Frequently Asked Questions

For your personal safety and confidence, we always recommend getting an electric safety check when buying or renting new residential, commercial, or industrial property. A safety inspection should be carried out if the property was previously occupied, has not been maintained in the last 5 years, is more than 25 years old, or if the electrical installations are looking and acting faulty.

Our electricians are certified and possess at least nine different licenses that cater to various types of jobs. We are also bonded and insured so if an accident occurs during the job, an insured electrical contractor is liable for any worker suffering an injury or any property being damaged. You can take a look at our documentation when you meet us in person.

The scope of work, the complexities of the task, and the time duration for each project is unique. The same problem can have multiple solutions as well so we need to gauge which is the best way forward keeping in mind our client’s schedule and budgetary preferences. Therefore, for each project, we give customized quotes. You can give us a call to book an inspection appointment where one of our experienced electricians will give you an on-site consultation for all your electrical problems.

We are a licensed electrical contracting company with a growing team of professional electricians. You will get a consultation from one of our master electricians and his team of specialists will perform the on-site job for you under his close supervision.

We are experts in repairs and maintenance, but even better at installations and replacements. Our motto is to achieve 100% guaranteed satisfaction from all our clients therefore we immediately take care of any malfunctions that occur during the project. Any problems that happen after the job can also be repaired without additional costs on a case-to-case basis. Most clients hire us for the maintenance of their properties for years.

We have received five hundred plus excellent reviews and can provide you with some personal references. Here are some industry accolades that we would love to share with you:

• Only Google Guaranteed Electrical Contractor Currently in Hawaii
• #1 Electrical Contractor on Yelp for all of Hawaii
• #1 Electrical Contractor on Google for all of Hawaii
• com Best Rated from 2016 to 2022 - https://threebestrated.com/img/certificate2021/certificate/eielectricalinc-honolulu.jpg
• Rated in the top 7% by volume on BuildZoom.com for all Contractors in Hawaii
• HouseCall Pro Super Pro-Rated
• Home Advisor Screened and Approved Contractor
• Expertise - Best Electrician in Honolulu
• Smith Approved Contractor
• A+ rated on BBB
• And so on…

If you have noticed that a dimmer switch feels warm then that could be normal. If the level of heat increases or it is warmer than normal then it should be evaluated. Some dimmers work like a small-scale transformer that increases or decreases the voltage to the lights. As it lowers the voltage, heat is generated and can make the dimmer plate warm. There’s no reason for concern unless you start smelling burning plastic, you begin to hear buzzing, or the lights start to flicker. Other dimmers are rheostats or variable resistors, which again limit the voltage or even the current or wattage. If they are overloaded, they will heat up. All dimmers have a maximum wattage that they can carry, some can handle as little as 150 Watts, and other can handle up to 1500 Watts. Common sizes are 300, or 600 Watts. If you recently replaced your lights that you are dimming with high wattage bulbs then you may have exceeded the switches recommended wattage which will cause it to heat up. You could also have a short somewhere in your lighting circuit. Dimmer switches like all electrical devices also have a lifespan and the dimmer may simply be wearing out internally causing more resistance for the electricity. If it is too hot to touch, that’s a serious problem and you should immediately turn off the breaker for the lighting circuit and call us for help. If the dimmer continues to be warm or get warmer then an experienced electrical service expert should evaluate it as well.

If your lights are flickering in your home or office then there can be many reasons for that which could include;

• Load draw from major appliances causing the draw of power when start up happens.
• There may be loose or burnt neutral wires in your home or service panel
• It could be a utility failure with main HECO lines entering your meter panel
• The light bulb could simply be loose or be ready to burn out
• The bulbs you recently put in may not match the dimmer or ballast for that light

If your lights often dim when large appliances start up then your main service may be overloaded and is hence now undersized. In this case you may have plenty of available power but it is being pulled too fast through too small a wire. This is similar to when someone flushes the toilet while you are taking a shower and you get scalded. That is because even though you have plenty of cold water it is being used too quickly by the toilet and drops the pressure of cold water to your shower head. This also happens with your appliances with what is called “in-rush current” wherein the Voltage in your home (the cold water) is being used quickly and suddenly which cause a “voltage drop”. Then the current rushes in (in-rush current) to make up for the voltage drop. That voltage drop causes your lights to dim momentarily. That voltage drop does more than just dim your lights as that “in-rush current”, since current is heat it could cause heat damage and accelerated wear and tear on all your appliances and electrical equipment. To prevent that you could increase the size of the wiring and potential ampacity coming in to help alleviate that wear and tear. Hence you may need a service upgrade or you may need to simply replace a few bulbs. If replacing a few bulbs does not solve the problem then give us a call to do a full evaluation of your usage and electrical system.

If flicking lights have you going bump in the night then just us give a call as we ain’t afraid of no sparks 😉

This is kind of a complex question to answer as there are many contributing factors to the life span of a breaker panel and which panels are safe or not. First factor to consider is the age of the panel. The average life expectancy of a breaker panel is about 25 years. The higher the ambient temperature the more quickly the manufacturer recommends replacing the panel. If it is in a hot closet with no airflow and it is constantly warm to the touch because it is not being cooled naturally then the faster it will deteriorate. The insulation on the wiring, the plastic breaker shells, and the aluminum or copper bus bar that the breakers connect to are all susceptible to heat damage. Terminal screws as well within the panel can loosen over time as they heat and cool repeatedly which causes them to expand and contract.

Aside from all that, there are panels and panel conditions that could make your panel unsafe as shown in the below articles from another website:

• Federal Pacific Panels
• Sylvania/Zinsco Panels
• Challenger Panels
• Fuse Boxes
• Double Taps
• Cloth wiring
• Aluminum Wiring

The average life expectancy of a breaker panel is about 25 years. The higher the ambient temperature the more quickly the manufacturer recommends replacing the panel. If it is in a hot closet with no airflow and it is constantly warm to the touch because it is not being cooled naturally then the faster it will deteriorate. The insulation on the wiring, the plastic breaker shells, and the aluminum or copper bus bar that the breakers connect to are all susceptible to heat damage. Terminal screws as well within the panel can loosen over time as they heat and cool repeatedly which causes them to expand and contract. Below is a timeline of average life expectancy for a variety of electrical devices.

It is best to replace your panel on your timeline prior to a complete failure when you can coordinate the right equipment and materials to fit your schedule.  E I Electrical Inc. is here to help you navigate that process with as minimal impact to your life, home, and/or business as possible.

If are one of the few who still have an old fuse panel, then it likely close to or beyond 100 years old. So you have certainly gotten you monies worth out of it and it should be replaced immediately as you are on borrowed time with that panel.

Many people ask why is my circuit breaker tripping. First of all, a breaker tripping is a good thing as it means that breaker is doing its job. Breakers trip when there is an overcurrent or short condition. If you plug in and use too many things on one circuit at the same time the breaker will trip to protect the wire from overheating, due to the overuse of that circuit. This likely occurs when you use too many appliances at one time again on the same circuit. Some powerful appliances, such as vacuums, refrigerators, and clothes dryers, require their own dedicated circuits. Our electricians can inspect your circuitry to determine if too many appliances share a circuit, and ultimately make repairs to stop the breaker from continuing to trip.

This may also be an indication that your electrical circuits were not designed or installed correctly initially.

If the wiring within the circuit was damaged somehow and there is a short between two different wires it will trip the breaker as well. This again though means the breaker is doing its job. Do not try to force a breaker to stay on as it is telling you that there is a problem that needs to be addressed before it compounds into an even bigger issue. Our Electrical Service Experts at E I Electrical Inc. will always explain what it is that they discover and discuss all the options and solutions with you before proceeding with any repairs.

It is best to firmly turn it all the way off, back on, all the way off again, and then finally back on. If you experience a large of amount or resistance to resetting it, or the handle of the breaker seems loose then call us to help you replace or upgrade that breaker. While there we will also determine why the breaker went bad as it may be a sign of it being constantly overloaded, a heat damaged buss assembly under the breaker, or if it is simply just be too old/worn out.

1. Answer – The short answer is yes. Aluminum wiring was popular during WWII as copper was rationed. When troops returned home from the war to build their own homes there was a surplus of aluminum wiring available at a discounted price.  Hence a lot of houses in the late
2. 40 ‘s and early 50’s were built using this wire.  The aluminum wiring itself can dissipate heat faster than copper and so it made a great conductor. The problem is the aluminum can become brittle over time where it is connected to switches, outlets, and other devices.

This causes arcing and creates heat in and around these devices. There are several options to make your aluminum wire safer. The best option is to replace the aluminum wiring with new copper romex wiring, the second best option if a rewire is not possible is to use aluminum to copper rated devices to extend your aluminum wire with copper leads to help eliminate the brittle aluminum ends near the devices from overheating. If you only need one or two devices replaced for now then an electrician needs to make sure that the devices being used are AL (aluminum) rated to help reduce the heat at or near the devices as well.
At no time should copper and aluminum wire come in direct contact with each other. The dissimilar metals will oxidize each other and will expand and contract differently which will loosen the connection and cause additional heat and eventually arcing.
Now there are examples where aluminum is completely acceptable, that is primarily for larger size wires such as your main panel feeders and even your incoming electrical service. Larger size wires are not as malleable and hence are stiffer at the point of termination and are completely acceptable.

It is best of course to have one of our E I Electrical Inc. Service Experts come out and evaluate your needs, let you know what conditions are poor/fair/good, and then provide you with the various options and solutions for you to choose from.

The real question is how much energy do you really need?

There are 3 main ways to determine the size of the generator you need or want, these are based on the;

• Size of your main service
• Your actual average daily usage
• Usage needed for critical devices or medical equipment that needs constant power

A critical device is not necessarily an emergency device, but could be the protection of high value items such as;

• A freezer full of meat or other products that is of a high value
• A network server for your office or home office that other outside users’ access
• Air Conditioning can even be critical if you have loved ones that have health conditions

Hence you would need to prioritize your needs so we can start doing the math to calculate the size of generator that is needed or wanted using a priority list as follows;

1. Medical Equipment – CPAP – O2
2. Communications – HAM – Mobile Charger
3. Food Storage – Refrigerator - Freezer
4. Food Prep – No Gas/Propane Inside
5. Lighting
6. HVAC
7. EV (Electrical Vehicle Charger)

Then you need to determine what it is that you do not necessarily need using a list of wants such as follows;

1. Hot Water
2. Internet Router
3. 60” Television
4. Swimming Pool
5. Irrigation
6. Gaming Systems - X-Box
7. Curling Iron – Blow Dryer

The math is simple as we just add the wattage of the devices you want to use, the below example shows some quick math on how to determine what the sizing for a few critical circuits;

For larger generators that cover the entire main service, we would need to use PIE’s law. Here is a great video for calculating OHM’s Law and/or PIE’s law.

If HOWEVER… you want it ALL. Well then we can size the generator to allow you to have the best power outage after-storm football party ever. From 1kw to 130kw and beyond we have got you covered. Our Electrical Service Experts at E I Electrical Inc. are trained and accredited through various training programs including Generac University and they can provide you with the solution that best fits your wants and needs.

If HOWEVER… you want it ALL. Well then we can size the generator to allow you to have the best power outage after-storm football party ever. From 1kw to 130kw and beyond we have got you covered. Our Electrical Service Experts at E I Electrical Inc. are trained and accredited through various training programs including Generac University and they can provide you with the solution that best fits your wants and needs.

It is best to firmly turn it all the way off, back on, all the way off again, and then finally back on. If you experience a large of amount or resistance to resetting it, or the handle of the breaker seems loose then call us to help you replace or upgrade that breaker. While there we will also determine why the breaker went bad as it may be a sign of it being constantly overloaded, a heat damaged buss assembly under the breaker, or if it is simply just be too old/worn out.

Some people ask “Can I still use incandescent light bulbs”. The short answer is yes, absolutely you can. No, they are not illegal to use. If you already own them then you can certainly use them. However, they are becoming harder and harder to find as US manufacturers no longer make them and are instead making CFL, LED, and other more energy efficient bulbs. You can now find however, LED bulbs that look like any of the older style incandescent bulbs that we are used to putting in our light fixtures. There are even LED style Edison bulbs which give the illusion of a bulb from the 1800’s, a lot of decorators like to use that rustic look. LED bulbs also come in a variety of temperatures from soft white (yellowish tint), to bright white, to daylight.

Well… we explain it pretty well in this video. Enjoy!!! 🙂

If your appliance is on when you plug it in, you may see a small arc as the prong of the plug makes contact with the internal contacts of the outlet. It is best to make sure that your appliance/device is completely turned off prior to plugging it in It is normal to see the occasional small flash of electricity when you plug in a lamp, hair dryer, vacuum, or other appliance. However, if there is a spark every time you use the outlet or a continued arcing sound while things are plugged in, there might be a problem. The outlet could be corroded and not making good contact, short circuited internally by a foreign object, or it has just worn out and the contacts inside no longer have any spring to them which allows them to keep a steady contact with what is plugged in. Short circuits, and overheating, can break down insulation and wires, and then there may be a potential fire hazard. An E I Electrical Inc. Service Expert can help diagnose the problem and recommend various options and solutions for you.

Corrosion and overloading of outlets can weaken the spring tension on the connection tabs within your outlet. Without the prongs of the outlet making a solid connection with the internal tabs of the outlet, the problem will start to compound as the electricity will arc across the air gap between them and overheat the outlet. The more it is overheated the less tension it has and more of an air gap is created, causing a snowball effect that could eventually make the outlet unsafe to use.

When this occurs, homeowners should have it fixed it right away. Like outlets that short circuit, loose outlets can spark too. These sparks are a potential fire hazard. If a socket is worn out, it is best to replace it right away to stay as safe as possible. We at E I Electrical Inc. replace outlets like these constantly as even an outlet has a life expectancy and eventually needs to be replaced.

Over time and with frequent use, the outlet box can loosen. Pulling hard on cords to unplug them can add to this. Sometimes the box was not installed correctly and may just be loosely attached behind the wall and can start to pull forward as well. Sometime the screws holding the outlet to the box loose their threading and then the outlet pulls away from the box.

It's best to tackle this problem when it first starts to occur as there are simply ways that we can fix and/or resecure the box and/or fix the threading on the screw holes or replace the screws.

Once the outlet box pulls completely thru the wall, then you are looking at doing drywall patching or other repairs and it could damage the wiring within the wall creating a much bigger job.

GFCI stands for Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter. A GFCI device is designed to protect against electrical shock by detecting faults between the ground wire, and any other wire in the circuit. This is especially common when something gets wet, which is why GFCI outlets are required near all sinks. They are needed in/near bathrooms, crawl spaces, basements, garages, vending machines, laundry rooms and other areas where water is present. They have a test button that imitates a fault in order to make sure the GFCI is functional, and also a reset button to turn it back on after it has been tested.

There are also GFCI breakers now that can be installed in your main panel. This provides the protection for all of the outlets on that circuit and allows for the install of custom or decorative outlets.

If the GFCI is constantly tripping then it is doing its job by identifying that there is a fault somewhere that could be dangerous. Do not try to force it to reset. If it won’t reset one of our E I Electrical Inc. Service Experts can perform an evaluation to find the source of the fault.

Having trouble getting a GFCI outlet or breaker to turn back on? If so, then again please call us to have one of our E I Electrical Inc. Service Experts come out and evaluate, not only why it won’t reset, but what made it go bad in the first place. This way you can take comfort in knowing that we are providing a complete solution to hopefully prevent the next GFCI from prematurely failing, while solving the underlining fault condition.

Absolutely, and heck yeah, we do! Whether you are celebrating Christmas, Hanukah, or are just spreading holiday cheer we can certainly help. Our owner has loved decorating for the holidays since he was a teenager. He decorated not only his family’s home but the houses across the street and even the nearby personal care home. Be prepared though as we like to go all out with magical displays, choregraphed to music, with lots of specialty elements. From whimsical displays with lots of colors to entertain the keiki, to elegant displays of shimmering white inline lights. Allow us to help you with alleviate the stress and work involved by using our young backs instead of your own. Whether you are looking to decorate just your front door, an entire shopping center, an event/party, or are just looking to “outshine” your neighbor then we can certainly help 😊

In Hawaii, we are often affected by hurricanes, which can leave entire communities without power. We are not on a national or multistate energy grid and are dependent on the 1 main power plant for each island. The aging power grid complicates the repair and restoration of power after a disaster or outages as well. The question as to why you need one is multi-faceted as the majority of people do not need electricity to survive. If you rely on medical equipment or a CPAP, then you would need that power. If you are a hunter or a facility with a lot of cold food storage, then you would need to protect that food from spoilage. We can effectively size a generator to fit any need, want, or desire. For more details see “What size Generator do I need?” in our FAQ section.

A breaker could be loose or not seated correctly on the main buss. A breaker may be shorting-out internally allowing current to flow between hot and neutral. Either issue should be inspected immediately by one of our E I Electrical Inc. Electrical Service Experts. Our Electricians will open you panel and inspect all the affected breakers and the panel itself for heat damage or other issues.

AFCI stands for Arc Fault Circuit Interrupter. There are multiple types of Arcs that an AFCI device can detect. They can detect parallel Arcs, and In-line Arcs. They have a test button that imitates a fault in order to make sure the AFCI is functional, and also a reset button to turn it back on after it has been tested.

The most common example of a parallel Arc is when an extension cord is damaged by a piece of furniture, a pet, or a rodent. A parallel arc is when two different conductors are exposed, and electricity starts arcing between them. Sometimes the Arc is subtle, and not strong enough to cause a direct short which would trip a standard breaker. In this case the cord heats up and if it heats up enough, and is on the carpet or near drapery, then it could start a fire.

An inline Arc is where one of the conductors is broken or cut and the electricity is now trying to arc across the break to complete the circuit. This again may not create enough of an amperage load to trip a standard circuit breaker and the arc will again heat the wire and may lead to a fire.

Combination AFCI breakers that detect both type of these arcs are required by code on almost all new circuits with very few exceptions. They use to only be required in bedrooms where damage to extensions cords was most common. Due to their great track record of not only detecting faulty cords but even the smallest amount of compromised insulations on the wiring in your walls, they are again now mandatory. If you are adding an outlet in a bedroom and cannot change your entire circuit to work with an AFCI breaker they do now make AFCI outlets as well, and we at E I Electrical Inc. can certainly help you install a wide variety of AFCI devices to help protect you home, business, and loved ones.

It is always best though to still keep our furry friends and even uninvited ones from messing with electrical cords and wiring 🙂

Video – Our owner was recently featured on Hawaii News Now talking about these very concerns, you can watch the interview on the following link;

Damaged extension cords used to be the number one cause of electrical fires nationwide. Thanks to AFCI breakers, which they first started installing around 2005, this is no longer the case.

The National Electric Code (NEC) requires new installations to provide a separate neutral on all 220V appliances. If the wiring exists to support a 4-prong outlet, then we can replace the three-prong outlet with a four-prong outlet. If not, then the safer option would be to upgrade the electrical supply to your 220V appliances. In an apartment this may be easier than in a home as an extra neutral wire may be pulled thru the existing conduit.