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Q&A
The breaker for our kitchen keeps tripping and I smell something burning. How fast can an electrician get to my house near O'Hara Township Community Park?
For a burning smell, we treat it as an urgent dispatch. From our shop near the Community Park, we'd take PA-28 to reach most Fox Chapel Area homes within 10-15 minutes. The priority is to safely de-energize the affected circuit and locate the source of overheating to prevent a fire. Please turn off the main breaker if the smell is strong and wait outside.
Our power comes in on an overhead mast to the house. What are the main concerns with this type of service entry?
Overhead mast service, while common, exposes your home's connection to the elements. The masthead and weatherhead can degrade over decades, allowing moisture to enter the service entrance cables, which can corrode connections inside your panel. We also inspect the mast's structural integrity and the clearances from roofs and trees. Proper maintenance here prevents water damage and reduces the risk of the service drop being pulled loose in a storm.
Our Fox Chapel Area home still has the original 1960s cloth wiring and a 100-amp panel. Why do the lights dim when the microwave and toaster are on at the same time?
Your home's electrical system is now over 60 years old. Cloth-jacketed copper wiring from 1965 was not designed for today's high-draw appliances like air fryers and tankless water heaters. The 100-amp service, while common for its time, lacks the capacity to handle simultaneous modern loads without voltage drop, which causes that dimming. It's a clear sign the system is struggling to meet 2026 energy demands.
Our lights in Fox Chapel flicker during storms, and my new smart thermostat rebooted after a surge. Is this a problem with Duquesne Light or my house wiring?
It's often a combination. Duquesne Light's grid in our area faces moderate surge risk from seasonal lightning and grid fluctuations common on rolling terrain. However, flickering can also point to loose connections in your older wiring. To protect sensitive electronics, we recommend installing a whole-house surge protector at the main panel, which defends against both external surges and internal spikes.
If we upgrade our electrical panel, what permits are required from O'Hara Township, and does the work have to follow the newest code?
Yes, all work must comply with the current NEC 2023, as enforced by the Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry. For a panel upgrade, you'll need an electrical permit from the O'Hara Township Building Department. As a licensed Master Electrician, I handle the permit application, scheduled inspections, and ensure the installation meets all code requirements for AFCI protection, grounding, and load calculations, so you don't have to navigate the red tape.
How should I prepare my home's electrical system for an ice storm or winter brownout here, where temperatures can drop to 5°F?
Winter heating surges are the peak demand period here. First, ensure your heating system is on a dedicated, properly sized circuit. For extended outages, a permanently installed generator with a transfer switch is the safest backup, as portable units pose carbon monoxide risks if used improperly. We also advise surge protection, as power restoration after an ice storm often causes damaging voltage spikes.
We have a Federal Pacific panel and want to add an electric vehicle charger. Is our current 100-amp system in our 1965 home safe for this?
No, it is not safe. Federal Pacific panels are a known fire hazard due to faulty breakers that may not trip during an overload. Furthermore, a Level 2 EV charger alone can require a 50-amp circuit. Adding that to a 60-year-old, 100-amp service with existing cloth wiring would be dangerously overloaded. A full service upgrade to 200 amps and panel replacement is the necessary first step.
We have a lot of tall trees around our property near the Community Park. Could that be affecting our home's power quality?
Absolutely. The heavy tree canopy common in Fox Chapel can cause issues. Branches contacting overhead service drops or primary lines can lead to flickering, intermittent outages, and even fire risk. Furthermore, rocky soil in these rolling hills can challenge grounding electrode installation, which is critical for safety. A proper ground test should be part of any major electrical evaluation for homes in this terrain.
