Straight answers.

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

A burning or hot-plastic smell usually means a connection is overheating: a loose wire on an outlet, a failing breaker or an overloaded cord. Do not keep using the circuit to see if it happens again. Unplug what you can without touching anything hot.

A breaker that trips repeatedly is doing its job: the circuit is overloaded, something is shorting, or a ground fault or arc fault is being detected. Resetting it over and over is not a fix.

If it trips when a particular appliance runs, that appliance may need its own circuit or may be failing. If it trips with nothing obvious running, or the breaker is warm or will not reset, leave it off and have the circuit checked. Never replace a breaker with a larger one to stop the tripping; the wire is sized for the breaker.

Partial power loss often means one of the two incoming service legs has a problem: a failing main breaker, a loose service connection, or damage to the line coming into the house. Turn off the main if it is safe, call BGE to check their side, and call an electrician.

Symptoms like lights that go very bright or very dim, or 240-volt appliances that stop working while some lights still work, point the same way. A loose neutral or service connection can damage electronics and is a fire risk, so do not wait it out.

One flickering fixture is usually a bulb, a dimmer that does not match LED bulbs, or a loose connection at that fixture. Flickering across several rooms, or when a big appliance starts, points to a loose connection or an undersized or failing service.

Swap the bulb first. If the flicker is widespread, comes with buzzing or warm switches, or is getting worse, have it checked. Loose connections heat up over time.

Yes, treat a warm outlet or switch as a warning. Stop using it, turn off its breaker, and have it looked at.

Dimmers can run slightly warm by design, but an ordinary outlet or switch should not. Heat usually means a loose terminal, a worn device or a backstabbed connection that has started to fail.

Stay well away from it, keep children and pets away, and call BGE right away. Assume every downed line is live, even if it is not sparking.

Do not try to move it with anything, and do not drive over it. If the line pulled the service mast or meter off your house, BGE handles the line and an electrician repairs the equipment on the house before power can be restored.

Some do. Houses built before about 1940, common in Parkville, Overlea, Towson and Baltimore City, may still have knob-and-tube in walls and attics, even after other updates.

It has no ground, the insulation gets brittle, and it was never meant to be covered by attic insulation or carry modern loads. Many insurers ask about it. An inspection tells you whether any of it is still live and what to replace first.

Not unless a ground is present. A three-prong outlet on an ungrounded circuit looks safe but is not, and it fools surge protectors and appliances that rely on the ground.

The proper options are to run a ground, to rewire the circuit, or to install GFCI protection and label the outlets 'No equipment ground' as the code allows. An electrician can test which you have.

Federal Pacific Stab-Lok and Zinsco panels have long-documented problems with breakers that may not trip when they should. Most electricians and many insurers recommend replacing them.

Both were common in homes built from the 1950s through the 1980s. If your panel label says Federal Pacific, FPE, Stab-Lok, Zinsco or Sylvania-Zinsco, have it evaluated.

Solid aluminum branch wiring, used in some homes in the mid-1960s to mid-1970s, can be safe if the connections are right, but its connections loosen and overheat more easily than copper. It needs an evaluation, not panic.

The usual fixes are approved connectors that join a short copper pigtail to the aluminum at every outlet, switch and fixture, or rewiring. Do not use ordinary twist-on connectors or standard devices on aluminum.

There is no rule that every fuse box must go, but most are 60-amp services that are too small for modern homes, and it is easy to install the wrong size fuse. Replacement is usually the right call.

Insurers and home buyers often ask about fuse boxes too. Replacing one usually means a new breaker panel and often a service upgrade, coordinated with BGE.

Yes, especially for homes built before 1980. A general home inspector notes visible problems; an electrician can open the panel, test circuits and tell you what the fixes will cost.

That gives you real numbers for negotiating, and it avoids surprises like live knob-and-tube behind new drywall or a panel brand insurers dislike.

You likely need one if your panel is full, breakers trip when big appliances run, you have a 60- or 100-amp service and are adding central air, a heat pump, an electric range, a hot tub or an EV charger, or your panel is a brand with known problems.

The honest way to decide is a load calculation, not a guess. Sometimes a new panel on the same service is enough; sometimes the service itself needs to grow.

A panel replacement swaps the breaker box and keeps the same amperage. A service upgrade increases the capacity coming into the house, which usually means a new meter base, service-entrance cable or mast, and coordination with BGE.

Both need a permit and inspection in Baltimore County and Baltimore City.

The electrical work for a typical house is usually done in a day, with the power off for part of it. The whole process takes longer because it depends on the permit, BGE scheduling the disconnect and reconnect, and the inspection.

We explain the sequence and the expected power-off window before we start.

Panel, service and feeder work is not a do-it-yourself job. The service conductors coming into a panel stay live even with the main breaker off, and mistakes cause fires and shocks.

In Maryland, electrical work is meant to be done by licensed electricians, and panel and service work requires a permit and inspection. Call a licensed electrician.

A subpanel is a smaller breaker panel fed from the main panel. It makes sense when you need many new circuits in one place, such as a finished basement, an addition, a detached garage or a workshop.

It does not add capacity to your service. If the main service is already near its limit, a subpanel may need to go with a service upgrade.

For most homes, yes. A surge protector installed at the panel helps protect everything in the house, including HVAC controls, appliance boards and electronics, from surges caused by storms and utility switching.

It works best together with good grounding and point-of-use surge strips for sensitive electronics. It cannot stop a direct lightning strike, but it handles the far more common smaller surges.

Through a transfer switch or a code-approved interlock kit with an inlet box, installed by an electrician. Never backfeed the house by plugging a generator into a dryer or other outlet.

Backfeeding can energize the utility lines outside and kill a lineman, and it can damage your generator and wiring when power returns. Always run a generator outdoors, far from doors and windows, because of carbon monoxide.

A standby generator starts on its own and can run most or all of the house, but costs more. A portable generator with an inlet and interlock is a lower-cost way to run essentials like the furnace, sump pump, well pump and refrigerator.

If you have a well, a sump pump in a wet basement, medical equipment, or you are often away when storms hit, standby is worth considering. Either way, size the generator to the loads you truly need.

You cannot prevent BGE outages, but you can decide what keeps running. Generator hookups, battery backup for the sump pump, and surge protection at the panel cover most of what matters.

If outages only affect your house, or you see flickering before and after storms, have your service connection checked; a loose or weather-damaged service can look like a utility problem.

If your home has any fuel-burning appliance, a fireplace or an attached garage, yes. Install CO alarms outside sleeping areas and on each level, following the manufacturer's instructions.

Hardwired, interconnected alarms are more reliable than battery-only units because when one sounds, they all sound. Carbon monoxide detectors are among our listed services.

Maryland law requires battery-only smoke alarms to be the sealed, 10-year long-life type. Any smoke alarm, hardwired or battery, should be replaced once it is 10 years old.

Hardwired alarms with battery backup should be replaced with compatible hardwired units. Requirements for new construction and major renovations are stricter, so ask about them when you remodel.

Usually, yes. Slim LED recessed fixtures need very little ceiling space and can be installed through small openings, with the wiring fished above the ceiling.

Ceilings with an attic above are easiest. Between floors, joist direction and plumbing or ductwork decide the layout, so we plan the spacing before cutting anything.

A remodeled kitchen typically needs at least two 20-amp countertop circuits with GFCI protection, dedicated circuits for appliances like the dishwasher, disposal and microwave, a proper range circuit, and new lighting.

Older kitchens rarely have that, so a remodel is the time to add it. Plan the electrical work before the cabinets are ordered so outlets and lights land where you need them.

Most older dimmers were designed for incandescent bulbs and do not control LEDs well. The fix is usually an LED-rated dimmer matched to the bulbs, and dimmable bulbs.

If flicker continues with a proper dimmer, or happens on regular switches too, there may be a loose connection worth checking.

Often, but the electrical box must be rated to support a fan. Ordinary light boxes are not built for the weight and vibration.

We replace the box with a fan-rated one or add a brace, and can add a separate switch for the light and fan if you want independent control.

Yes. A bath fan should be ducted to the outdoors, not into the attic, where the moisture causes mold and rot.

Exhaust fans are one of our listed services. Replacing a noisy or weak fan is also a good time to add a timer or humidity-sensing control.

Most Level 2 chargers need a dedicated 240-volt circuit, often 40 to 60 amps. Whether your panel and service can carry that is the first question, answered by a load calculation.

Mount the charger close to where you park, and ask BGE about any current EV programs. If the service is tight, load-management options can sometimes avoid a full upgrade. Ask us whether EV charger work fits your project.

Yes. Outdoor and security lighting and underground wiring are among our listed services: porch and soffit lights, motion lights, path and landscape lighting fed from a properly protected circuit, and lights at a detached garage or shed.

Outdoor circuits need weather-rated boxes, GFCI protection and correct burial depth for underground runs.

Use the license search on the Maryland State Board of Electricians website, part of the Maryland Department of Labor. Search the electrician's name or license number and confirm the license is active.

Maryland licenses master, journeyperson and apprentice electricians. Ask who will hold the permit, and make sure the company carries insurance.

A master electrician holds the highest license level and can run an electrical contracting business and take responsibility for permits. Maryland requires years of documented experience before an applicant can sit for the master exam.

Journeypersons and apprentices do much of the field work under that license. Justified Electrical was founded by a master electrician with over 30 years of experience.

Most electrical work beyond simple like-for-like repairs needs a permit, including new circuits, panels, service upgrades, generators and remodel wiring. Baltimore County issues permits and inspections for unincorporated communities like Perry Hall, Nottingham, Towson and White Marsh.

Baltimore City has its own permit office. Your electrician should pull the permit and schedule the inspection; if a contractor suggests skipping it, find another contractor.

Because electrical prices differ mostly in what is included: permits, correct wire and breaker sizes, quality devices, cleanup and the time to do it right. A low number that skips any of those costs more later.

Compare quotes line by line, ask what is included, and ask how the work will be inspected. One of our customers put it this way in her review: 'You want reputable and you want a fair price.'

Your address and town, what is happening or what you want done, and when it started or when you need it. Photos of the panel label, the problem area or the space you're remodeling help us arrive prepared.

If it is a safety issue like a burning smell, sparks or partial power loss, say so first, and shut off the breaker if it is safe to do.

Yes. Justified Electrical Services is a residential and commercial electrical contractor, and the company van says so: Residential & Commercial.

Commercial work includes office and shop lighting, exit and emergency lighting, voice and data systems, control panels and service work.