FAQs

Most commonly asked questions about our electrical services

Frequently Asked Electrical Questions

We asked our electricians to give us some of the most common questions homeowners ask -- oh yeah, we asked them to answer them too. Click on the questions below to get your electrical questions answered by an actual electrician.

It only costs $38 to get an electrician to your home. They will arrive in a truck stocked with thousands of parts. They'll have everything they need to start your electrical project while they're at your home, unless the situation is unusual. Most of the time, your electrical project can be finished on the same day we arrive. Our electrician will perform a thorough evaluation of your electrical system and explain what they'll need to do in order to complete the work you called for. They will not charge you by the hour; instead, they will give you a total price, with multiple options for repair or replacement, before any work begins.

Once you approve the project and price, our electrician will begin. If you don't want to proceed with the work while we are there, all you pay is $38 for the consultation. If you call us back to complete the work later, you do not pay another $38. Contact us if you'd like to schedule an appointment for an electrician to come to your home.

Click here for more information on pricing.

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A circuit breaker "trips" or a fuse is "blown" when too much electricity is traveling over the wires in a circuit. The most common reason a breaker will trip is a short circuit. This happens when a live wire comes into contact with a grounded conductor. The result of a short circuit is usually sparking coming from the switch or outlet.

There are specialty breakers that can detect irregularities in the electricity flowing through it. These irregularities can be a safety hazard and the breaker will trip until the issue is corrected. Two such breakers are Ground Fault Interrupter (GFI) Breakers and an Arc Fault Breaker.

GFIs are generally installed in locations where water might be present, like bathrooms, kitchens, and outdoors. GFI breakers are designed to cut power to a circuit if it detects, in as quickly as one thirtieth of a second, any change in power flow through the circuit, however subtle. Since water is an excellent electrical conductor, if a person comes into contact with water and electricity, the results could be fatal. Therefore, GFIs are life saving devices that prevent against electrical shock.

Arc Fault Breakers trip when an arc is detected somewhere in the circuit. Arcing that goes undetected and unresolved can generate a lot of excess heat, causing insulation, outlets, and devices to melt or even catch fire. Arcing can occur from a loose connection, a nail through a wire, faulty extension cords, etc.

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The fact that your breaker tripped is a good thing: that usually means it's working. The danger occurs when a breaker should trip but it doesn't. When a breaker trips, it's because there was too much electricity flowing over the wires in that circuit. When you go to reset the breaker, if it stays on, you're probably good. If it immediately trips off again there is probably something still causing a short that needs to be fixed. If the breaker is old, it's possible that the breaker has failed mechanically and just needs to be replaced. In this case, you'll want someone with electrical experience to help you replace breakers or troubleshoot a breaker that will not reset.

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If you have an outlet that won't hold plugs anymore, the only solution is to replace it. There are prongs inside the old outlet that get loose over time and/or after heavy usage. Many people will bend the prongs out on their plug to try and get it to stay in the wall. However, doing this is bad for the plug and only makes the outlet worse.

Replacing an outlet is a basic project you can do yourself if you have the right tools and know how to cut the power off to that outlet. Here's a video showing How to Replace an Outlet. If you are uncomfortable attempting this on your own, call an electrician for help. Or if you are uncomfortable attempting this on your own, you may need to call an electrician for help.

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No, you shouldn't hear noises when you turn a switch on and off. Popping, crackling, sizzling noises are usually an indication there is a loose connection behind the wall plate. Loose connections can overheat and melt the wires. In extreme cases, it could even cause a fire. Switches can wear out over time and need to be replaced.

Replacing a switch is a basic project you can do yourself if you have the right tools and know how to cut the power off to that switch. Here's a video showing How to Replace a Light Switch. If you are uncomfortable attempting this on your own, call an electrician for help.

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Look for an access door on the front of the smoke detector. If you can't see the detector clearly, remove the smoke detector from its mounting plate on the ceiling or wall. Most models can be removed by twisting the detector. Once you've located the access door, slide it open and pull the battery out. Replace with a new battery and slide the door closed. If you don't see a battery door on the front, take the smoke detector down and look on the back. There may be a small screw holding the door closed. Remove the screw, open the door, and replace the battery.

Here's a video we made on How to Change the Battery in Your Smoke Detector. We hope you find it helpful and informative.

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First, try changing the batteries. If the chirping continues, the smoke detector may have gone bad and needs to be replaced. Smoke detector manufacturers recommend replacing the smoke detector after 10 years. To find the age of the smoke detector, remove the smoke detector from its mounting plate on the ceiling or wall and look on the back to find the stamped manufacture date.

If you need to replace your smoke detector, it is a basic project you can do yourself if you have the right tools and know how to cut the power off first. Here's a video on How to Replace a Smoke Detector. If you are uncomfortable attempting this on your own, you may need to call an electrician for help.

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LOWER USAGE - There are some simple things you can do to save energy around the house. First, make sure that lights are turned off in rooms that are not in use. Next, if you have an electric water heater, you can turn the temperature down. Next, consider running your air conditioner less. Air conditioners use a lot of electricity in the summer so running them less can save money. Finally, clothes dryers use a lot of electricity. Try hanging clothes to dry to help you run the dryer less often.

UPGRADE TO HIGH EFFICIENCY - One of the most dramatic energy-savers is switching the whole house to LED bulbs. LED bulbs use less energy than compact fluorescent and incandescent bulbs. Also, many appliances have high-efficiency models available that can help you save electricity. And beyond high-efficiency dishwashers, water heaters and etc., multi-stage, high-efficiency air conditioners can save you a lot of money in the summertime as well. In a best-case scenario, opting for high-efficiency appliances in combination with lowering usage will yield the best results.

GO SOLAR - Installing rooftop solar can reduce your monthly power bill substantially. If you can't afford the upfront investment, there is special financing available that allows you to install solar now and start saving. Any Hour Services installs rooftop solar and can help you understand the options that are available.

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Gail's Story

"I got the impression that one of the company values is to provide good service, to provide what you need, and to not push you to do things that you don't really need...I am very happy with the service."

"..I am very happy with the service."

More Testimonials

Performed Furnace Inspection, but did much more than minimum. We also have two furnaces in our Greeenhouse that they checked for problems and checked on several other areas of concern and provided solutions that will prevent future problems. I really appreciated their desire to ensure that we will have a trouble free year ahead.
— Scott Christiansen
Posted October 18th 2021
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Our technician was Seth. He doesn't give up. When there's a job to do, he will do it no matter the obstacles. We had a leak in our tub fittings and we have very hard water. I tried to change the cartridge but all I succeeded in doing is stripping the head out of the screw. So we called Any Hour Services and they sent Seth. He had so much trouble with the fittings. The hard water had cemented the cartridge in place. Seth pulled and pulled, but it was too badly cemented in the pipe. He pulled so hard the old cartridge broke in half. He then set to replacing the whole fixture and the pipes too. It took him three visits, but he did it. And after all this, he charged us the price he originally quoted.
— Harold Pont
Posted November 15th 2023
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Victor was awesome and took care of problem efficiently and professionally. Muchbappreciated!
— Jeffrey Johnson
Posted November 15th 2023
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Quick appointment, great servic, great price! I will definitely use Any Hour for my plumbing needs.
— Kris Done
Posted November 15th 2023
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Technician was very helpful. Explained exactly what he was going to do.
— marlin allington
Posted November 15th 2023
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Becki did an excellent job. I was impressed.
— Benjamin Barrett
Posted November 15th 2023
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Becki did great work with cleaning our tub drain. She was efficient, knowledgeable, and friendly.
— Jen B
Posted November 15th 2023
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Scott repaired our disposal, quickly and easily!
— Consultores 2025
Posted November 15th 2023
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Thank you so much! The service was excellent, efficient and quality. Thanks again Scott.
— marcela diaz
Posted November 14th 2023
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Scott has done some work in our house and always pleased with his service!
— Marianne Cook
Posted November 14th 2023
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Scott does great work. Very helpful.
— Mike Cook
Posted November 14th 2023
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Skyler and Josh were great!! They did a thorough job checking my furnace. Very knowledgeable.
— Kayla Bakos
Posted November 14th 2023
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She was very polite and honest with what repairs were needed. Our house is 80 yrs old and never judged.
— Mary Blair
Posted November 14th 2023
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Becki was so kind and thorough! I would highly recommend Any Hour to my friends and family.
— Abby Blair
Posted November 14th 2023
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Update: Thank you Chris for taking care of a problem that arose following the installation of the HVAC. Granted, the issue with the evaporation line for the AC should not have been a problem, but, we appreciate your eye for detail and correcting /fixing the problem. Original post: With one call we were able to take care of the older leaking HVAC units without inconveniencing the renters to much. It took a full day to install the units but the quality of work was well worth it. Their warranty is very generous and we believe that given the timely service when there was a problem, counts a lot going forward. Thank you!
— tea2baileys
Posted September 5th 2023
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He was great! Took the time to explain everything and finished quickly.
— June Lund
Posted November 14th 2023
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During a remodel, we had to have some pipes moved. Scott did a great job! He was knowledgeable about the different plumbing products and solutions needed. We also had a minor kitchen faucet leak. He was able to detect where the leak was originating from and get it cleaned up and fixed.
— Karen Anglesey
Posted November 14th 2023
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We moved into a real fixer upper and knew immediately we were going to need good electrician / HVAC specialists. We couldn’t be happier with any hour! In total we’ve had maybe 6-7 visits with technicians now. Each time they’re always timely, profesional and so quick! Today we had Tristan F and Gavin come by to install a sub panel for our garage. When we had them do the main panel, the garage was left out of the equation. It was easily over looked by everyone but to our surprise they didn’t charge any extra to come back and set it up again! It was quick job and now we have power everywhere in the house all up to code and cleanest job I could have asked for 10/10 highly recommend any hour!
— Saul De Avila
Posted November 14th 2023
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Curtis was great.
— Perry Renner
Posted November 14th 2023
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Did an amazing job. He was very professional and very fast
— Michael cherrington
Posted November 14th 2023
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