Top Emergency Electricians in New Berlin, WI, 53146 | Compare & Call
CK Electric
FAQs
I have no power and smell something burning near my electrical panel. How fast can an electrician get here?
For a burning smell or total power loss, dispatch a Master Electrician immediately. From a central point like New Berlin City Hall, a service vehicle can typically reach most Prospect Hill homes in 8-12 minutes via I-43. Do not attempt to reset a breaker that feels hot or is emitting an odor, as this indicates a potential fault inside the panel that requires professional diagnosis to prevent a fire.
My house in Prospect Hill was built in 1979. Why do the lights dim when the AC kicks on?
Your electrical system is 47 years old and was designed for a different era. Original NM-B Romex wiring from 1979 is often undersized for modern loads like high-efficiency HVAC, home offices, and entertainment centers. A 100-amp service panel, once standard, can be easily overloaded by today's simultaneous demands, causing voltage drops seen as dimming lights. Upgrading the service and modernizing branch circuits resolves this capacity issue.
My smart devices keep resetting and the lights flicker. Is this a problem with We Energies?
Flickering lights and device resets often stem from voltage sags or transient surges on the utility grid. We Energies manages a grid with moderate surge risk from seasonal lightning and grid switching, which can damage sensitive electronics. While some variation is normal, persistent issues may indicate a problem with your home's service entrance connections or a lack of whole-house surge protection at the main panel to buffer these grid events.
How can I prepare my home's electrical system for a Wisconsin ice storm or a summer brownout?
Prepare for winter lows of -15°F and summer AC peaks by ensuring your heating and cooling systems are on dedicated, properly sized circuits. For ice storms that threaten long outages, a professionally installed generator interlock kit on your panel is the safest backup. For summer brownouts, a service upgrade may be needed to handle the load, and whole-house surge protection is critical to shield electronics from voltage spikes when grid power is restored.
What's involved in upgrading our electrical service if we have overhead lines to the house?
Upgrading an overhead mast service involves coordination with We Energies. The utility will typically replace the overhead drop from the pole, while a licensed electrician replaces the meter socket, service entrance conductors, and main panel. The mast itself must often be upgraded to meet current NEC clearance and structural codes for Wisconsin ice loads. All work requires a permit from the New Berlin Building Inspection Division before and after inspection.
I have an old Federal Pacific panel and 100-amp service. Can I install a Level 2 EV charger or a heat pump?
Safely, no. A Federal Pacific panel is a known fire hazard due to breakers that can fail to trip. It must be replaced before adding any major load. Even with a new panel, a 100-amp service from 1979 lacks the capacity for a 240-volt Level 2 charger or a heat pump without a full service upgrade to 200 amps. This upgrade is a standard requirement for modern electrification in New Berlin homes.
We have a lot of trees on our rolling lot. Could that be affecting our home's power quality?
Yes. The rolling glacial moraine and moderate tree cover common around Prospect Hill can impact electrical health. Overhead service lines passing through tree canopy are susceptible to interference, abrasion, and damage during storms, causing flickering or outages. Furthermore, rocky glacial soils can make achieving a low-resistance connection for your grounding electrode system more challenging, which is vital for safety and surge dissipation.
Do I need a permit to replace my electrical panel, and what codes do you follow?
Yes, a permit from the City of New Berlin Building Inspection Division is legally required for a panel replacement or upgrade. As a Master Electrician licensed by the Wisconsin Department of Safety and Professional Services, all work is performed to the NEC 2020, adopted by the state, which mandates modern safety devices like AFCI breakers. Handling this red tape and ensuring code compliance is a fundamental part of the job, protecting your home and its insurability.