Electrical questions from Tacoma & Seattle homes.

If it’s safe to reach, turn off the breaker for that area or the main breaker, then call an electrician. If you see smoke or fire, get everyone out and call 911.

Don’t keep resetting a breaker on a circuit that smells hot, and don’t open the panel cover. A burning or fishy smell usually means overheating at a connection, device or breaker, and it needs a professional to find.

Unplug or switch off things in the dead area, find the breaker sitting in the middle or off position, push it fully off, then back on. Plug things back in one at a time. If it trips again right away, stop and call an electrician.

That’s Panther Electric’s own advice. A breaker that trips often is telling you something: an overloaded circuit, a failing appliance or a wiring fault. Frequent tripping is worth having a licensed electrician check.

It can be. A partial outage, especially with lights that go bright and dim, can mean a problem with the service neutral. Turn off sensitive electronics, call your utility (Tacoma Power, PSE, Seattle City Light or your local utility), then call an electrician.

The utility owns the lines and the meter connection; the electrician handles the house side. Don’t open the meter or the panel yourself.

Stay well away from the line and anything it touches, keep kids and pets back, and call your utility right away. Treat every downed line as live.

After the utility makes it safe, the mast, weatherhead or meter base on the house may be damaged. That part is the homeowner’s responsibility, and a licensed electrician repairs it so the utility can reconnect.

No. Stop using it, turn off its breaker if you can, and have it checked. Heat, buzzing and scorch marks point to a loose or failing connection.

In older homes the cause is often a worn receptacle or a back-stabbed connection; sometimes it’s an overloaded circuit. Panther’s troubleshooting finds the actual cause before replacing anything.

Flicker on a single fixture is often a bulb or dimmer mismatch. Flicker across several rooms, or when big appliances start, should be checked soon.

If flicker comes with buzzing, heat or a burning smell, turn off the circuit and call. Widespread flicker can point to a loose connection in the panel or at the service.

Knob-and-tube is the wiring in many homes built before the 1950s: wires on ceramic knobs, through ceramic tubes. It doesn’t meet today’s standards, and replacing it brings the house up to modern safety levels and adds value.

The problems, in Panther’s own summary: it’s ungrounded; it lacks capacity for modern appliances; its cloth and rubber insulation turns brittle with age; decades of DIY splices often tie it into newer wiring; it was designed to shed heat into open air, so attic and wall insulation over it is a fire concern; and many insurers refuse it or charge more. Panther inspects and quotes rewires.

Often, yes. Many insurers ask about knob-and-tube, fuse boxes and certain older panels, and some won’t write a policy or will charge more until it’s replaced.

If you’re buying, selling or switching insurers, an electrical inspection gives you a clear picture of what’s there and what it would cost to fix.

Not without a ground. A three-prong outlet with no ground behind it looks safe but isn’t. The right fixes are running a grounded circuit or adding GFCI protection with the proper labeling.

Which one makes sense depends on the house and what you’re plugging in. Computers and appliances do best on a truly grounded circuit.

Look at the label inside the panel door. Federal Pacific (often with “Stab-Lok” breakers) and Zinsco panels, common in homes from the 1950s through the 1980s, have a reputation among electricians for breakers that may not trip when they should.

If you have one, have it evaluated. Panther will tell you plainly whether replacement makes sense, and many homeowners replace these panels when they add an EV charger or heat pump anyway.

It takes planning, not demolition. Wires are fished through existing cavities, attics, basements and crawlspaces where possible, with small, planned openings where they’re needed.

Panther walks the house first, explains the plan, and quotes in writing. Patching and painting is usually a separate trade; ask up front how openings will be left.

Solid aluminum branch-circuit wiring, used in some homes from the mid-1960s to the mid-1970s, can overheat at connections if it isn’t terminated with devices and connectors made for it.

Signs include warm outlets, flickering and a burning smell. Don’t DIY this; have a licensed electrician evaluate the connections and recommend a repair method.

Common signs: no open breaker spaces, breakers that trip or run warm, an old fuse box, a known-problem panel brand, or plans for big new loads like an EV charger, heat pump or hot tub.

A panel upgrade and a service upgrade aren’t always the same thing. Sometimes a new panel on the same service is enough; sometimes the service itself needs to grow. A load calculation tells you which.

Many homes run fine on 100 amps. Homes adding an EV charger, heat pump, electric range or hot tub often outgrow it.

The answer comes from a load calculation, not a rule of thumb. Load management devices can sometimes avoid a service upgrade, and Panther will tell you if that’s the better option.

Your electrician does. A service upgrade involves the utility (Tacoma Power, PSE, Seattle City Light, Peninsula Light or a town utility) for the disconnect and reconnect, plus a permit and inspection.

Panther has worked with different utilities’ requirements and builds that coordination into the schedule so the power is back on as quickly as possible.

A surge protector shields electronics and appliances from sudden spikes of voltage. Plug-in strips protect a few devices; a whole-home surge protector installed at the panel protects the entire house.

Surges come from lightning, outages and restoration, and even large appliances cycling. In a region where windstorms knock power out every winter, a whole-home device is inexpensive protection for appliances and electronics. Panther offers free quotes.

Because the manufacturer warrants the part and Panther warrants the work. Breakers, panels and meters Panther supplies carry their manufacturers’ warranties.

Panther’s workmanship is guaranteed for life: if an installation fails because of a mistake they made, they come back and fix it for free.

A dedicated 240-volt circuit sized to the charger’s rating, a suitable mounting spot near where you park, and enough capacity in your panel and service.

Panther checks the panel and service first, then recommends the circuit and charger setup. Hardwired chargers allow higher charging rates on many models; plug-in units use a dedicated receptacle.

Not always. If the panel has space and the service has capacity, the charger can go right in. If not, a load management device or a lower-amperage setting may avoid an upgrade.

Older Tacoma and Seattle houses on 60- or 100-amp services are the most likely to need more. A load calculation answers it before you spend anything.

Yes, with chargers designed for load sharing. They split the available current between two cars, so you don’t need a second large circuit.

It’s a good fit for households with two EVs on a service that’s already near capacity.

Through a properly installed transfer switch, or an interlock kit with a generator inlet, installed by a licensed electrician. Never plug a generator into a dryer or wall outlet to backfeed the house.

Backfeeding can send voltage back onto the utility lines and injure or kill lineworkers, and it can damage your generator and wiring when power returns. Run the generator outdoors, well away from doors and windows, for carbon monoxide safety.

For homes that lose power for long stretches in winter windstorms, or that depend on power for medical equipment, sump pumps or home offices, a standby generator can be worth it.

Panther installs generators. The right size depends on what you want to keep running, from a few essential circuits to the whole house.

Possibly. Both are large 240-volt loads. Whether they fit depends on your panel space and service capacity.

If you’re electrifying several things at once, plan them together. A single load calculation can show whether one service upgrade covers the heat pump, the range and an EV charger.

Early, during design, before walls are closed and ideally before cabinets are ordered.

Lighting layout, outlet placement, appliance circuits and panel capacity all shape the design. Panther works with homeowners and general contractors from the walkthrough on, and open walls are the best time to bring old wiring up to code.

Yes. Heavy fixtures need a box and support rated for the weight, and vaulted ceilings need the right mounting and often a scaffold or tall ladder setup.

Statement chandeliers are part of Panther’s portfolio, including bubble-glass and ring fixtures on tall and vaulted ceilings.

Typically GFCI-protected receptacles, a properly vented exhaust fan, vanity lighting, and sometimes a dedicated circuit for heated floors, lit mirrors or niches.

Current code also has specific rules for fixtures near tubs and showers. Panther plans those details with you, along with accent lighting like lit shower niches and backlit mirrors.

Service sizing and panel layout, rough-in wiring, inspections, and the trim-out of devices, fixtures and appliances, coordinated with the builder.

New construction is one of Panther’s specialties. Pricing depends on the level of finish, access and complexity, and Panther gives a detailed estimate before work begins.

Yes. Panther wires new homes and remodels for homeowners and for contractors, and the owner grew up around construction: his father was a general contractor.

Clear scheduling and clean rough-in that passes inspection keeps the rest of the trades moving.

Most electrical work beyond simple like-for-like device replacement needs a permit. In most of Washington it comes from the Department of Labor & Industries (L&I); cities that run their own electrical program, including Tacoma and Seattle, issue their own.

A licensed electrical contractor pulls the permit and schedules the inspection. Panther handles that for work that needs it.

Use L&I’s “Verify a Contractor, Tradesperson or Business” tool at secure.lni.wa.gov/verify. Search the company name or license number to see status, expiration and bond and insurance information.

Panther Electric LLC is licensed as an Electrical Contractor (01 General), license PANTHEL753BT, active through January 31, 2027 per L&I records.

In Washington, L&I licenses electrical contractors (the business) and certifies electricians (the people doing the work). A contractor must have a license, a bond and insurance; the workers must hold the right certificates.

When you hire, check both: the company’s contractor license and that qualified, certified electricians are doing the work.

Reach out, then a quick call about scope, timeframe and budget, an in-person walkthrough if needed, written options for your approval, a job-start deposit if needed, and scheduling.

Estimates are free. Typically there’s no trip fee when Panther comes out to estimate or do work; very quick visits, like resetting a tripped breaker, carry a small service fee. Call for current rates.

Step by step, so the real cause gets fixed the first time. Level 1 tests the affected circuit and devices and solves many problems; Level 2 goes deeper; Level 3 is a system-wide evaluation for rare, intermittent issues.

At every level Panther stops and explains what they found. No repairs and no additional charges without your approval. Ask for current diagnostic rates when you call.

A lifetime workmanship guarantee. If an installation fails because of a mistake Panther made, they return and fix it for free.

Parts carry their own manufacturer warranties; that includes all breakers, panels and electrical meters Panther supplies.

Panther arrives on time, does a full visual inspection, tests outlets and devices, opens a few outlets and switches to spot-check, and inspects the panel, meter and lighting.

You’ll hear about any urgent hazards on the spot, then get recommendations and tips to protect your investment and plan ahead. Useful before buying, selling, renovating or when insurance asks.