Electrical problems are different from AC problems: guessing wrong can hurt you or burn the house down. This guide covers the three issues we see most in Fort Lauderdale homes — tripping breakers, dead outlets, and flickering lights — and draws a hard line between what you can safely check and what needs a professional.
The rule is simple: you may check a thermostat, reset a tripped breaker once, press a GFCI reset button, or change a bulb. You never open a panel, never touch wiring, and never bypass a safety device. When in doubt, call (561) 786-1337.
The Safe Checklist
These are the only DIY steps we recommend:
- Reset a tripped breaker ONCE. If it trips again, leave it off and call us.
- Press the TEST then RESET buttons on GFCI outlets (kitchens, baths, garage, outdoors).
- Check bulbs in flickering fixtures — a loose or failing bulb mimics wiring problems.
- Unplug space heaters or high-draw devices from a tripping circuit before resetting.
- Check the thermostat and its batteries for anything HVAC-related.
Call Immediately If You See These
Some symptoms don't wait for business hours:
- A burning smell from an outlet, switch, panel, or appliance.
- Sparking, arcing sounds, or visible scorch marks.
- A panel, breaker, outlet, or switch plate that is hot to the touch.
- Lights dimming across the whole house when a large appliance starts.
- Any shock or tingle from an appliance, faucet, or pool equipment.
Why These Problems Are Common Here
Fort Lauderdale's housing stock explains a lot of our calls. Historic homes in Victoria Park and Colee Hammock and bungalows in Wilton Manors often run on older panels and wiring that were never designed for modern loads — central AC, electric dryers, and EV chargers on a 100-amp service.
Add salt air corroding outdoor equipment, afternoon lightning hammering the grid every summer, and attic heat baking wire insulation, and you get a steady stream of breakers, outlets, and flickering lights that need professional attention.
Common questions
Is it safe to keep resetting a breaker that trips?
No. Once is a check; twice is a warning you're ignoring. A breaker that keeps tripping is protecting you from an overload or a fault. Leave it off and call us.
One outlet doesn't work but the breaker is fine. What now?
Check for a tripped GFCI upstream — one GFCI protects several downstream outlets, and the reset button may be in another room or outside. If that doesn't fix it, the outlet or its wiring needs a professional.
My lights flicker when the AC starts. Normal?
A brief, slight dip can happen, but noticeable or worsening flicker means the AC's startup draw is stressing the circuit or the panel. Because we do both trades, one visit can determine whether it's the AC or the electrical side.
Related help
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(561) 786-1337