Electrical Troubleshooting and Repair
Everything from flickering lights to circuit failures, diagnosed and resolved.
Most electrical problems are simple once found. The hard part is finding them: a circuit that is dead at one end of a building may be failing at a junction box at the other, and a light that flickers may be a lamp, a driver, a loose neutral or a utility problem.
ThreeCo's service work is troubleshooting first — find the cause, then fix it — for businesses of every size and for homes across the metro.
Problems we get called for
- Breakers that trip, and GFCI outlets that will not reset.
- Dead outlets, dead circuits and lights that will not come on.
- Flickering or dimming lights, especially when equipment starts.
- Equipment that loses power or keeps resetting.
- Warm outlets or switch plates, buzzing, or a burning smell.
- Exterior and parking lot lights out, or on during the day.
- Problems after a storm, a flood or a remodel.
What the symptoms usually mean
A breaker that trips when a particular machine starts is usually overloaded or sharing a circuit it should not; one that trips at random may be a ground fault or a failing breaker. Lights that dim across a building when something large starts can point to an undersized service or a loose connection upstream, and lights that flicker on some circuits but not others can be a failing neutral — which is worth calling about promptly, because it can push the wrong voltage onto equipment.
Warmth, buzzing or a smell at an outlet, switch or panel means a connection is overheating. Turn that circuit off and call. If it is outside office hours, that is what the emergency line is for.
How ThreeCo troubleshoots
We start with what you saw and when — what was running, what changed, whether it is getting worse. Then we test rather than guess: measuring voltage and load, tracing the circuit, and opening the boxes and panels along it until the fault is in front of us. Once it is found, you hear what it was and what the fix is. If the cause is bigger than the symptom — an overloaded panel, a run of damaged wire — we say so and quote it, rather than resetting the breaker and leaving.
Our office hours are Monday–Friday, 8:00am–3:00pm Central, when service calls are booked. Outside those hours the emergency line is answered at a higher after-hours rate, for any customer.
What affects the cost
Mostly the time it takes to find the fault. A failed breaker is quick; an intermittent fault in a long run of conduit is not, because it has to be caught failing. Parts, access — ceilings, lifts, buried runs — and whether the repair leads to a bigger fix make up the rest.
Permits
Like-for-like repairs — a device, a breaker, a connection — generally do not need a permit. Replacing a panel, running new circuits or rewiring does, depending on the city, and we pull it when it is needed.
FAQ
Questions about electrical troubleshooting and repair
Why does my breaker keep tripping?
Usually too much on one circuit, a short or ground fault in a device or the wiring, or a breaker that is failing. Testing tells which. If it trips again the moment you reset it, leave it off and call.
Why do my lights flicker?
Anything from a failing lamp or driver to a loose connection or neutral. If many circuits flicker together, or it gets worse when equipment starts, have it looked at soon.
Do you do residential service calls?
Yes. We take residential work too, across the Kansas City metro.
Can you come outside office hours?
Our office hours are Monday–Friday, 8:00am–3:00pm Central. Outside those hours the emergency line is answered at a higher after-hours rate, for any customer, commercial or residential. Call (816) 730-9100.
How do I book a service call?
Start with Watt, the chat button on this page — tell it what is happening and where. You can also call (816) 730-9100.
Something not working right?
Tell Watt what is happening and where. We will get it booked. If it is unsafe right now, call.
New customers: start with Watt and get 10% off your first job.