Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter (GFCI) outlets are different from the normal power outlets. GFCI outlets have a small circuit breaker that is designed to “trip” and automatically shut off the power that is at the outlet when it detects a fault. This ability is a safety precaution that stops faulty wiring or appliances with internal shorts from causing shocks or other damage.

Normally, when the circuit breaker on the GFCI trips, pushing the RESET button is all you need to do to bring the outlet back online. The RESET button is easy to spot as it is red in color, or it is labeled RESET. When you press the button, you will hear a click sound indicating that the outlet is ready and live. Typically, that means that the outlet is ready to supply electricity again.

This all happens when things go as planned. However, sometimes your GFCI outlet doesn’t come back to life and there is no power even though you pressed the RESET button a few times. There are a few things you can try doing to fix this problem and some things you should NOT try when your GFCI outlet does not reset:

See If Other Outlets Are Faulty

The first thing you should do is to inspect the other outlets in your home. Turn your lights on and off or test the power flow with a voltage tester to determine the flow of power in other outlets on the same circuit. If you have dead outlets, do not ever leave appliances connected to them. Once you identify outlets that are not working, you can reduce the likelihood that a voltage shortage or overload was the cause of the GFCI tripping off.

Check The Circuit Breaker Panel

Circuit breakers are organized inside the circuit breaker panel. Check to see if there are any that are tripped. If a circuit breaker is tripped, it won't provide electricity to the area that it covers. It's a simple matter to reset circuit breakers by moving the switch to the on position. Occasionally, a circuit breaker will be tripped but will appear to be in the normal position. The way to check this is to turn each circuit breaker off and then back to the on position. Remember that doing this will cut the electricity to all appliances in the house. So you might want to warn other people in the house that they may temporarily lose power.

If your house still uses fuses instead of circuit breakers, check to see that none of them are blown fuses. You can easily tell if a fuse has blown by looking for a broken filament or charred glass. If you discover a blown fuse, replace it with a new one that is the same amperage and the same type. These are important details that you should not ignore as using a fuse rated for a larger current is very dangerous.

Find And Repair Loose Connections

After you've done the step of determining that there is electricity flowing to the GFCI outlet, the next thing you need to do is remove the circuit breaker from the box and check for any connections that are loose.

Before you do this, you need to turn off the main circuit breaker so there is no power going to these other breakers. If you don't feel comfortable working inside of the breaker box, call PowerMaster in Fuquay-Varina and we will come right out to take care of the problem.

We Will Assess These Common Problems For You In Your Home

Loose Stab-in Connections

Oftentimes, electricians will push a wire into the holes on the breakers rather than fastening them with screws. You should be able to tug on each wire that is attached to the back of the outlet to see if there are any connections that are loose. The right way to connect a wire is to cut it and strip all the wires, and then reattach them using a screw to the terminal on the side.

Loose Terminal Screws

Inspect the wire that is attached to the screw terminal by carefully bending or tugging on it. When you do this, if the wire can move or if the screw that is holding can be easily turned by hand, you simply need to tighten the screw with a screwdriver, so the wires are all secure.

Overheated or Burned Wires

Any wires that are overheated or burned are no longer useful. They need to be replaced with a new set of wires and they need to be plugged firmly into the outlet.

Many people are not comfortable working with electrical equipment. If you have any electrical problems and need professional assistance with your electrical system, call PowerMaster in Fuquay-Varina and we will come right out to take care of the problem

Are you like millions of people across the country who now have their offices in their homes? Working or schooling from home has become much more common in the last couple of years. There are huge advantages to working at home. You avoid the long commute, and you can enjoy much more flexibility in your daily life.

However, working at home usually adds many power-consuming pieces of equipment that typical home wiring and electrical systems were not designed to support. Historically, people worked at home occasionally and could tolerate a weaker home electrical system for those short periods of time. Except now, people are spending full-time in their offices at home and are putting much more strain on electrical systems that were originally designed for a bedroom or a living room. Many of these systems simply can't keep up with the extra load. Fortunately, it is not difficult to figure out if you should upgrade your system and it's not difficult to have the system professionally upgraded.

DO YOU NEED AN UPGRADE TO YOUR ELECTRICAL PANEL?

The most common upgrade that is needed in a home is to upgrade the electrical panel, sometimes called the circuit breaker panel. To find out if that's what you need, find your electric panel and see what type of electrical system exists right now. If your house is older, you might have a system that uses fuses. Every time there is a problem or a short in a circuit, the fuse actually blows requiring you to replace the fuse. If you have this type of electrical panel, it needs to be replaced with a panel that uses circuit breakers. Even if you have a panel that uses circuit breakers, and the system is older than 10 or 15 years, it's probably due for an upgrade as well.  This is because older circuit breaker systems are not as sensitive as the newer technology, and they might not trip or turn off when there's a problem. This increases the probability of wires overheating or electrical fires.

MODERN HOMES USE MORE ELECTRICITY

Computers, printers and other appliances are more efficient now, but the overall electricity use has increased because we simply have more of them. Most households have more of these types of appliances than ever before. It is typical for a family to have many televisions, computers, printers, and video game consoles. We also have appliances that our grandparents would never think of getting, such as air fryers, wine coolers, and hot tubs. This appears to be a trend that will continue. Because homes are adding more electrical devices, the demands on our electrical systems are more than they ever have been.

ELECTRICAL PANEL REPAIR - WHEN DO YOU NEED IT?

If you find that your electrical system is regularly tripping circuit breakers, that is an indication that you are overloading your electrical panel. Even if you find that every so often a circuit breaker trips, a system overload is probably the cause. If you notice a breaker infrequently trip due to an electrical surge, it's not necessarily a problem, it could just be the circuit breaker doing its job.

Sometimes bigger appliances such as washing machines, freezers, or air conditioners will draw more power than expected and this could overload the system and trip the breaker. If your home has multiple large appliances running simultaneously, and then you add more devices such as woodworking equipment or air compressors, these also can overload the electrical system. The circuit breaker that is protecting a particular circuit could be rated for a single large appliance but when you have two or three heavier appliances on a single circuit, it might be time for an upgrade. The circuit breaker might not be able to handle more than one such appliance at a time. The size of a piece of equipment is not always an indicator of power consumption. Appliances that have heating coils such as hair dryers or deep fat fryers consume a lot of electricity and can overload a system if turned on at the wrong time.

You might be able to find workarounds to using these types of equipment. You could avoid using the microwave while you are using the toaster, for instance. This is, at best, a temporary solution. Running to the circuit breaker box every time you forget and use the two of these appliances at the same time is not a very good solution. Not only is it inconvenient but it compromises your home’s safety and comfort.

WHAT IS THE BEST PATH FORWARD?

YouTube is a good source of information for many DIY projects. But your home electrical system is not a good DIY project. When dealing with electricity, it is very important to take every step in the correct order because mistakes can be very dangerous. Home maintenance issues dealing with electricity are better handled by well-trained professionals. PowerMaster in Fuquay-Varina can come to your home and make sure you are safe, and your system is performing well. Get in touch with us to schedule an appointment for the electrical needs of your house. If you need to upgrade your circuit breaker panel, your home office upgrades, line conditioners, surge protection for your whole house, internet or phone cable installation, or line conditioners, we can come to your home and take care of you. Many people are not comfortable working with electrical equipment. If you have any electrical problems and need professional assistance with your electrical system, call PowerMaster in Fuquay-Varina and we will come right out to take care of the problem

There have been millions of Americans that have gone through the pain of power outages that had swept the nation in the last year or two. You might remember the trouble that Texas had with its grid that left some residents without power for three days or more at a time. News reports told us that these Texas power outages caused 15 - 20 deaths due to people being subjected to the sub-freezing conditions without power from the grid. Being exposed to temperatures this low is life-threatening. However, freezing temperature is not the only problem that can occur when we encounter bad weather. The improper use of power generators can also be extremely dangerous. 

Since generators burn fuel to operate, they create carbon monoxide which is a poisonous gas. So, whether you're using a generator to stop your pipes from freezing or provide lights during an outage, we have tips on how to properly use a power generator. We also have some tips on what to do about broken pipes or what to do about flooding if it happens to you. We will also provide information about preventing electrical fires and whole house surge protection.

 Three Important Things That You Need To Know About Generators

1. Here are some right ways to use generators.

• Always use a generator outdoors, not in an enclosed area. All the outlets on the generator need to be GFCI protected.
•  If you intend to backfeed your generator into the home, bring in a certified electrician to do this correctly. Backfeeding a generator into the home can be very dangerous. Ask the electrician about having a transfer switch installed.
• Always use extension cords that are rated for outdoor use.

2. Here are some incorrect ways to use generators.

• Never backfeed the electrical service to your electric system without having the correct transfer switch correctly set up for this situation. While backfeeding your generator will provide power to your home, it will also provide power to your transformer and might put your neighbors or utility workers in danger of injury due to shock or electrocution. It is also possible to damage your appliances and the electronics in your home.
• Never use your generator in enclosed places, never use it in the garage.
• Do not place your generator where the exhaust would be near an air conditioning window unit. This is because those units can suck in the carbon monoxide and then put it into the house.
• Do not place your generator in the snow or a wet area. Furthermore, even though the outlets on a generator are GFCI protected, it is a good idea to keep all cords out of the snow and out of the water.
• If you're going to use a generator, make sure you have carbon monoxide detectors in your house.

3. When you are running out to buy a new generator, what should you be aware of when making the purchase?

The first thing to do is understand the reasons that you need a generator and how you will be using it. What are the demands you going to be putting on the generator? Are you just going to use it for your refrigerator and a couple of small tools? Do you want to run your whole house with the generator?

To provide electricity to your whole house in case of a power failure, you should consider a standby generator. If you choose to install a whole house standby generator permanently on your property, it will have a transfer switch that will automatically engage when you lose power from the grid. These generators are designed to notice a power drop or total loss of power and when these situations occur, they will cause it to turn on automatically. These types of units use natural gas, propane, or diesel fuel to operate. Their size is rated between 20 kW - 100 KW depending on the size of your house. It will be necessary to bring in a licensed electrician when installing a whole-house standby generator. An electrician can also help you determine what size of generator will be sufficient for your home.

PowerMaster in Fuquay-Varina can come to your home and make sure you are safe and your system is sufficient for your home and is performing well. Get in touch with us to schedule an appointment for the installation of a standby generator for your home or the other electrical needs of your house.