Licensed Electrician Serving Washington Heights, Chicago
Washington Heights, bordering Beverly and Morgan Park, is a quiet residential neighborhood of single-family homes built across several decades. That variety means EMT Electric handles everything from older home rewiring to new circuit additions on the same block. Many calls here start with a simple problem — a dead outlet, a breaker that keeps tripping — and we trace it to the source.
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Tracking down problems in Washington Heights homes
Because the houses here were built over several decades, two homes side by side can have completely different wiring. One may have a fuse box and ungrounded two-prong outlets, the next may have aluminum branch wiring from the late 1960s or early 1970s, and another may have a modern breaker panel feeding old circuits. That is why we do not guess. We test, trace and find the cause before we recommend anything.
The usual complaints are partial power, where half a room or one side of the house goes dead, warm or loose outlets, lights that flicker when an appliance kicks on, and breakers that trip for no obvious reason. Often it is a failing connection, a worn outlet or an overloaded circuit. Sometimes it points to a bigger issue, like a worn service or a panel that needs replacing, and we will tell you plainly which it is.
Popular projects in Washington Heights
The jobs we're called for most often here.
Partial power and tripping breakers
We find the loose connection, failed breaker or overloaded circuit behind the problem, fix it, and explain what happened so you know whether it is likely to come back.
Two-prong outlets and aluminum wiring
Ungrounded outlets can be properly grounded or GFCI-protected, and aluminum branch wiring can be made safer at every connection. We tell you which approach fits your house and your budget.
Lighting for updated rooms
When a kitchen or living room is being updated, we add recessed lights on their own switch and, where needed, their own circuit, so the new lighting does not overload an older circuit.
Services
From quick fixes to full remodel wiring — here’s what EMT Electric handles.
Troubleshooting
- Troubleshoot & repair partial power
- Identify shorts, overloads, & failures
Fans & Ventilation
- Ceiling fans
- Attic fans & bathroom exhaust fans
Switches & Outlets
- Dimmers, 3-way, 4-way, timers
- Receptacles / GFCI replacements
Dedicated Circuits
- Dryer, AC unit, furnace, baseboard heaters
- Washer, microwave, oven, etc.
- Dishwasher & disposal power
Outdoor & Low Voltage
- Security/pole/landscape lights
- Photocells, motion sensors
- Doorbells & cable
Permits and inspections in Washington Heights
Washington Heights is in the city, so any repair that turns into new wiring falls under the Chicago Electrical Code. When a job grows into new circuits or a panel change, we pull the permit through the Chicago Department of Buildings, run the new wiring in metal conduit as the city requires, and meet the inspector. If a job needs a permit, you will know before we start.
Washington Heights electrical questions
Why did half my room lose power when no breaker tripped?
That usually points to a loose or burned connection somewhere on the circuit, often at an outlet or switch upstream of the dead ones. It can also be a failing breaker that looks fine. Since a bad connection can heat up, it is worth having it checked soon rather than living with it. We trace it to the exact spot.
Is aluminum wiring dangerous?
Aluminum branch wiring, used in some homes built or updated in the late 1960s and early 1970s, is not dangerous by itself, but its connections can loosen and overheat over time, especially at outlets and switches not rated for it. The usual fix is approved connectors that join a short copper lead at each connection, instead of rewiring the whole house.
Can I just swap my two-prong outlets for three-prong ones?
Not without a ground. Putting a three-prong outlet on an ungrounded circuit makes it look grounded when it is not. The right fixes are to run a ground or, where the code allows it, to protect the outlet with a GFCI and label it as having no equipment ground. We check each circuit and tell you which makes sense.
Why Washington Heights Homeowners Choose EMT Electric
Peter Podczerwinski owns EMT Electric and runs it as a two-man shop. He takes your call, comes out himself and does the repair, so the person who diagnoses the problem is the one who fixes it. Free, firm quotes, and every call is returned the same day.
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Nearby areas we serve
We work across the neighborhoods and towns around Washington Heights, out of our base in Oak Lawn.