Over time, things can go wrong with any electrical system. It’s part of the nature of wiring:  wires deteriorate and connections can break down.  But what if the problem that develops is because of something that happened when the electrical system was installed, something you didn’t have any control over?

There’s nothing so treacherous to the safety of your home as faulty wiring. Mistakes in the initial wiring of your home can lead to serious safety hazards and property damage.

So what can you do about faulty wiring?  A licensed Dallas electrician can help you find the problem areas in your wiring and repair them, but we generally don’t get called in until the faulty wiring causes a serious problem.  Nobody really has the time or money to deal with these problems, so it’s better to not have to suffer through them in the first place. The best way to do that is to be aware of the electrical warning signs that your wiring might be faulty.

As a DFW area electrician, providing electrical services throughout Plano, Garland, Richardson, and many other areas around Dallas and Ft. Worth, ElectricMan’s reputation has been built around professionalism, customer service, and reliable Home Electric Repair.  When you come across an electrical problem in your home, of course your first thought is “I need an electrician”, but which Dallas Electrician should you choose? With so many “fly by night” businesses around these days, how can you be sure that the one you choose will be the right company for the job?

The value of a guarantee is highly important, and to prove his commitment to his guarantee of excellent customer service, owner of ElectricMan Inc. and Master Electrician, Nick Schaeffer, provides the following promise:

“As the owner of ElectricMan Inc., I am so confident in our ability to satisfy our customers’ needs that I am including my personal mobile phone number here to ensure that our high level of customer service is never jeopardized.  If you ever have any concerns regarding the level of service, or the quality of the work that you receive from ElectricMan Inc. please do not hesitate to reach out to me personally. You can reach me, Nick Schaeffer, Master Electrician and Owner of ElectricMan Inc., at 972-898-8098. I will always be happy to do everything that I can to make your experience with my company an enjoyable one.”

The guarantee that ElectricMan Inc. provides is about not only quality in Home Electric Repair, but also in the quality of the technicians that they send to your home or business, and the assurance that your electrical repair will be performed using the correct techniques following all current electrical guidelines and safety codes. The key factor in choosing an electrician is finding one with the experience, track record, and personal accountability to provide the service that you, as a customer, deserve.

Why is a bad GFCI outlet such a big deal? To put it simply, they exist to protect you from electrical shock. As required by electrical code, these outlets are in places within your house where there is an increased risk of electrocution. These include bathrooms, kitchens or outside (wherever water is likely to be present).

GFCI outlets come with a sensor designed to identify changes in current, which can indicate unsafe conditions or the risk of shock. There’s a breaker inside the outlet, which trips when there is a surge in current. This shuts down the power supplied to the outlet and any connected outlets, protecting you from electrical shocks.

GFCIs come with two buttons on them (usually black and red), with one serving to test the outlet and the other for resetting it after the breaker inside has tripped. A bad GFCI is a serious problem, as they are too important for you to ignore them for any amount of time. It is, therefore, crucial that you stay aware of when you might have an issue with one of yours.

In the majority of cases, a GFCI outlet protects you by not providing power. If there is an issue with an appliance plugged into it, the power would likely cut off long before you even get the chance to use it. When this happens, it can be easy to assume there’s something wrong with the outlet itself. But in many cases, its breaker tripped for a good reason. GFCIs are also designed to shut themselves off in the event of a person getting shocked, which isn’t always easy for it to determine with much accuracy. In other words, your GFCI outlet breaker might trip when you’re not actually in any danger.

The GFCI detects current that branches off from the intended circuit, even if the branches are small and harmless. This can include instances of a wire making contact with another component of the receptacle, which can be completely innocent. When the cause of a trip is a passing occurrence, you should be able to reset the outlet breaker with a simple push of the correct button.

Outlets can get worn out and lose some of their effectiveness over time. This also applies to GFCIs. If your GFCI outlet is tripping much more frequently than it should, it could mean it’s nearing the end of its lifespan. This is due to GFCI outlets losing the ability to adjust to changes in current as effectively as they used to. The result is that trips begin occurring for reasons that were never a problem in the past.

If your outlet breaker is tripping every time you use a hair dryer, and it never did that before, it’s a sure sign you have a bad GFCI outlet. If this becomes the case, it’s important to get it replaced as soon as possible! These outlets are too crucial a safety measure for you to delay on getting a new, functional one.