Electrician Q&A for Wareham & the South Coast.

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

A burning or hot-plastic smell usually means a connection is overheating. Don't keep using the outlet or switch to see if it happens again, and don't open the panel yourself.

A breaker trips to protect the wire from too much current: an overloaded circuit, a short, or a ground fault. Repeated tripping is a warning, not a nuisance.

Unplug what's on the circuit and reset once. If it trips again right away, or trips with almost nothing plugged in, leave it off and have it checked. Never replace a breaker with a larger one to make it stop tripping; that removes the protection for the wire.

A brief, slight dip when a big motor starts can be normal. Flickering that's noticeable, getting worse or happening on its own is not, and it can point to a loose connection.

Loose connections in the panel, at the meter or on the service are worth finding before they overheat. If lights flicker across the whole house in wind or rain, call Eversource as well, since the problem may be on their side.

Turn off the main breaker if you can do so safely, then call an electrician and Eversource. Partial power loss across the house often means a problem with one leg of the service, at the meter, the service cable or the main connections.

That can cause odd voltages that damage appliances. Don't try to troubleshoot it inside the panel.

Stay far away from it, keep children and pets away, and call Eversource and 911. Treat every downed line as live, even if it isn't sparking.

Don't drive over it or try to move it with anything. If the service drop to your house was pulled down or the mast was damaged, the utility handles their side, and a licensed electrician repairs the mast, meter socket and service entrance on yours.

No. Don't touch the panel or stand in water near electrical equipment. Leave power off and have an electrician inspect before anything is re-energized.

Breakers, outlets and wiring that have been under water, especially salt water from storm surge, usually need to be replaced, not dried out. If you can't safely reach the main, call Eversource to disconnect service.

Common signs: a fuse box or a 60- or 100-amp service, a panel with no open spaces, frequent tripping, a panel brand with a poor record, or plans to add a heat pump, EV charger, electric range or addition.

A load calculation tells you whether the existing service can carry what you want to add. Sometimes it can; sometimes a 200-amp upgrade is the cleanest answer.

A licensed electrician pulls a permit, coordinates the disconnect and reconnect with the utility (Eversource in most of this area), replaces the meter socket, service entrance and panel as needed, and the town's wiring inspector checks the work before power is restored.

Most service upgrades are done in a day, with the power off for part of it. Some need utility work scheduled ahead.

Both brands have long-reported problems: some Federal Pacific Stab-Lok breakers may fail to trip on an overload, and Zinsco panels are known for breakers that can loosen and overheat on the bus.

Many electricians and home inspectors recommend replacing them. If yours says Federal Pacific, FPE, Stab-Lok, Zinsco or Sylvania-Zinsco, have it evaluated.

Not necessarily all at once, but it should be evaluated. Knob-and-tube has no ground, can't be buried in insulation safely and has often been spliced into over the decades.

Many insurers ask about it, and many homeowners replace it during insulation or remodeling work. An electrician can tell you how much is still live and what replacing it involves.

Not without a ground. A three-prong outlet on an ungrounded circuit looks grounded but isn't. The code allows a GFCI-protected outlet labeled "No Equipment Ground" as one option, or a ground can be added.

This is common in older Wareham and Bourne cottages. An electrician can tell you which option fits each circuit.

Single-strand aluminum branch wiring, used in some homes in the late 1960s and early 1970s, can overheat at connections. It's manageable, but it needs attention from an electrician.

Approved repair methods exist for connecting it safely. Don't use ordinary twist-on connectors or devices not rated for aluminum.

Through a power inlet and either a panel interlock or a transfer switch installed by a licensed electrician. That setup makes it physically impossible to feed the utility lines while the generator runs.

Never plug a generator into a wall outlet with a double-male cord. It can backfeed the lines and injure or kill a lineworker or a neighbor, and it can start a fire. Always run the generator outdoors, well away from doors and windows, because of carbon monoxide.

Both are safe when installed correctly. An interlock lets you run any circuit in your panel and choose them by flipping breakers; a manual transfer switch has a set number of pre-wired circuits.

Which fits depends on your panel, your generator and how you want to use it. An electrician will recommend one after looking at your setup.

Add up the running watts of what you want to power and allow for the largest motor's starting surge, often a well pump, a furnace blower or a refrigerator.

For many homes here, the well pump, heating controls, fridge, a few lights and outlets fit a mid-size portable generator. A heat pump or central air usually needs much more. An electrician can help match the generator to the loads.

For most homes, yes. A surge protector at the panel helps protect everything in the house from lightning and utility switching surges, which coastal storms bring plenty of.

It's inexpensive compared with replacing a heat pump control board or appliance electronics. The current code also requires surge protection when a service is replaced or upgraded. Plug-in strips at sensitive electronics are still a good second layer.

Salt deposits hold moisture and corrode metal contacts, screws and connections. Near Buzzards Bay that shows up as outdoor GFCIs that trip, outlets that stop working, rusted boxes and corroded meter sockets.

Corroded connections create resistance and heat. Weather-resistant devices, in-use covers, good gaskets and regular checks after storms keep outdoor equipment reliable.

A standby generator starts automatically and can run more of the house, but it costs more and needs a fuel supply, a pad, a transfer switch and, often, gas or propane work.

A portable generator with an inlet and interlock is the most affordable way to keep the essentials running. Glenn installs the safe hookup for portables; ask about your situation when you call.

Usually a dedicated 240-volt circuit of 40 to 60 amps, either hardwired to the charger or to a NEMA 14-50 receptacle, plus room in the panel and enough service capacity.

A load calculation comes first. If the panel is tight, options include a lower-amp charger setting, load management or a service upgrade. Installation needs a permit.

Sometimes. It depends on what else is on the service: electric heat, a heat pump, an electric range, dryer and water heater all count. A proper load calculation answers it.

Many 100-amp homes can add a charger at a reduced setting or with a load management device. Others need an upgrade first.

Each outdoor unit typically needs its own dedicated 240-volt circuit and a disconnect within sight of it, and the panel and service need enough capacity for the new load.

Massachusetts programs like Mass Save offer heat pump incentives; your HVAC installer and electrician work together on the electrical side. Check the panel before signing the heat pump contract.

Usually a 240-volt circuit sized to the range's nameplate, often 40 or 50 amps. If your kitchen had a gas range, there's probably no circuit there yet.

Check the installation manual for the required circuit size and have it installed under a permit.

Most hot tubs need a dedicated 240-volt GFCI-protected circuit and a disconnect located within sight of the tub but at least 5 feet from it, plus proper bonding.

Near the water, the disconnect and wiring should be weather- and corrosion-resistant. It's permitted work.

For nearly all electrical installation work, yes. Permits are issued by your town's inspector of wires, through the building department, and they're taken out by the licensed electrician doing the work.

Permits and inspections exist so a second set of trained eyes checks the work. They also matter when you sell the house or file an insurance claim.

Generally no. Massachusetts law requires electrical installation work to be performed by licensed electricians, with only narrow exceptions. Ask your town's inspector of wires before assuming a job is exempt.

New circuits, panels, services and feeders are licensed, permitted work. That protects you, your house and the next owner.

The Massachusetts Electrical Code, 527 CMR 12.00, which is the National Electrical Code with Massachusetts amendments, adopted by the Board of State Examiners of Electricians.

Your town's inspector of wires enforces it. Code editions are updated periodically, so requirements for things like GFCI, AFCI and surge protection change over time.

Use the state's free "Check a License" lookup from the Division of Occupational Licensure on mass.gov. Search the electrician's name or license number under the Board of State Examiners of Electricians.

The record shows the license type, number, status and expiration. Glenn Sass's journeyman electrician license (50178-EL-E) is listed there as active.

Both are licensed by the Board of State Examiners of Electricians. A journeyman electrician is licensed to perform electrical work; a master electrician license adds the qualifications to run an electrical contracting business and supervise others.

Both licenses require years of supervised experience, classroom hours and a state exam, plus continuing education to renew.

Buyers' home inspectors often flag fuse panels, Federal Pacific or Zinsco panels, ungrounded outlets, missing GFCI protection, knob-and-tube and amateur wiring. In Massachusetts you'll also need a smoke and carbon monoxide compliance certificate from the local fire department before the sale.

Fixing electrical items before listing can keep a sale from stalling. Bring the inspection report when you call.

The company is based in West Wareham and works throughout Wareham and its villages, including Onset, East Wareham and the beach neighborhoods, plus nearby towns such as Marion, Rochester, Carver, Bourne and Plymouth.

If you're nearby and not sure, call (508) 413-6024 and ask.

Yes. The company does residential and commercial electrical work, including commercial wiring and panel upgrades.

The company's HomeAdvisor listing offers free project estimates. Confirm when you call, and describe the job so the estimate visit is useful.

Glenn Sass has held a Massachusetts electrician license since 2003, according to the state's license records.

Your town, what's happening or what you want added, the age of the house if you know it, and a photo of the panel with the door open and its label visible. For EV chargers and heat pumps, the equipment's model or spec sheet helps.

If anything is hot, sparking or smells like burning, turn off the breaker if it's safe and say so right away.