Your Questions, Answered
General Questions & Troubleshooting
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We handle residential and commercial electrical work, including panel upgrades, electrical repairs, lighting, wiring and cabling, generator installation and service, EV charger installation, mini split electrical connections, and new construction wiring.
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Use the Contact Us page or call 781-403-1504 with a short description of the project, the property location, and any timing needs. We will follow up to review the work and schedule the next step.
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Yes. Innis Electric is a professional electrical contractor focused on safe, clean, code-compliant work for homes and businesses throughout Eastern Massachusetts.
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We are based in Norwell and serve the South Shore, Greater Boston, Cambridge, and communities throughout Eastern Massachusetts.
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Yes. We provide electrical service for homeowners, commercial properties, contractors, remodels, custom builds, and service upgrades.
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If you have an urgent issue, contact us as soon as possible. We will review the situation, explain the safest next steps, and schedule service based on availability and the nature of the problem.
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If an outlet feels warm, unplug anything that’s plugged into it. A warm outlet can mean the circuit is being overloaded, the device plugged in is drawing too much power, or there’s a loose connection behind the outlet.
If nothing is plugged in and the outlet still feels warm, that’s not something to ignore. Leave it alone and have an electrician take a look. Warm outlets can become a fire risk if the problem keeps building heat.
- John, Innis Electric
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Yes. Dedicated circuits can help support equipment, workstations, appliances, and customer-facing areas without putting too much demand on one circuit. For a business, that can mean fewer nuisance trips, cleaner power where it matters, and a setup that fits how the space is actually being used.
We also know we’re guests in your space. The goal is to keep the work neat, professional, and as low-disruption as possible so your business doesn’t miss a beat.
- Eric, Innis Electric
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A quick flicker usually means there is a brief power surge or heavy power draw when the AC or appliance starts up. Big motors and appliances pull extra power for a moment, and you may see the lights dip. If it happens often, gets worse, or the lights stay dim, it can also mean the circuit is overloaded or there is a loose connection that should be checked.
- Mike M., Innis Electric
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A breaker that keeps tripping usually means the circuit is overloaded, there is a fault in the wiring, or the breaker itself may be failing. Start by noticing what is running when the breaker trips, such as appliances, heaters, tools, or other high-demand equipment.
If the circuit does not seem overloaded, the next step is to have an electrician test the wiring and breaker safely. Innis Electric can check for faults between the hot, neutral, and ground, inspect the circuit, and determine whether the breaker needs to be replaced or if there is a wiring issue that should be repaired.
Do not keep resetting a breaker that trips repeatedly. It is doing its job by shutting power off, and repeated tripping should be checked before it becomes a bigger problem.
-Jack, Innis Electric
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Yes. Innis Electric handles office wiring, new circuits, outlets, lighting, and ethernet/data cabling for commercial spaces and small businesses.
Whether you’re setting up a new office, adding workstations, improving lighting, or running data lines for computers, phones, printers, or network equipment, our electricians can review the layout and complete the wiring neatly and to code.
— Mike C., Innis Electric
Need help figuring out an electrical problem?
If you are dealing with tripping breakers, flickering lights, warm outlets, GFCI problems, or partial power loss, our service call page explains what we check during a diagnostic visit.
Electrical Service Calls & TroubleshootingServices & Upgrades
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An EV charger can be a significant electrical load, so we check the service size and the other loads already in the home before installing one. Some houses have plenty of capacity; others may need a service upgrade or a load-management option. We would rather do the calculation first than recommend an upgrade you do not need or install equipment the service cannot properly support.
- Joe I.
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You do not always need to power the entire house. Many homeowners want to keep the refrigerator, heat, well pump, sump pump, a few lights, and some outlets running. We can look at what matters most to you and recommend a portable generator connection, a smaller standby system, or a whole-home setup. The right answer depends on the loads you want to run and how automatic you want the system to be.
- Joe I.
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We look at more than the number printed on the main breaker. The size and condition of the existing service and the home's electrical load all matter. Heat pumps, EV chargers, hot tubs, electric ranges, and additions can change that calculation. Sometimes a 200-amp upgrade is the right move. If the service has enough capacity, a subpanel may solve a breaker-space problem; load management may also be an option for new equipment. We check before recommending an upgrade.
- Joe I.
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Absolutely. You can start with one light, one room, or one problem you want to solve. A smart switch can schedule exterior lights, let you control a light from your phone, or automate a room without replacing every device in the house. We can also tell you when a regular timer, dimmer, or occupancy sensor would do the same job more simply.
- Joe I.
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Yes. Electrical work is not always about fixing a failure. It can make a home safer, easier to use, or better suited to how you live now. We can look at lighting, outlets, panel capacity, outdoor power, and future equipment, then separate worthwhile improvements from work you do not need.
- Joe I.
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Small electrical upgrades can make a home more convenient without a major renovation. We install USB and USB-C outlets, smart switches, dimmers, occupancy sensors, timers, exterior lighting controls, under-cabinet lighting, outlets behind televisions, dedicated appliance circuits, and additional outlets where people need them. Sometimes the best upgrades solve the little annoyances you have lived with for years.
- Joe I.
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Hot tubs combine electricity and water and can place a substantial load on a home's electrical system, so the installation matters. They typically need a dedicated circuit, GFCI protection, proper grounding and bonding, and a disconnect located to meet applicable requirements. We prefer to review the tub specifications and the property before the unit is placed; planning early can prevent problems later.
- Joe I.
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A subpanel provides more breaker space and can make it easier to distribute circuits to another part of the property, such as an addition, garage, or workshop. It does not increase the home's electrical service capacity. If the existing service has enough capacity but the main panel is out of breaker space, or you need circuits in another area, a subpanel can be a practical solution.
- Joe I.
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In many homes, yes. Every ceiling is different, but wafer-style and retrofit fixtures give us more options than homeowners often expect. We first look at access, framing, insulation, and existing wiring. The goal is to put the lighting where it belongs while keeping unnecessary cutting and patching to a minimum.
- Joe I.
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A portable generator with an approved inlet and interlock is generally the lower-cost option. You bring out the generator when needed and manually choose which circuits to power. A standby generator remains installed outside; with an automatic transfer switch, the system can start and transfer selected loads when utility power goes out. Both can work well. The choice depends on budget, convenience, and which parts of the home you want to power during an outage.
- Joe I.