Electrician FAQ for Manchester, NH homeowners

Treat it as urgent. Switch off the breaker for that outlet and stop using it. If you see smoke or scorch marks, or the burning smell is getting stronger, get everyone out and call 911. If part of the house lost power after a storm, the fault can be on the utility side, so report it to Eversource too. Then call or text us at (603) 782-1478.

Look the license up with the NH Office of Professional Licensure and Certification (OPLC). Faith Electric's is NH Master Electrician License #15147.

The work we agreed on and the price for it, in writing. You get a written estimate before any work starts, so nothing is a surprise on the day.

It depends on the home, and we put the number in writing before any work starts. The biggest factors are the service size, whether the meter socket or mast changes too, how many circuits need today's protection, and whether the panel can stay where it is.

Most work does. Your town issues the electrical permit, and some towns, Derry among them, accept an electrician's application only from a licensed Master Electrician. Faith Electric pulls the permit and schedules the inspection.

We do. A service change needs the utility to disconnect and reconnect, so we send the request to your utility (Eversource in Manchester) and line the day up with them.

A fuse box, breakers that trip often, no open spaces for new circuits, a panel that feels warm or buzzes, or a big new load on the way such as a heat pump. We look at it and tell you straight whether it can wait.

Sometimes. A heat pump is a large new load, so we check the service size and the open spaces in your panel first. If it needs more capacity, we size the upgrade for the heat pump now. NHSaves rebates go toward the heat pump itself.

A transfer switch moves the circuits you choose from utility power to the generator and back. It also keeps generator power off the utility lines, which protects the line crews working to restore them.

Stay clear of any downed wire and report it to your utility. The mast, weatherhead and meter socket are the homeowner's, so we repair them, your town's inspector approves the repair, and the utility restores your service.

Yes. Under New Hampshire's edition of the code, branch-circuit wiring that is modified, replaced or extended needs arc-fault protection, with a short exception for small extensions. We plan it into remodel and repair work.

Not by code. New Hampshire deleted that requirement when it adopted the 2023 code with its own amendments. Many homeowners still choose one to protect electronics and appliances, and we install them on request.

Calls are answered Monday to Friday, 7 AM to 6 PM, and estimate requests get a reply the same business day. For a weekend emergency, send a request by email.

Manchester and the towns around it, with a page for each of Manchester, Bedford, Londonderry, Merrimack, Amherst, Derry. Close to one of them? Ask, and we will tell you straight whether we can get there.

Faith Electric focuses on homes: panels, meters, generators, remodels, lighting and service calls for homeowners and their contractors.