You may be ready for the summer…

Here in San Antonio and South Texas, the summer months can pose a struggle for our electrical systems. When the temperatures rise, our electrical systems must work harder than normal to power up our much loved Air Conditioning Units, as well as the other appliances we utilize on a daily basis.

Some of the older electrical systems currently in use in residential homes in the San Antonio area; may find that powering up all of today’s newer technologies, larger appliances, and electronics; can pose a bit of a challenge as the modern appliances of today require more power than when those homes were originally built.

Aging or outdated electrical wiring has the propensity to overheat from over use or high demand placed on the system; and especially during the higher temperatures of summer. Overheated wiring has been the cause of many residential dwelling fires.

Issues such as this can be prevented by having an experienced and licensed electrician can inspect your Service Panels to determine whether or not your home’s electric system is appropriate for the current electrical load needed for the residence. The Electrician can also tell you what improvements or upgrades would be necessary to; not only make your residence safe, but to be up to the current national electrical code as well.

Below are a few examples that your home's electrical system could be overloaded and in need of repair:

Flickering Lights (usually when a large appliance comes on)

Sizzling or popping sounds coming from outlets/ switches

Switch plates/ outlet plates/ circuits are warm to the touch

Tripping Circuit Breakers in your panel

The summer will be here before you know it! In fact the summer heat usually shows up a bit early here in South Texas, and we can certainly guarantee it will be a long and hot one!

Summertime brings with it some major electrical challenges for any residential dwelling. The kids are out of school for summer and are home more often, and more folks are working from home than ever before. With the country’s green practices, we’re installing EV Car chargers in residential homes, not to mention those summer projects that require high powered electrical tools! As you can see, we clearly use a larger amount of electricity during summer months.

Those who are especially at risk for electrical overload are residential homes that rely on gas-powered heaters for winter and electrical AC units for those hot summer months. The winter months are much lighter on electrical usage for these homes.

These homes will now require more demand on the electrical system with their air conditioner during the summer months—and the hotter the summer, the more electricity consumption.

Bolt Electric has many years of experience in dealing with summer electrical problems in the San Antonio, Texas area. Here’s a short list of the most common electrical issues we assist with during the summer months.  

The Home’s Air Conditioner System is tripping the Circuit Breaker:

Your air conditioning system’s compressor; uses more electricity than almost any other residential household appliance, using on average 3,500 watts per every hour of use.

Here in South Texas we rely heavily on our AC during the summer months, and a good portion of the spring and fall as well. Typically when the breaker trips, you can simply just reset it, but if this happens multiple times there’s definitely a problem that should be looked into by a professional.

We recommend calling on your HVAC pros to see if the issue is in fact with the AC first and foremost. If it isn’t the air conditioning system causing your issue, there’s another concern in the house, possibly with the electrical panel, and you should reach out to an experienced and licensed electrician to come out and troubleshoot the issue to find the solution.

Lights flickering when Air Conditioner comes on:

This is a call we receive fairly often, however the majority of the time it doesn’t have anything to do with the AC unit at all. If you notice the lights in your house flicker whenever the air conditioner’s compressor comes on (this being the component that uses the most electricity), is indicative of a power surge in the electrical system.

In the event you are experiencing this type of issue, we recommend calling on a licensed electrician to perform some troubleshooting, as there may be problems with the electrical panel that should be addressed sooner rather than later.

Tripping Circuit Breakers throughout the residence:

Your home’s electrical system is put to the test each summer, due to higher temperatures. Couple that with newer appliances, more people home during the daytime, and requiring more electrical demand on your Service Panel/ Circuit Breakers.

If your house is running into regular problems with tripping circuit breakers, your electrical system may be showing you that your electrical system is outdated and/ or may be in need of repairs, upgrades, and depending how long it’s been in place; complete replacement.

Citywide Brownouts and blackouts:

The high electrical demands of summer place immense strain on the power grid, which will inevitably lead to brownouts and blackouts.

A brownout is when the utility restricts voltage flow to residential homes, which means a house with less power may experience dimming lights.

A blackout is a full, unintended power outage. If you notice signs of a brownout, we recommend you reduce electrical use as much as possible and unplug sensitive equipment to keep them from being damaged by any surges this may cause.

If you’re looking to protect your appliances and sensitive electrical devices from Power Surges, we strongly recommend looking into having Whole Home Surge Protection installed in your Service Panel. This device will aide in blocking electrical surges from entering your electrical system. As of 2020, whole home surge protection was made part of the electrical code for all residential dwellings.

For more information regarding Whole Home Surge Protectors:

boltelectricsa.com/protect-the-heart-of-your-home-with-whole-home-surge-protection

We here at Bolt Electric in San Antonio Texas; can assist you with these type of issues you may experience

with your residential electrical system.

Our reliable and trustworthy electricians are well versed in residential electrical panel upgrades, replacements, or repairs.

We specialize in both Commercial and Residential Electrical Maintenance/ Repair, in and around the San Antonio area

and we can’t wait to work with you!

BOLT ELECTRIC, LLC

18847 REDLAND ROAD, SUITE 105

SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS 78259

(210) 545-BOLT (2658)