Warranty
JCS Electric takes pride in the quality of our work and stands firmly behind it. We are dedicated to ensuring complete customer satisfaction. We offer a one-year warranty on all services performed exclusively by JCS Electric.
Resetting GFI’s
Your home is equipped with Ground Fault Circuit Interrupters (GFCI) in areas that can potentially be exposed to water. GFCI outlets constantly monitor the flow of electricity through the outlet's hot and neutral wires. If an imbalance in the electrical current or a "ground fault" occurs, it means electricity is flowing through an unintended path, potentially a person's body or water. The GFCI outlet quickly cuts off power to the circuit, preventing potential hazards within as little as 1/40 of a second, according to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (.gov)
GFCI protection is required by the National Electrical Code (NEC) in areas where there's a higher risk of electrical shock due to moisture or water exposure.
GFCI receptacles have "Test" and "Reset" buttons on their face.
To test a GFCI receptacle, you can:
1) Plug in a nightlight or similar device. The light should be ON.
2) Press the "Test" button. The nightlight should turn OFF.
3) Push the "Reset" button. The nightlight should turn back ON.
If the nightlight doesn't turn off when you press the test button, it indicates the GFCI is not working correctly and needs to be replaced.
Frequent Tripping: This could be caused by moisture exposure, loose connections, or a faulty appliance plugged into the GFCI protected circuit. Unplug appliances one by one to identify the culprit, or check for water damage and wiring issues.
Not Resetting: A GFCI may not reset if it still detects a ground fault, has lost power, or is faulty. Ensure the circuit breaker isn't tripped, unplug all devices, and attempt to reset it. If it still doesn't reset, the GFCI itself may need replacement.
If you continue to have problems please contact JCS Electric, so we can have one of our electricians troubleshoot this problem for you.
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Resetting Breakers
Your home is equipped with circuit breakers in an electrical panel. Circuit breakers are indispensable safety devices that protect electrical circuits from damage caused by overcurrents, short circuits, and ground faults. They act as automatic switches, interrupting the flow of electricity when dangerous conditions are detected.
When a circuit breakers trips, it will need to be manually reset.
Steps to resetting a circuit breaker:
1) Find out which breaker is controlling the area without power.
2) Flip the breaker to the off position (usually towards the outside of the panel). There will be a slight resistance when flipping it, this is the mechanical portion of the breaker resetting.
3) Flip the breaker back to the on position (usually towards the inside of the panel). Again, there will be some resistance, but not as much as when it was reset.
4) Check to see if you have regained power in the affected areas. If not, unplug all devices and turn off all lights in that area. Complete the steps above again. If the breaker stays on, turn on and plug in everything one at a time. If the breaker trips again, make note of the device(s) that trip the breaker and contact JCS Electric.
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Smoke Detectors
Your home is equipped with 110volt and battery back-up smoke and smoke/carbon monoxide detectors. These detectors will alarm in the event of a fire or smoky situation and also if carbon monoxide is detected in the home.
Even though these detectors are hardwired into the home’s electrical system, it is imperative that the batteries in all detectors are changed every six months. When changing the batteries, you must change all batteries in every detector, not just the detector that is chirping.
Steps to changing the batteries in smoke detectors.
1) Turn power off at the breaker (marked “Smokes”) in electrical panel.
2) Replace all batteries in all detectors.
3) Once all batteries are changed, press the test button on one smoke/carbon monoxide detector and hold it while it goes through one cycle of alarm.
4) Turn breaker back to on position in electrical panel.
Please contact us if you are having problems with your smoke alarm system after the batteries have been changed.
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Arc Fault Breakers
Arc-Fault breakers were originally made to protect circuits from fires, specifically in bedrooms. If a plug, plugged into a receptacle would become loose and begin to arc (spark), the breaker is extra sensitive and will see this spark and would trip.
I know it sounds weird, but the small electronics like Alexa, laptop chargers or certain TV’s could be the culprit of the tripping. Electronics create a sound wave and put interference on the circuit. Some electronic devices put interference on a circuit and it’s never noticed, and some devices cause a breaker to trip and never will completely hold on a circuit. Sometimes it’s the combination of 2 devices (tv and laptop charger), and this is the reason that the tripping is inconsistent. As much as it seems like it, it has nothing to do with the house being wired wrong or the circuit being overloaded, but only has something to do with a device on the circuit that the breaker doesn’t like.
Appliances are also a common cause of arc-fault breakers tripping. They were never intended to be used on appliances with motors. As a motor runs, there are internal windings and magnets that spin. As the magnet “chases” the electrical current in the winding, the motor creates an internal spark. This is the spark that the arc-fault breaker is seeing and tripping. The breaker is actually performing the way it should. Some appliance motors create a very small spark that the breaker never picks up, some appliances create a spark that some breakers pick up, and some appliances create a spark that no matter how many breakers we change, the breaker will never hold. The fact that a non arc-fault breaker holds on these circuits makes complete sense. They are not designed to see the spark in a circuit.
Siemens AFCI Troubleshooting
If you continue to have problems please contact JCS Electric, so we can have one of our electricians troubleshoot this problem for you.
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