Electrical Troubleshooting in the Greater Lehigh Valley

Electrical troubleshooting often requires the assistance of certified electricians—like the ones at Jack Lehr Heating, Cooling & Electric! For the past 45 years, our family-owned business has been helping residents and business owners in the Lehigh Valley area with their small and large electrical projects.

If something’s not working right, but you’re not sure what kind of repair you need, we offer electrical troubleshooting to get to the root of the problem. Call Jack Lehr Heating, Cooling & Electric at 888-454-7365 or contact us online!

Electrical Troubleshooting Checklist

While we are happy to help you with any electrical services you may need, calling an electrician may not be necessary! There are steps you can take to try to troubleshoot any electrical issues yourself. Before calling a professional, try these steps:

Start with the Basics

• Make sure all switches are turned “on”
• Check to see if the fuse is blown
• If the outlet has a GFI (ground-fault circuit interrupter—the black or red reset or test button on your outlet) push the reset button

If more than one thing isn’t turning on, turn off everything that you can around it. Reset the GFIs and the circuit breaker. If the circuit breaker keeps tripping Jack Lehr Heating, Cooling & Electric can repair the problem!

Check the Outlet

When your appliance won’t stay plugged in, you need to replace the receptacle—the part that your appliance plugs in to, which is an easy fix if you are comfortable replacing it.

When the outlets are discolored, especially around the outlet receptacle, it is likely due to overheating when something is plugged into the receptacle. If you want to investigate further, first cut the power to the outlet by switching off the circuit breaker. Next, take off the outlet cover and look inside to see if the connectors are loose, or there is evidence of burnt wires.

However, if you are not experienced with electrical work and uncomfortable working with wiring and electrical parts, call Jack Lehr Heating, Cooling & Electric at 888-454-7365 and let their experienced technicians take over.

What to Do When You Have Lighting Problems

One thing you can do when you have a lighting problem is to check the wattage of all lightbulbs. Make sure that none of your lights are overlamped (meaning the lightbulb is at a higher wattage than recommended by the manufacturer). Overlamping can cause serious problems, including an electrical fire.

When your lights are flickering, dimming, or the power is intermittent, keep track of which lights or outlets are part of the problem. If your lights flicker on and off only when it’s windy outside, it could be that the wiring in the weatherhead (the fitting on the outside of your home where the cables from the power line enter your home) is frayed.

Jack Lehr Can Solve Your Electrical Problems in the Lehigh Valley Area

Jack Lehr Heating, Cooling & Electric has been troubleshooting electrical problems for families in the Greater Lehigh Valley for over 45 years and we can help you, too.

Call us at 888-454-7365 or contact us online to schedule service!

Frequently Asked Questions

How can I tell if a circuit breaker is bad? You can replace it or move its wire temporarily to another breaker. If this doesn’t improve things, the old breaker is fine; look for another cause than the breaker.

When is it time to call an electrician? It’s time to call an electrician when:

• You are resetting circuit breakers or changing fuses too often
• You turn on your air conditioner and the lights dim in the room
• Your lights flicker or go on and off
• You can smell electricity burning