any of these situations is hazardous, so the GFCI trips, breaking the circuit.

In bathrooms, kitchen counters, wet-bar sinks, garages, unfinished basements or crawl spaces, outdoors, or just about anywhere else where you’re likely to encounter water or dampness.

Often, after installing a dimmer switch, or replacing bulbs controlled by a dimmer, you’ll start hearing buzzing or humming from the bulb. As far as the bulbs are concerned, a bulb consists of a series of supports and a fine filament of wire. When you run current through a coil, it becomes a magnet. With the metal constructed light fixture, the filament will move or vibrate at a fast speed. This is what causes the singing. You can try replacing the bulb with a “rough service” type bulb. They’re usually much stronger and better supported. Chances are, however, that switching bulbs won’t make that much of a difference. Perhaps the buzzing will go away at some dimmer settings, but not at all.

Definitely not! Each breaker in your panel is there for the sole purpose of protecting the wires that run through that particular line. If, for example, the wires are a size that needs a 15A breaker to protect them, and you were to switch the breaker to a 20A, you would be causing a dangerous situation. There would be nothing to protect the wires from overheating.

A common occurrence is that you could be accumulating “static electricity” and discharging it by touching a switch or receptacle that is grounded properly. If you have metal cover plates, try changing to plastic & see if this helps. If the shock is not static, call to have this looked at ASAP. This could also be due to some portion of the device being energized that is not properly grounded or tripping the breaker/fuse.

Go to the service panels. Find the specific circuit breaker that feeds the problem circuit or appliance. Attempt to reset the breaker or replace the blown fuse. Please note that many circuit breakers appear to be on when actually tripped. In fact, most breakers require that one must push the breaker handle completely to the off position to then re-set. If this does not restore the power, you are likely to be in need of an electrician.

First, turn off selective breakers in your service panel. This reduces further damage due to improper voltages to the home appliances, HVAC and electronic equipment. The more you can turn off, the better. This is likely to be a power company issue in that you may have partial, if not a total loss of incoming power to your home. A second option is that you have a problem with your main electrical service. This is where your problem begins. Who do you call? The power company or us for the repair? If a call is made to the power company, you will likely here that they will send someone out to look at the problem. If they find that the problem is not due to their equipment, they will charge you some fee. If we are asked to come to your home and check out the problem, you will receive a fee for our services. If we are going to be asked to come to your home first, be sure to ask the power company about a reimbursement process should it turn out to be a power company issue.

BGE — 1-877-778-2222 PEPCO — 1-887-737-2662 DelMarVa Power — 1-800-375-7117 Virginia Power — 1-866-366-4357

It could be a loose connection. The problem could also be a bad thermal cut out in the recessed fixture itself. Did you want more light output & installed a higher wattage light bulb? An increased lamp in wattage can cause the light to turn on / off on its own. Look inside the light. It should have a sticker that provides the maximum wattage lamp size allowed.

More than likely, it is as simple as replacing the battery. Always change all throughout the house at the same time. Most manufacturers recommend replacing the detectors once they reach 15 years of age.

Without removing the detector from the ceiling, vacuum all detectors out. As dust is collected within the detector over the years, it may be that your HVAC system or some other movement of air is disturbing the dust thereby causing the unit to activate & sound as your heat / A/C is running.

Generally, one per level near the foot/top of each stairway & in the hallways just outside of the bedrooms. Also, one in each bedroom.

The latest code dictates that you should install in one of two ways. Either by the appliance, HVAC equipment, fireplace, or any other fuel burning equipment or in the hallways at the bedroom entries. Often times in new or renovated homes, a combination smoke / CO detectors are installed to minimize wiring.

Arc fault circuit interrupters (AFCIs) are prone to “nuisance tripping,” which is probably what you’re experiencing. AFCIs are designed to sense an arc. To solve the nuisance tripping problem, start with things you can do yourself. Unplug or turn off surge protectors plugged into bedroom outlets, fluorescent lights with electronic ballasts, and lighting controls with LED displays that are on the AFCI circuit. They sometimes allow current “leakage” that can trip the AFCI. Damage or deterioration to wires or cords (which can happen when furniture is pushed against plugs in an outlet) also causes arcing faults and will trip the circuit. If you identify one of these sources, you’ll have to either replace the electrical item or leave it unplugged. Another, very popular problem is that you may be plugging something in that has the switch in the “on” position. If so, a small arc can occur while plugging in the light, vacuum cleaner, or any other item. This arc is likely to trip the breaker giving you the impression that the circuit was not energized. Even after resetting the arc-fault breaker. Be sure that your item is in the OFF position prior to plugging in for use.