Electrical Help
Electrical help for Boston homeowners
Straight answers on panels, old wiring, chargers, outages and selling a house. Written from the questions people ask us on the phone, so you can understand the problem before anyone opens a wall.
Written by Lucille Jessup, Home Wiring EditorUpdated October 2026
All guides
Read up before you call, or after
Straight answer
These guides explain the electrical problems and projects Boston homeowners ask about most: panel upgrades, knob and tube, EV chargers, heat pumps, tripping breakers, outages and the smoke certificate needed to sell a Massachusetts home. Each one explains causes, options and what drives the cost, without quoting prices.
What goes into an electrical panel upgrade in a Boston house
A panel upgrade is part paperwork, part utility scheduling and part a long day of careful work in your basement. Here is what actually happens, and what makes one job bigger than another.
Read the guideKnob and tube wiring in a Boston house: what it means and what to do
Knob and tube is the original wiring in many Boston houses built before about 1940. It is not automatically dangerous, but it limits what you can do with the house, and it usually has to go before insulation goes in.
Read the guideHow to add a home EV charger in Massachusetts without surprises
Most of the decisions about a home charger are made before the charger arrives: how much power the panel can spare, where the car parks, and which utility program you might use. Here is the order to work through them.
Read the guideDoes adding a heat pump mean you need a panel upgrade?
A heat pump installer may tell you the panel has to go. Sometimes that is true. Often a careful load calculation, a few freed-up breaker spaces or a load management device gets you there without a new service.
Read the guideBreaker keeps tripping? What to check before you call
A breaker that trips is doing its job. The useful question is why. A few safe checks tell you whether you have an overloaded circuit, a bad appliance or a wiring fault that needs an electrician.
Read the guideSmoke and CO alarm certificates when you sell a Massachusetts home
No Massachusetts house changes hands without a smoke and carbon monoxide certificate from the local fire department. A failed inspection can push a closing date, so it pays to know what the inspector looks for.
Read the guideFederal Pacific and Zinsco panels: what the concern is and when to replace one
Home inspectors flag these two panel brands more than any others. Here is what the concern actually is, how to tell what you have, and how to decide between watching it and replacing it.
Read the guidePower out in part of the house? What to check first and when to call
When some rooms go dark and others stay lit, the cause is usually one of four things. A few safe checks tell you which one you are dealing with and how urgent it is.
Read the guideAluminum branch wiring in older homes: risks, repairs and your options
Aluminum wire was used for ordinary outlet and light circuits in a limited window of home building. The wire itself is not the main problem. The connections at each device are.
Read the guideStandby or portable generator for nor'easter outages: choosing what fits your house
When a big storm takes the power out for days, the right backup depends on what you need to keep running, how you want it to start, and where the generator can safely sit.
Read the guideHiring an electrician in Massachusetts: the questions worth asking first
A few direct questions before work starts protect your house, your insurance and your resale. Here is what to ask, what the answers should sound like, and what to keep on file afterward.
Read the guideBy topic
Guides grouped by what you are dealing with
Panels and capacity questions usually come together, and so do old wiring questions. Start with the group that sounds like your house.
Panels and capacity
Old wiring
When something goes wrong
Selling, buying and hiring
FAQ
About these guides
Lucille Jessup, our home wiring editor, writes them from the questions Boston homeowners ask us most often.
No. The guides explain what is going on and what the options are. Anything inside a panel or a wall box is work for an electrician.
They explain what drives the cost of a job. Actual pricing depends on the house, so we give it after looking at the work.
When codes, utility programs or the advice changes. Each guide shows the month it was last updated.
Call and ask. If it comes up often enough, it becomes the next guide.
Day or night
Something electrical not right? Call the line that is answered.
Tell us what is happening and where. We will ask a few questions, tell you what is safe to do until we arrive, and get an electrician scheduled.
Reach us
Phone, hours and where we work
- Phone
- (617) 843-6591
- Hours
- Open 24 hours, 7 days a week
- Office
- Danvers, MA
- Coverage
- Serving Boston, MA and surrounding areas. See the Greater Boston coverage page
Boston and the towns around it, from Quincy up to the North Shore. The map loads only when you ask for it.