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FAQs
Our power comes in on an overhead mast. What specific maintenance or risks should we be aware of with that setup?
Overhead mast service, common in our area, requires you to monitor the masthead and weatherhead for physical damage. Ice accumulation or falling limbs can bend the mast or pull the service drop loose from your house. Ensure tree branches are trimmed well back from the incoming lines. Inside, the point where the service entrance cables connect to your meter and main panel is a critical junction; corrosion or loose lugs here can cause arcing and heat damage. This is a key inspection point during any panel evaluation.
We want to add a Level 2 EV charger, but our home was built in 1963 and has a 100-amp panel. Is this even possible safely?
Safely installing a Level 2 EV charger on a 1963-era 100-amp panel is extremely difficult and usually requires a full service upgrade. The charger alone can draw 40-50 amps, which would overload your existing capacity when combined with other household loads like heating or cooking. Furthermore, if your panel is the recalled Federal Pacific brand, it must be replaced immediately, as its breakers are known to fail to trip during an overload, creating a severe fire hazard.
We live in the rolling, wooded hills near Deer Lakes Park and have intermittent power issues. Could the terrain be a factor?
Absolutely. Dense woodland and rolling hills directly impact electrical service health. Overhead service lines running through heavy tree canopy are vulnerable to falling branches, wind, and ice, causing flickers and outages. Furthermore, rocky or variable soil common in this terrain can compromise your home's grounding electrode system, which is critical for safety and surge dissipation. An electrical inspection should verify your ground rods have low resistance and your masthead where service enters the house is clear of tree limbs.
How should we prepare our home's electrical system for a major winter ice storm when the power goes out for days?
Winter preparedness starts with a safe, code-compliant generator connection. A critical error is back-feeding power through a dryer outlet, which is illegal and deadly to utility workers. Have a licensed electrician install a manual transfer switch and an appropriate generator inlet. For whole-house coverage, a standby generator with an automatic transfer switch is the solution. Also, ensure your heating system's electrical components are on a protected circuit to manage the winter heating surge when power is restored.
Our smart TVs and modems keep getting fried after thunderstorms. Does Duquesne Light's grid have surge problems?
Duquesne Light's infrastructure is reliable, but the moderate surge risk from our seasonal thunderstorms means transient voltage spikes are inevitable on any overhead grid. These surges travel into your home and can destroy sensitive electronics. The best defense is a professionally installed whole-house surge protector at your main panel, which clamps these spikes before they reach your devices. Point-of-use plug-in strips offer secondary protection but aren't sufficient alone.
We're getting our Federal Pacific panel replaced. What permits are needed from West Deer Township, and does the work have to follow new code?
Yes, a panel replacement always requires a permit from the West Deer Township Building Department. The work must be performed by a contractor licensed by the Pennsylvania Department of Labor & Industry and must fully comply with the current NEC 2023 code. This means installing AFCI breakers for living areas, updating grounding and bonding, and ensuring the new panel's labeling and clearances are correct. As your electrician, we handle the permit filing, scheduling inspections, and providing the final certification for your records.
Our lights in West Deer Township dim when the central air kicks on. Is it because our house still has the original 1963 cloth wiring?
That's a common sign your 63-year-old electrical system is stressed. Cloth-jacketed copper wiring from that era is often degraded and lacks the capacity for modern appliances like central air, computers, and kitchen gadgets running simultaneously. The original 100-amp service was designed for a much lower electrical demand than a 2026 household creates. This overload can cause voltage drops, seen as dimming lights, and creates a genuine fire risk due to overheating wires.
The breaker won't reset and there's a burning smell from the panel. How fast can an electrician get here from Deer Lakes Park?
For a burning smell, treat it as an immediate emergency and call 911 first to rule out an active fire. For electrical dispatch, a local master electrician based near Deer Lakes Park can typically be on the road within minutes, using PA-28 to reach most West Deer Township homes in 10-15 minutes. The priority is to safely de-energize the affected circuit and diagnose the source, which is often a failing breaker or overheated connection at the bus bar.
