Ryan, starting the light replacement process. If it seems like we talk a lot about flickering lights, it’s because we do. As we’ve said before, it’s one of — if not THE — most common reasons homeowners contact us. But the interesting thing is that there are so many issues that may cause flickering lights, ranging from problems with the electric meter  to electric panel short circuits  to faulty switches . Some of these are pretty simple problems that aren’t cause for panic, while others can represent a pretty serious fire hazard. So, we always recommend contacting us when your lights flicker. We’ll not only fix the issue and ensure your electrical system is safe, but we can often recommend simple and affordable upgrades too. In fact, we did exactly that for one of our recent customers in the Peachtree Corners area.      Replacing A Customer’s Undercabinet Lights Ryan, happy to be helping another customer upgrade to energy-efficient LED lights. A homeowner named Danielle contacted us a few weeks ago because the undercabinet lights in her kitchen were flickering. So, Ryan saddled up and headed right over to check out her lights and electrical system. It didn’t take long for Ryan to figure out the issue. The lights themselves were pretty old and worn out, so a few of them simply needed to be replaced. And because it’s virtually impossible to find undercabinet lights that’ll match those installed more than a few years earlier, we recommended that she let us swap out all the existing lights. This would not only ensure that all of the lights would match each other and look good, but it also meant that she could upgrade to new LED lights, instead of sticking with the old-school fluorescent fixtures  she currently had. There are a number of benefits LED lights provide over fluorescent tubes , including better light quality, greater energy efficiency, and a longer lifespan. They also turn on immediately, unlike fluorescent lights, which rely on a ballast system. Honestly, LED lights are so much better than fluorescent lights that we always recommend our customers upgrade them when possible. The cost difference is minimal, and the extended lifespan easily covers this difference over time. Wait, What About the Flickering? Danielle's kitchen with upgraded, non-flickering lights. Replacing the lights may have reduced the flickering, but Ryan wanted to investigate further and ensure that it would be effective. As it turns out, he found something that proved otherwise — something that may have even been responsible for the flickering in the first place. And unfortunately, it’s a pretty common problem for older homes like Danielle's. In contrast to modern homes, houses that are more than 30 or 40 years old often have insufficient grounding . That doesn’t always cause obvious problems, except when you have dimmer switches installed, as Danielle did. Insufficient grounding plus dimmer switches often equals flickering lights. So, because rewiring the entire home and bolstering the grounding system wasn’t something Danielle wanted to pursue at the moment, Ryan suggested the only other thing that may stop the flickering: Removing the dimmer switches and replacing them with conventional on-off switches. Ryan was able to do that quickly, so he then tested the lights. Voila! It had been a success, the lights no longer flickered, and Danielle had new, upgraded light fixtures under the cabinets in her kitchen. Contact Knightly Electrical Service for All of Your Lighting Needs! Ryan, installing a new ceiling fan and light for another happy customer. Whether your lights are flickering or you’d simply like to explore the other home lighting options available, we can help. We provide a range of lighting installation and repair services, including most kinds of lights modern homes use. From security lights  to ceiling fan lights  to recessed lights  and more, we can help ensure your home is well lit and solve any lighting problems you may be experiencing. Head over to our contact page  or simply schedule a knight  today!

Air-conditioning problems  are the worst – especially for those of us living in the metro Atlanta area, where summer temperatures routinely approach triple-digit territory. And while air conditioner problems come in a variety of forms, tripped AC breakers are one of the most common reasons homeowners contact us . Sometimes, your air conditioner may start working again after you reset the circuit breaker. But this isn’t the way things usually shake out. In most cases, tripped circuit breakers are likely to keep tripping until you address the underlying issue. And that means you have to know what kinds of things will cause this problem. We’ll share some of the most common causes of a tripping AC breaker below, including a few that you may be able to correct yourself. Seven Reasons Your AC Breaker Keeps Tripping There are a variety of reasons your air conditioner's breaker may keep tripping, and diagnosing the problem often requires quite a bit of detective work. However, the following seven issues are among the most common causes for tripped AC breakers. 1.       The air filter in your air conditioner is dirty . Clogged or dirty filters cause your HVAC unit to work harder than it should, which leads to overheating and a tripped breaker. Fortunately, replacing your air filter is an easy fix that will usually resolve this issue and prevent your breaker from flipping any more. 2.       The air conditioning system's coils have frozen . In some cases, your evaporator coils can freeze up, which will cause the AC to work harder than it should, leading to a tripped circuit breaker. Turning the AC off for several hours will usually allow the coils to thaw, but they’ll likely freeze up again until you have the underlying issue fixed. 3.       There are problems with your electrical system . Loose electrical wiring, short circuits, faulty electrical panels , and a variety of other electrical problems can cause your AC breaker to trip. Diagnosing and repairing these kinds of problems is outside the realm of things the average homeowner should attempt, so you’ll just need to contact a trusted electrician  for assistance in these cases. 4.       The AC system's compressor is struggling . The compressor in the outside AC unit may be failing or “hard starting” (drawing too much power), which can cause your AC breaker to trip. This generally means you’ll have to have the compressor replaced, as compressor repairs are rarely feasible (or cost effective). 5.       Your air conditioner's refrigerant level is low . Your AC unit’s refrigerant circuit should be sealed so that the amount of coolant remains constant. However, leaks can develop and allow some of the coolant to escape. This will cause the AC unit to overheat, leading to a tripped breaker. 6.       The fan’s motor or capacitor has failed . Faulty fan motors or capacitors can cause surges or overheating, which can lead to a tripped breaker. While you can’t replace the fan motor or capacitor yourself, these are both pretty affordable fixes, relative to some other AC problems. 7.       The AC circuit breaker is worn out or undersized . In some cases, a tripping AC breaker may be caused by the circuit breaker itself. It may have worn out over time, or it may not have been properly rated for your AC unit. This is another problem that’ll require the help of a licensed electrician, but breaker replacement is generally not very expensive. Electrician or HVAC Technician: Who Should You Call When Your AC Breaker Trips? It’s often easy to know who to call when you need home repairs. Leaky sink? Call a plumber. Overgrown hedge? Get your landscaper on the phone. Clogged gutter? You’ll need a roofer. But things get a little more complicated when you’re dealing with a problem that involves multiple home systems — like when you have an air conditioner tripping the circuit breaker. Do you call an electrician or an HVAC technician? Unfortunately, the answer isn’t always clear cut. Most commonly, tripping AC circuit breakers are related to the HVAC unit, which means you’ll want to contact an HVAC professional  to make the necessary repairs. However, problems like faulty breakers and short circuits are beyond the purview of an HVAC tech, and you’ll need an electrician to address these kinds of issues. But because electrical problems can lead to fires, we always recommend having your electrical system inspected first . Even if the problem ends up being related to the HVAC unit itself, you’ll be able to rest easy knowing that your circuits are safe and not likely to start a fire. And in a best-case scenario, your electrician will identify and correct a problem, eliminating the need to contact an AC tech at all. Let Knightly Electrical Services Help Keep You Cool All Summer Long! Whether your AC breaker keeps tripping or you’re experiencing any other kind of electrical issue in your home, you can count on the professionals at Knightly Electrical Services to diagnose the problem and carry out the electrical repairs  you need. Head over to our contact page  now and schedule a consultation with a knight !

Ryan, enjoying his work. Flickering lights are a relatively common problem for homeowners, and they generate more service calls than you may expect. In many cases, these issues are caused by something very simple and easy to fix, such as a faulty light switch. But they can also indicate more serious – potentially even hazardous -- electrical problems. That’s unfortunately what we found when we went to help Cyndi – a Duluth homeowner, whose lights had been blinking on and off for the last few years. She gave us a call, and we sent Ryan right over to investigate. An Initial Investigation Reveals Serious Problems Note the arcing visible when Ryan flips the breaker. Shortly after Cyndi called our team, Ryan arrived at her home to assess the problem. It turns out that the flickering lights weren’t the only issue she’d noticed – in recent weeks, she had also noticed that high-draw appliances were repeatedly tripping the breaker. So, Ryan got to work and performed an overall electrical system inspection. It didn’t take him long to spot the issue: Some of the screws present in the electrical panel were never tightened down properly by the manufacturer. This caused arcing to occur inside the panel, and it was also causing the panel to overheat. Because there was a manufacturing defect at play, this had likely been occurring since the panel was originally installed – some 15 years ago. But it hadn’t been causing any major problems until recently, as the panel was approaching the end of its lifespan. The issue couldn’t be safely resolved with repairs, so a full panel replacement was necessary. A Multi-Step Solution Cyndi's properly labelled panel diagram. Swapping out an electrical panel is a significant job, but it’s a pretty standard task for licensed electricians. We do it all the time, and it only takes a few hours. But we couldn’t install the new panel that day; a few additional steps are necessary for a panel replacement. Because all of your home’s electricity is routed through the electrical panel, you must schedule a “power drop” and inspection before this kind of work can be carried out. So, we put the plan in place and scheduled the power drop and inspection. Once the big day arrived, we sent Ryan and Mark out to the house to expedite the panel installation process. The job went smoothly, and now Cyndi’s home has a brand-new Square D panel—backed by both Knightly Electrical Services’ standard workmanship and parts warranty and the manufacturer’s 30-year warranty. Now, Cyndi’s lights have stopped flickering, and she can operate her home appliances without worrying that they’ll trip the breakers. And because we always label all of the individual breakers when installing a new panel, Cyndi should always be able to find the right breaker, should the need arise in the future.    Electrical Problems Can Be Dangerous; Don’t Ignore Them Thermal imaging that illustrates the potential danger of a faulty panel. Cyndi’s story ultimately ended without anything tragic happening, but that is not always the case. These kinds of panel malfunctions can easily start a fire, which could have devastating results. If you notice flickering lights, tripped breakers, or other unusual electrical symptoms, don’t wait -- contact Knightly Electrical Services  to schedule a licensed inspection and protect your home from avoidable hazards.

Ryan, holding the whole-home surge protector we typically recommend. From smart TVs and laptops to HVAC systems and refrigerators, your home is undoubtedly packed with electronic devices. But to ensure all this technology remains in good working condition, you need to protect it. And there’s one simple but critical (and often overlooked) device that can help you do exactly that. It’s called a whole-house surge protector. We’ll explain what these devices are, the kind of protection they provide, and how easy it is to have one installed below! What Are Surge Protectors? You can see the surge protector to the left of the panel. From time to time, your home may suffer from voltage spikes. These are essentially incredibly quick and powerful surges of electricity flowing through your home, often caused by things like lightning strikes. These voltage spikes can spell doom for your devices – unless, that is, you have a surge protector. Surge protectors divert excess electricity away from devices that are connected to them when a power surge strikes. You may have one or more surge protectors in your home right now; they typically look like power strips, except that they’ll be labelled as surge protectors. Some also feature LEDs that indicate when they’re operating correctly. But here’s the thing: You would probably need a dozen or more of these surge protectors to keep everything in your house protected. You’d need one for your computer, one for all of the things in your home office, one for your coffee maker, one for your bedside phone charger, one for your television, and so on. You’d even need one for your refrigerator, one for your HVAC, and one for your water heater. This simply isn’t practical for most people. Nobody wants to buy a case of surge protectors and start connecting them to everything in their house. That’s where whole-home surge protection  comes in. What Are Whole-Home Surge Protectors?   Surge protectors prevent dangerous voltage spikes. Whole-home or whole-house surge protectors are exactly what they sound like – surge protectors that protect all of the electronics in your home. They provide a much more efficient solution for protecting your devices than using individual surge protectors. With a single whole-house surge protector connected to your home’s electrical panel, you can avoid the need to add surge protectors throughout your home. You can just plug things straight into the wall, and rest assured that they’re protected. And in many cases, a whole-home surge protector will save you money and be more affordable than outfitting every outlet in your home with a surge-protected power strip. What Causes Power Surges? Utility line maintenance can cause destructive power surges. Lightning strikes are a common cause of power surges, but they’re definitely not the only cause. In fact, several different things can lead to power surges, such as: Power outages Grid switching HVACs, dryers and other large appliances cycling on and off Utility company maintenance Faulty wiring in older sections of your home Utility pole damage The Need for Surge Protection Surge protectors help keep your home and family safe. Modern homes and electric devices often have an impressive array of features, which leads many homeowners to believe that surge protection may not be necessary anymore. But that’s not the case; in fact, surge protection has never been so important. A few reasons for this include: 1. Modern electronics are more sensitive than ever . The microchips in modern appliances are easily damaged by small voltage fluctuations. This is especially true of smart home devices, which are especially vulnerable because they are always on. 2. Insurance doesn’t always cover surge damage . Should lightning strike near your home (it doesn’t need to hit your home directly to cause a power surge), you may find yourself having to replace tens of thousands of dollars’ worth of devices. But a whole-house surge protector will protect everything in your house, while costing only a fraction of this. 3. Power surges can cause fires in some cases . While it’s not especially common, fires can start in non-surge-protected homes when voltage spikes cause circuits to overheat. But while somewhat rare, these kinds of electrical fires are always worth avoiding.   Get the Whole-House Surge Protection You Need Get a whole-home surge protector and keep your devices protected! In a perfect world, things like lightning strikes and electric grid maintenance wouldn’t threaten all of the electrical devices in your home. But unfortunately, these kinds of things happen from time to time, and they can often have serious (read: expensive) consequences. Fortunately, by simply having a whole-home surge protector installed, you can keep your devices protected – and you don’t have to worry about protecting each and every device in your house. Contact Knightly Electrical Services  today to get started – you’ll be glad you did!

Ryan, happy to have helped yet another homeowner. Many homes in the metro Atlanta suburbs are sold with unfinished basements. It’s a way that builders can provide additional value and appeal without drastically increasing the sale price of the home. But while these extra spaces provide additional square footage, many aren’t fully wired, so they go unused. And unfortunately, because many homeowners fear that wiring a basement is a super elaborate or expensive undertaking, they don’t enjoy the full use of their home. But that’s not the case – wiring a basement is often more affordable than you would think and it doesn’t take much time to do at all. In fact, we recently helped out a Roswell homeowner named Eric with exactly this kind of issue. Wiring a Partially Finished Basement The room before being rewired. Eric’s basement was already partially finished, but he had one remaining unfinished room that he wanted to convert into a guest room. So, he contacted Knightly Electrical Services and set up a site visit. Once there, Ryan looked over the room, inspected the existing panel and wiring, and presented the homeowner with a recommendation. Because some of the breakers in the panel were quite old, Ryan recommended replacing them, as well as adding some dedicated neutral wires as part of the rewiring work. This all sounded great to Eric, who was eager to greenlight the project so he could move on to the next steps. Whole-Home Surge Protection: A Small But Important Add-On Another view of the room. Before getting started, Ryan recommended one additional key step: He encouraged Eric to have a whole-home surge protector installed. A whole-home surge protector is essentially like the kind of power-strip style surge protector you may use in your home, except that it protects all of the circuits in your house. This provides an easy and affordable way to protect your home from the kind of electric surge that can quickly fry the expensive devices and appliances in a home. Best of all, we provide a 1-year warranty on the installation labor for these whole-home surge protectors, and Square D (the manufacturer) provides a 5-year warranty on the actual device. Eric felt this was also a good idea, so he agreed to the estimate and Ryan got to work. A short while later, the work was complete, and Eric could initiate the next steps in preparing his guest room. Get Your Basement Wired Quickly, Easily, and Affordably! Ryan installing the new wiring. You should always enjoy as much of your house as you can – after all, you’re already paying for it! It’s not difficult to have unfinished rooms or basements wired, and there are often bonus services we can recommend, as we did with Eric. Contact Knightly Electrical Services  today so you can start enjoying every square foot of your house. And speaking of enjoying all of your home’s space, we can also help you make better use of patios, decks, and porches. Whether you’d like a patio heater installed  so that you can stay warm in the winter or a ceiling fan installed  to keep you cool in the summer, we can help!

Fluorescent vs LED: Which should you choose? There are countless types of lighting available to homeowners and business owners, which can make it difficult to determine the best solution for your specific situation. But while there are a variety of options available, many people find themselves trying to decide between fluorescent lights and LEDs. Given the litany of benefits they provide, we generally recommend that our customers install LEDs (or upgrade to LEDs , if they're currently using fluorescent lights). But we'll explain both types of lights below, to give you a better understanding of the differences and help you understand why we generally encourage our customers to use LEDs. Fluorescent vs LED Lights: The Basics We'll start by explaining how fluorescent and LED lights work, so that you can understand the ways in which they differ. How Fluorescent Lights Work Linear fluorescent tubes. Fluorescent lights are gas-filled tubes containing mercury vapor. When electric current is passed through the gas, it excites the mercury atoms, causing them to emit ultraviolet (UV) light. The UV light then interacts with a phosphor coating on the inside of the tube, which converts the UV rays into visible light. To regulate the amount of electricity flowing through the tube, fluorescent lights require something called a ballast. The ballast for linear fluorescent lights (the long tubes) is typically separate from the light and situated inside the light fixture. In the case of compact fluorescent lights (the kind that screw into a lamb socket), the ballast is usually built into the base of the light itself. How LED Lights Work Installing an LED light. The term LED stands for light emitting diode. LEDs work by passing an electrical current through a semiconductor material, which then emits light through a process called electroluminescence. Unlike fluorescent lights, LEDs don't require a gas or phosphor coating, nor do they require a ballast.  The Rise and Fall of Fluorescent Lights LEDs are generally superior to incandescent and fluorescent bulbs. First invented in the 1920s, fluorescent bulbs became very popular in the 1940s and 1950s. Until this point in time, there had only been one type of electric light available: incandescent bulbs – the same type of light Thomas Edison invented at the end of the 19th century. While incandescent bulbs were certainly an upgrade over the oil-filled lamps of the time, they left a lot to be desired. They were inefficient, produced a ton of excess heat, and rarely lasted more than 1,000 hours. Fluorescent bulbs, on the other hand, were 75% more energy efficient, produced very little heat at all, and often lasted for 10,000 hours or more. These benefits helped spur a broad shift toward fluorescent lights.   LEDs: Even Better Than Fluorescent Lights LED lights work in a variety of applications. While fluorescent fixtures were clearly superior to incandescent bulbs in many ways, they weren’t perfect. For example, as mentioned earlier, they require ballasts. Ballasts add more weight to the light or light fixture and take up additional space. They also add another potential point of failure; when faced with a fluorescent light that isn’t working, you have to determine whether the bulb or ballast requires replacement. Fluorescent bulbs also tend to flicker when first turned on, and they are also full of toxic, environmentally harmful mercury. So, when LEDs arrived on the scene, they started replacing fluorescent bulbs. Initially invented in the 1960s (and improved upon significantly in the 1990s), LEDs don’t require ballasts. They’re also more efficient than fluorescent lights. Whereas fluorescent lights are 75% more efficient than incandescent bulbs, LEDs are 80% more efficient. LEDs are also more durable than fluorescent lights, last up to five times as long, and turn on instantly instead of flickering. They’re also made without mercury, making them more eco-friendly.   Fluorescent vs LED: The Choice Is Pretty Clear LED lights are generally the best option for most situations. Given all of the benefits LED lights provide, it's pretty easy to see we recommend them for our customers who need new lights installed or existing lights upgraded. They do cost slightly more than fluorescent lights initially, but because they last much longer and provide more efficiency than fluorescent lights, they provide a much more cost-effective solution over the long term. There’s also one more benefit to LEDs that we haven’t mentioned: They are available in a variety of styles. For example, it can be difficult to find fluorescent lights that’ll work under kitchen counters or in other situations where space is tight. But you can easily find LED lights that’ll work ideally in these situations and others. Many LED lights will even produce light of different colors at the push of a button.   Choose Knightly Electrical Services for All Your Lighting Needs Ryan, smiling after installing a customer's new LEDs. While we certainly think that LEDs are superior to fluorescent lights in most commercial and residential scenarios, there are still a few situations in which fluorescent lights are the better or more realistic option. But no matter which kind of lighting you want, we’d love to help. Getting started is easy: Simply schedule a knight today  to get the lighting installation, repairs, or upgrades you need!

An example of a GFCI outlet. It’s easy to get confused by some of the terms electricians use when discussing electrical repairs or upgrades. Arc fault this and amperage that — it’s enough to leave your head spinning and send you running to Google for clarification. To help, we’re going to take a moment to explain one of the terms that often causes confusion: GFCI.   What Are GFCIs? Another example of a GFCI outlet -- note the indicator light beside the reset button. GFCI is an acronym that stands for ground fault circuit interrupter. GFCIs are safety devices designed to help prevent electric shocks by interrupting circuits  when they detect ground faults . Clear as mud, right? Let’s back up for a second. The amount of current flowing out of an electrical outlet  and into  a device should be the same as the amount of current flowing back into the outlet from  the device. In other words, if 8 amps travel from your outlet to your coffee maker, 8 amps should travel back into the outlet. GFCIs monitor this. They measure the amount of current flowing out and back into outlets — and they do so with staggering precision. If they detect a difference of only 4 to 6 milliamps (that’s 0.004 to 0.006 amps), they shut down or interrupt the circuit. Why Do GFCIs Shut Down Circuits? GFCIs help prevent electric shocks and provide additional safety. In some cases, electrical circuits or devices can malfunction and allow electricity to leak out. When this happens, the electricity will find its way to the ground — a phenomenon known as a ground fault. If you have the misfortune of touching anything along this path, you could suffer an electrical shock. But if the device in question is plugged into a GFCI, the circuit will be interrupted as soon as the ground fault is detected, thereby preventing you from being shocked. This all happens remarkably quickly. A GFCI can shut down a circuit in as little as 25 milliseconds (that’s 1/40th of a second).    How Can You Tell if an Outlet Is a GFCI? Spotting a GFCI is easy: Just look for the test and reset buttons. It’s actually quite easy to tell if an outlet is a GFCI; you can simply look for two small buttons on the outlet. Generally situated between the two receptacle openings, these buttons are labelled “reset” and “test.” The reset button is used to turn the circuit back on once it’s been interrupted. Say, for example, you plug your malfunctioning coffee maker into the outlet. This causes a ground fault to occur, which causes the GFCI to shut down the circuit. Once you unplug the faulty coffee maker, you can then press the reset button to restore power to the outlet (if you do so without unplugging the coffee maker, the GFCI would simply keep interrupting the power each time you pressed the button). The test button does exactly what it sounds like: It tests the circuit to ensure it is working properly by simulating a ground fault. When you press the test button, the circuit should become interrupted and require you to hit the reset button. If this doesn’t happen, the outlet is malfunctioning and in need of replacement.   Where Are GFCI Used? GFCI outlets come in an array of colors. The National Electrical Code (NEC) requires any outlet to be a GFCI in a few key situations. This generally includes anywhere where there’s a higher risk of electric shock due to moisture or grounding conditions. This means you’re likely to see GFCIs in the following places: ·         Bathrooms ·         Kitchens   ·         Laundry areas ·         Basements  ·         Garages ·         Utility rooms ·         Outdoor outlets  ·         Dishwashers ·         Garbage disposals ·         Hot tubs ·         HVAC Equipment   Get GFCIs Installed at Your House Ryan, after installing a GFCI for a customer. GFCI installation  is a pretty simple project that can keep your home or business safer and help prevent electric shocks. It’s not terribly expensive, nor does it take much time. Schedule a knight today  to get started! We’ll be happy to examine your home’s existing electrical system, identify the places you should have GFCIs installed, and get to work providing these key safety upgrades. And as always, we’ll be happy to explain any of the unfamiliar electrical terms we use in plain English, so that you are crystal clear about everything we’ll be doing.

Ryan, happy that we were able to help another customer so quickly. Electrical problems can turn your life upside down. Some issues can make it impossible to use the appliances you need, while others can present safety hazards that leave your home and family at risk. That’s why it can be especially frustrating when you have to wait days, weeks, or longer for an electrician to show up and provide the services you need. Bu you don’t have to worry about that with Knightly Electrical Services. We understand how disruptive electrical issues can be, and we always strive to provide the kind of prompt service you deserve. In fact, we were able to provide same-day service for an Alpharetta-area client experiencing electrical problems a few weeks ago. Organization + Communication = Prompt Service for Our Clients Technically speaking, this is "not good." Before getting into the details of this recent job, we wanted to take a moment to explain a bit about how we’re able to provide such prompt and reliable service. It comes down to two things: organization and communication. We utilize a sophisticated customer relationship managing software package that helps keep us organized and communicate with our clients. From the moment you request our services until we’ve tightened the last screw and completed the work, we track everything — you won’t find us using scraps of paper and handwritten notes to remember our clients or their needs. This system allows us to focus on the task at hand and ensures we use our time efficiently. It also means you don’t have to worry that your appointment will “fall through the cracks,” or that you’ll be left in the dark, twiddling your thumbs while wondering when and if we’ll show up. On the contrary, we maintain a complete record of all your needs and begin communicating with you immediately , so that you know when we will arrive. We even send you an itemized estimate via this system, which makes it easy to see the costs you’ll face.   The Knightly Electrical Services Process in Action: Meter Problems in Alpharetta We often use thermal imaging when analyzing problems, like the ones Alex was experiencing. We received a service request from a customer named Alex on a Thursday morning in March. Alex was having issues with his electric meter and needed some assistance. So, he submitted a service request at 11:52. By 11:53, we had already generated a customer file. By 11:54, we’d reached out to Alex to let him know that a knight was assigned to the job. By 3:01, Ryan was enroute to Alex’s home. Once onsite, the job was pretty straightforward. The electric company had already installed a smart meter on Alex’s home, but it wasn’t working properly and the lights inside were flickering. We examined his electric system and explained that we should replace the meter and drive a second ground rod (this simply helps keep his home safe and make it compliant with current electrical codes). We presented him with an estimate a few minutes later and got to work once he’d accepted it. We finished the work quickly enough and hit the road, ready to save the day for our next client. Get the Quick Electrical Repairs You Need! Click on the image to see Alex's full review. As you can see, we were able to get Alex’s electrical issues resolved pretty quickly, and he was pleased with the work. Thanks to our organization and process, we’re able to do the same thing for most of our customers. Contact Knightly Electrical Services now and let us make the repairs you need quickly and while keeping you informed every step of the way!

Ryan, finishing another job quickly and efficietly. The sheer number of electric devices and appliances in most modern homes is pretty stunning when you think about it. From blenders to hairdryers to game consoles to coffee warmers, there are a probably a ton of things in your home that are all vying for a limited number of outlets. This leads many people to reach for a handy-dandy extension cord or power strip to solve their power needs. But this is rarely a good idea. Few extension cords and power strips are intended for sustained, long-term use. And when used improperly, they can present a significant fire hazard. Plus, they’re really a band-aid solution. The real way to address these kinds of outlet shortages is by simply having additional outlets installed . But unfortunately, many homeowners fail to take this step as they’re under the mistaken impression that this is a big, time-consuming, or expensive project. Nothing could be further from the truth, as a recent client in the Norcross area found. Electric Outlet Installation in Norcross Outlet installation is a pretty simple project. A few weeks ago, we had a client reach out to us because he was in needed an additional electrical outlet in his bathroom. So, we headed over to take a look. Because the outlet was going to be installed in his bathroom, we explained that it would have to be a GFCI (ground fault circuit interrupter). You surely have GFCIs in your own home, including most of the outlets in your kitchen and bathrooms. They’re the ones that feature “test” and “reset” buttons. Simply put, GFCIs monitor the amount of current coming back into the outlet, after it has passed through an electric device. Normally, the current coming back to the outlet should be the same as the amount of current leaving the outlet in the first place. But, if something goes wrong, such as some of the current leaking out to the ground (and potentially going through a person in the process), the outlet senses the issue and immediately shuts off the power. These kinds of outlets can provide improved safety just about anywhere, but they’re required in situations where water is present , such as bathrooms. Nevertheless, it doesn’t really take us any longer to install a GFCI outlet than a conventional outlet. In fact, we were able to get to work immediately and finish it on the same day (something we’re frequently able to do). Now, our client has the new outlet he needs and doesn’t need to use potentially dangerous extension cords.   Click on the image to see this review. Common Places People Need Additional Outlets Installed Decks, patios, and porches often benefit from additional outlets. You may not need any more outlets installed in your bathroom, but we bet that if you take a look around your home, you’ll likely be able to identify one or more places that would help make your life easier and keep your family safer. Some of the most common places our clients need extra electrical outlets installed include: ·         Behind entertainment centers ·         Close to motorized reclining chairs or couches ·         Along kitchen backsplashes ·         On kitchen islands ·         Inside kitchen cabinets ·         Near beds (perfect for bedside phone charging!) ·         Along garage walls and over work benches ·         Patios, decks, and porches Get a New Outlet Installed in Your Home! No matter where you could use an additional electrical outlet, we’d love to help! Go ahead and schedule a knight now ! We’ll be glad to arrange for a site visit and provide the new outlet you desperately need. In a matter of hours, you could be enjoying more convenience and greater safety for your family.

Sometimes, it’s the little things that matter most.  For example, when you hire any kind of service provider to come to your home and perform work, you expect them to complete the job properly. That’s the “big” thing you’re hiring them to do.  But there are also a variety of small things you deserve in these cases too.  You deserve a contractor who really listens to your concerns. You deserve a contractor who’ll provide an accurate estimate. You deserve a contractor who’ll treat you with respect rather than high-pressure sales tactics. And you deserve a contractor who’ll leave your home as clean as it was when they started.  Those are exactly the kinds of things we try to do for all of your customers. We care about the small things and always strive to exceed your expectations.  You don’t have to take our word for it though. One of our recent customers said as much in a recent Yelp review .  Listening to Our Customers: EV Charging Stations, Electrical Upgrades, and More! Installing the 100-Amp Line to the Garage. Electric cars are becoming more and more popular every day as people strive to help the planet or simply save on fuel costs. Plus, they’re just cool!  But unfortunately, you can’t exactly find a commercial charging station on every corner.  So, many new electric car adoptees are opting to have a dedicated electric vehicle charging station installed in their garage.  That’s actually what a recent customer named Jane contacted us about. Jane’s family had recently purchased a new electric vehicle, and she wanted an EV charging station installed in her detached garage.  That’s certainly no problem – we install electric vehicle charging stations in the Atlanta area all the time . So, we paid the family a visit and started discussing the job. During our conversation, we realized that Jane and her family not only needed the charging station installed, but they also had a variety of small issues that had been driving them up a wall. Their Nest Doorbell Camera wasn’t working. They wanted a ceiling fan installed on the porch. And they had some conduit on the ground, which had never been properly buried.  We explained that we’d be happy to help with these small problems too. So, we provided an accurate estimate (including all relevant installation costs and the EV charger itself) and timeline. Jane found both to be very fair, so we got to work.  Installing Electric Charging Stations The New Subpanel. Because we install electric vehicle charging stations pretty frequently, the primary job we were performing for Jane and her family was no big deal.  We selected a nice model – a JuiceBox Car Charger -- to satisfy their electric vehicle charging station needs. But before we could install it, we had to provide more power to the detached home garage. It wasn’t ready to meet the increased electricity demand the charging equipment would require as is.  So, we ran a new 100-amp underground feed to the garage and installed a new subpanel for Jane and her family. This meant that not only would the electric car charger work properly, but it also meant that they’d be ready for future projects in the garage or backyard.    From there, it was only a matter of adding a 50-amp feed from the new electrical panel and installing a 50-amp plug for the electric car charger. Bada bing, bada boom – Jane’s family now had a high-quality EV charging station. Most importantly, they had a convenient way to keep their electric vehicle running without running all over town in search of commercial EV chargers.  Finishing the EV Charging Station Job Properly Our Customer's New JuiceBox. After finishing the EV charging station installation, we turned our attention to Jane’s other requests. Honestly, these were all pretty straightforward too, so we checked them off in rapid-fire fashion. We addressed the problems with Jane’s Nest Camera, installed a new fan, and buried the exposed conduit for her, just as we’d promised.  Then we did exactly what we always do: We cleaned up after ourselves.  It’s an exceedingly simple thing that most people learn from their parents at a young age. But unfortunately, many modern contractors seem to have missed this important lesson.  Now, with the entire job (including the EV charging station installation, as well as the other “small” tasks) finished and our customer beaming, we could bid Jane and her family farewell, and head to the next customer’s home.  Shortly thereafter, Jane shared her thanks: Jane's Yelp Review Ryan and his team were on time, they completed all the work we contracted for, and they left everything clean. They installed a car charger, ran power lines and cleaned up several small but annoying electrical issues we've been having (nest camera not working, fan on porch, and buried an exposed conduit). We were pleased with the price and would not hesitate to hire them in the future. Electrical Service and Repair in the Metro-Atlanta Area We're Ready to Help with YOUR Electrical Needs! We truly enjoyed helping Jane and her family, and we’d love the chance to help you too! Whether you need help installing an EV charging station, or you simply need a licensed electrician to address a collection of small electrical problems you’ve been meaning to get fixed, we’d love to help! We take great pride in building relationships with our customers and always try to do the little things that make their lives better.  Head on over to our scheduling page and we’ll send a knight right out to help!

Ryan installing the disconnect. You’d be surprised how often we have to come in to fix projects other “electricians” have started.  It’s actually pretty scary, given the safety issues electrical work entails. And that’s especially true for jobs that require electrical wiring and connections to be installed around water.  We had a recent job that really drove this point home.  A Duluth-area client contacted us for help with a hot tub installation gone wrong. The client had contracted a pool company to install the unit and get it set up. The contractor did manage to get the actual tub installed, but that’s only part of the hot-tub installation process; you also have to connect the hot tub to your home’s electric service.  Apparently, the “electrician” working on this particular job wasn’t comfortable working with electric panels. Working on a home’s main panel is pretty standard for licensed electricians (like those on our team), so it certainly left us scratching our heads.  Nevertheless, we had a client that needed help, and we certainly don’t mind working on electric panels !  As it turns out, the entire job was a snap. We simply had to grab our tools, install a Square D Homeline Spa Panel , and run wires connecting it to the meter, main panel, and hot tub. Easy peasy.  Our customer was happy (and eager to use their hot tub), and we were on our way to the next job. The Square D Homeline Spa Panel. Water Safety: Hot Tub Disconnects All hot tubs should have a disconnect box like the Square D Homeline Spa Panel included as part of the installation.  In a nutshell, this kind of disconnect gives you the chance to cut power to the hot tub in the case of an emergency. It’s also handy anytime the tub needs to be serviced. Think of it as an outside disconnect that provides easy access and prevents you from having to run all the way to the main panel inside your house to cut power to the tub.  It’s important to note that these kinds of disconnects are not optional – they’re required by current electrical codes. In fact, their location is even covered by the code. Disconnects cannot be located closer than 5 feet from the tub, yet they must be within 50 feet. They also have to be visible from the tub, to ensure they’re easy to find in an emergency.  Hot tubs should also have something called a ground fault circuit interrupter (GFCI) installed, such as the 50-amp GFCI breaker we used for this job.  A GFCI breaker is a special type of circuit breaker that is designed to detect potentially dangerous ground faults. Once detected, the breaker quickly interrupts the electrical connection (“trips the breaker”) to prevent shocks. GFCIs are quite common, and you undoubtedly have them in your own home. They’re most common in bathrooms, kitchens, laundry rooms, and other places where both water and electricity are present. However, you may also have a GFCI breaker installed in your garage or deck .   The GFCI Breaker for the Hot Tub. Get the Professional Help You Need to Keep Your Family Safe! Safety is critical with all electrical work, but it is especially important when you’re dealing with a hot tub, spa, or anything else involving water. So, don’t just blindly trust the pool installation company to complete the work safely and in a manner that is up to code.  Instead, you’ll want to research their qualifications, ask lots of questions, and get any clarification you need – this is not a time for confusion. If they struggle to answer basic questions or don’t feel comfortable doing the kind of routine electrical work needed for hot tub installation, you’ll want to look elsewhere.  We’d love to help with your hot tub and GFCI breaker installation. Just visit our contact page , and we’ll have one of our knights schedule a visit!

Electrical problems are super annoying. You can’t watch TV or surf the internet. Your lights won’t work . You can’t even make a cup of coffee. You may not even be able to charge your electric vehicle , which effectively leaves you trapped at home.  And those inconveniences reach epic proportions when the problems happen in the summer – especially for those of us in the metro Atlanta area. Now, you’re not only bored, but sweaty too. In fact, metro-area temperatures often move into the dangerous range during the summer months.  But while losing your own power and AC can cause headaches, it doesn’t even compare to the kind of chaos it can cause for landlords and the property managers of commercial buildings. From angry tenants blowing up your phone to commercial electricians who won’t even call you back, it’s rarely a simple problem to solve.  Unless, that is, you reach out to your friends at Knightly Electrical Services  – home to the most reliable commercial electrical contractors in Sandy Springs, Georgia.  Commercial Electrical Service and Repairs in Sandy Springs, GA We got a call from an client named Josh in exactly this kind of predicament back in August.  One of his tenants had lost power, and that means he’d lost air conditioning too. The tenant was clearly (and understandably) unhappy about the situation, as was Josh. But as any good landlord would, Josh was doing everything humanly possible to rectify the situation.  The problem was finding an electrician to perform the necessary electrical repair services he needed.  Josh had called around to several commercial electrical contractors, but they were all booked solid for months. None of them would even give an estimated timeframe for scheduling a visit, never mind performing the repairs.  Fortunately, Josh got our name from an acquaintance and gave us a call.  Timely Electrical Repairs: Commercial and Residential Electrical Services Unlike some of our competitors, who didn’t seem to appreciate the urgency of the situation, we made Josh’s property our top priority and sent a team member to the job site that very day. Josh was clearly happy to see one of our electricians arrive, and thanked us profusely for being so dedicated to customer satisfaction.  As it turns out, the problem wasn’t even a big deal – the disconnect feeding the HVAC unit on the roof was shot (forgive the technical language).  So, we explained the problem to Josh, provided him with an accurate estimate, and sourced the part – a brand-spankin’ new three-phase, 60-amp AC disconnect .  Then, we got to work.  We swapped out the faulty disconnect, had the job completed, and ice-cold AC restored by the next day, which allowed the tenant to resume life as usual and Josh to get back to typical landlord duties.  Josh was really happy with the work, and even thanked us in a Google Review : Fantastic customer service. We had an electrical issue that was causing our HVAC to fail- during the hottest part of the summer. I couldn't find anyone with a commercial electrician who could even give us a timeframe for a visit. I was referred to Knightly and they came out the same day- and we had HVAC working the following day. I saved their number and will call everytime our company needs electrical work. Commercial Electrical Service: Commercial Electrical Work in Sandy Springs We genuinely enjoy solving the problems our customers are experiencing. Sure, our electricians obviously love inspecting electrical systems and performing high-quality electrical services, but helping people is what really makes our day.  We obviously can’t promise that we’re always available to perform same-day emergency electrical repair work, but we certainly appreciate that our customers often have urgent needs. And we do everything we possibly can to visit quickly and start addressing your electrical issues.  And that goes for residential services as well as your commercial electrical needs. Whether you need electrical installation services, emergency electrical services, or any other kind of electrical work, we can send an licensed electrician to your home or business to fix the problem.  Just head on over to our scheduling page and get started now!