Electrical questions from Spokane homes, answered.

Turn off the breaker for that circuit, or the main breaker, if you can do it safely, and then call an electrician. If you see smoke or fire, get everyone out and call 911.

Don’t keep using the outlet or reset the breaker to see what happens. A burning or hot-plastic smell usually means a connection is overheating, and that can start a fire inside the wall.

A breaker trips to stop a circuit from overheating. Repeated tripping means the circuit is overloaded, something on it has a fault, or the breaker itself is failing.

Try unplugging what’s on the circuit and resetting once. If it trips again with nothing plugged in, or it trips the moment you reset it, leave it off and call. Never replace a breaker with a larger one to make the tripping stop.

No. Dimmers can run slightly warm, but a regular outlet or switch should not feel warm to the touch. Stop using it and turn off that circuit if you can.

Warmth usually points to a loose connection or a worn device, and both get worse with time.

It can be a problem with your service, such as a failing main connection, a damaged service drop, or one leg of the supply out. Turn off the main breaker if it’s safe, then call your utility and an electrician.

Partial power loss can damage motors and electronics, so don’t run heavy appliances while it’s happening.

Stay well away from it, keep others and pets away, and call your electric utility right away. Treat every downed line as live.

If the line pulled the mast or meter off your house, the utility makes it safe first; after that, an electrician repairs the service equipment on the house so the utility can reconnect.

A slight, brief dip when a big motor starts can be normal. Flickering that’s getting worse, happens all over the house, or comes with buzzing or warm outlets is worth having checked.

Loose connections in the panel, at the meter or on the service drop can cause flicker, and they generate heat.

Knob-and-tube is the earliest type of household wiring: single wires run on porcelain knobs and through porcelain tubes, with no ground. It is common in Spokane homes built before about the 1940s, on the South Hill, in Browne’s Addition, the Perry District, Hillyard and other older neighborhoods.

It wasn’t designed for today’s loads, it was never meant to be covered by insulation, and decades of add-ons often leave risky splices. Most electricians recommend replacing any that is still in use.

Many do. Some insurers ask about knob-and-tube, fuse panels and certain older breaker panels, and some won’t write a policy until they’re replaced or inspected.

If you’re buying an older home, ask your insurer early, before closing, so there are no surprises.

Not by simply swapping the outlet. A three-prong outlet without a real ground is misleading and unsafe for equipment that depends on the ground.

The proper fixes are running a grounded circuit, or installing GFCI protection and labeling the outlets “No equipment ground,” which code allows in some situations. An electrician can tell you which fits your house.

A fuse box isn’t dangerous simply because it uses fuses, but most are now very old, undersized for modern use, and easy to defeat by putting in a fuse that’s too large.

If you still have one, it’s usually time for a breaker panel, often with a service upgrade at the same time.

Many electricians recommend replacing them. Federal Pacific Stab-Lok and Zinsco panels, installed in many homes from the 1960s to the 1980s, have long-reported problems with breakers that may not trip when they should.

Don’t remove the panel cover yourself. Have it looked at, and plan a replacement.

Possibly. Aluminum branch-circuit wiring was used in some homes built from roughly 1965 to 1973. It can be safe when connections are made with the right devices, but older connections are prone to loosening and overheating.

Signs include warm outlets, flickering and a burning smell. An electrician can confirm what you have and repair connections with methods approved for aluminum.

Common signs are a fuse box or very old panel, no open breaker spaces, breakers that trip under normal use, or plans to add a big load like a heat pump, EV charger, hot tub or addition.

A load calculation, based on the house and what’s in it, shows whether your service is big enough or needs to go up, often from 100 to 200 amps.

The permit is pulled, your utility schedules a disconnect, the new panel and any new meter base and mast or conduit are installed, the work is inspected, and the utility reconnects power.

Who inspects depends on where you live: the City of Spokane inside city limits, Washington L&I almost everywhere else. Your utility, whether Avista, Inland Power, Modern Electric, Vera or Cheney’s city utility, handles the meter and reconnect.

A subpanel is a smaller panel fed from your main panel. It’s used to add circuits in a garage, shop, addition or basement, or when the main panel is out of spaces.

A subpanel adds room for circuits, not more total capacity. If the service itself is maxed out, an upgrade may still be needed.

For many homes, yes. A surge protective device at the panel helps protect everything in the house from surges from the utility side and from big motors switching on and off inside the house.

It works best alongside point-of-use surge strips for sensitive electronics. Newer code requires surge protection when a service is replaced or upgraded.

GFCI protection shuts off power when current leaks to ground, which protects people from shock in kitchens, baths, garages, outdoors and other damp areas. AFCI protection detects dangerous arcing in wiring, a common cause of electrical fires.

Current code requires them in many locations in new and remodeled work. Older homes can add them at the panel or with protected outlets.

Usually because circuits were added or changed over the years and nobody updated the labels. It’s one of the most common things found in older Spokane homes.

A properly labeled directory helps you shut off the right circuit in a hurry. Updating the directory should be part of any panel job.

Kitchens need at least two 20-amp small-appliance circuits for the countertops, GFCI protection on countertop outlets, and dedicated circuits for appliances such as the dishwasher, disposal, microwave and range.

Island and peninsula outlets, under-cabinet lighting and the lighting plan are all easier to get right before the cabinets go in.

Yes, adding or changing circuits, outlets, lighting or fans needs an electrical permit. Bathroom outlets need GFCI protection, and the circuit layout has specific code rules.

A properly sized and vented exhaust fan is worth planning in at the same time.

Yes, if the fixtures are rated for contact with insulation, called IC-rated, and installed per their listing. In ceilings under an attic, airtight-rated fixtures also help with heat loss.

Many modern LED wafer lights are IC-rated and don’t need a full can, which makes them easier to retrofit into existing ceilings.

Early, before framing is finished. A walk-through at the framing stage lets you place switches, outlets, lights and data where you’ll actually use them, and confirm the service and panel are sized for the house.

Rough-in is inspected before insulation and drywall, then the finish work is inspected at the end.

Usually. Electricians fish new wiring through walls and ceilings from the attic, basement or a few small openings, so most added outlets don’t need major demolition.

Plaster walls in older homes take more care than drywall, but the same approach works.

Large portable heaters and window units draw a lot of current, and running them on a shared bedroom circuit is a common cause of tripped breakers and overheated outlets. If you use one regularly, a dedicated circuit is the safe answer.

Never run a space heater through an extension cord or power strip.

Through a generator inlet with an interlock on your panel, or a transfer switch, installed with a permit. Either one keeps the generator from feeding back into the utility lines.

Never backfeed through a dryer or other outlet with a double-ended cord. It can electrocute line workers and start fires. Always run the generator outdoors, well away from windows, doors and vents, because of carbon monoxide.

A portable generator with an inlet and interlock is the simpler, lower-cost choice for keeping the furnace, fridge, freezer and some lights going. A standby generator starts automatically and can run more of the house.

Long outages after events like Ice Storm ’96 and the 2015 windstorm are why many Spokane-area homeowners ask about backup power.

Yes. A heat pump or mini-split needs its own dedicated circuit and an outdoor disconnect, sized to the equipment. Larger systems with electric backup heat can add a big load.

In older homes, a load calculation may show the service needs to grow first.

Yes, though cold weather reduces range and slows charging, which makes a home Level 2 charger more useful in winter. The charger needs a dedicated 240-volt circuit sized to its setting.

If the panel is tight, chargers that can be set to a lower current or load-management devices can avoid a service upgrade.

Indoor air cleaners and fresh-air systems are usually plug-in, but if you’re adding a heat pump, ventilation system or whole-house fan, plan the circuits for it. During smoke season, more of the house’s cooling and filtration runs at the same time.

If an older house can’t run AC and air cleaners without tripping breakers, that’s a sign the circuits are overloaded.

Yes. Roof and gutter de-icing cable needs ground-fault protection, should be on a properly sized circuit, and should be installed per the manufacturer’s instructions. Plugging it into an unprotected outdoor outlet with an extension cord is a common hazard.

If you’re adding several runs, a dedicated, protected circuit is the safer setup.

For most work beyond replacing a like-for-like outlet, switch or fixture, yes. Inside Spokane city limits the City of Spokane issues electrical permits and inspects; in Spokane Valley, Liberty Lake, Cheney, Airway Heights, Mead and the rest of the county, Washington L&I does.

A licensed electrical contractor pulls the permit for the work they do. Permitted, inspected work also matters when you sell or insure the house.

Use Washington L&I’s “Verify a Contractor, Tradesperson or Business” lookup. It shows the license number, status, specialty, bond and insurance information for electrical contractors.

Sonshyne Electric LLC is licensed by Washington L&I as an electrical contractor, license SONSHEL762MK, residential specialty.

In Washington, L&I licenses electrical contractors by specialty. The 02 Residential specialty covers electrical work in one- and two-family homes and similar residential buildings.

It’s the specialty on Sonshyne Electric’s license, which matches its focus: homes, of every kind and age.

Washington allows homeowners to do some electrical work on a home they own and live in, with a permit and inspection, but the rules have limits. Check with L&I, or the City of Spokane inside city limits, before starting.

Panel, service, feeder and new-circuit work is where mistakes become fire and shock hazards, and it’s best left to a licensed electrician.

Ask whether they’re licensed by L&I, whether they’ll pull the permit, what exactly is included in the price, and how they’ll leave the job: tested, labeled and inspected.

A good electrician explains what they found and gives you options, not just a number.

Sonshyne Electric is based in Spokane and works on homes across the Spokane area, including Spokane Valley, Liberty Lake, Mead, Airway Heights and Cheney.

If you’re nearby and not sure, call (509) 202-9833 and ask.