General electrical repair
Outlet and switch repair, light switch replacement, wiring repair, and the small faults that keep adding up. Local team, real diagnosis.
Keil Electric handles general electrical repairs across both San Diego County and the Austin metro: outlet and switch repair, light switch replacement, individual circuit and wiring repair, and other faults that do not require full panel or rewire work.
Same scope on either side. Pick the shop that covers your area and we will route you to the right crew.
Pick the job that matches what you need. Each one is a licensed install with the same written warranty as the rest of our work.
Every repair starts with a diagnostic visit. The technician asks what's wrong, when it started, what changed, and what's been tried. The diagnostic fee is disclosed up front and credits toward the repair when the homeowner books the work.
Both franchises stock common parts on every service truck: 15A and 20A outlets, common switch types, GFCI devices, common breaker amperages, dimmers, basic wire. Most everyday repairs resolve at the diagnostic visit without a return trip.
Devices that are loose, hot, or scorched get replaced rather than re-terminated. Heat damage to internal contacts isn't restored by tightening screws. We use rated devices and proper torque for the gauge and terminal type.
Some repairs reveal larger conditions: aluminum branch wiring with multiple damaged terminations, knob-and-tube in active service, panel issues that show up only when the panel is opened. We document the finding and quote the broader scope before continuing the work.
Every repair quote separates parts, labor, and any follow-up work. No lump-sum estimates that hide variables. The homeowner sees what they're paying for before the work starts.
We ask what's happening, when it started, what changed, and any safety concerns. Non-emergency repairs schedule into the team's availability.
On site, the technician uses a multimeter, tone tracer, and circuit tester to identify the cause. Most repairs resolve at this visit. The diagnostic fee is disclosed up front.
If the repair is in-scope and parts are on the truck, we do it on the spot. If the work is larger, we write the broader quote and schedule the follow-up.
The repair gets installed, the circuit is tested under load, and the homeowner verifies the symptom is gone before we leave.
Every repair produces a written report. Devices and labor have a warranty period that varies by part type and is disclosed at quote.
Not every job requires a permit. When the local AHJ requires one, we pull it, schedule the inspection, and stay with the job until it passes. No paperwork on you.
Written warranty: 5-year on outlets, fixtures, and EV chargers; 10-year on wire and breakers; lifetime on panelboxes and surge protection. Parts and labor. Transfers with the home.
Repair work has clear safety boundaries. Don't reset a breaker repeatedly without understanding what's tripping it. Don't use a higher-amperage breaker to "fix" a tripping problem. The breaker is sized to the wire, and oversizing the breaker overheats the wire. Don't splice wires inside walls without an accessible junction box per NEC 314.29. Don't back-stab solid copper into push-in terminals when the device offers a screw terminal. Don't pull insulation off conductors with teeth or pliers in a way that nicks the copper. Don't leave a repair in a temporary state. Either complete the work or restore the circuit to a safe de-energized state before leaving.
Real work from our San Diego and Austin shops. Same standards, same warranty, every job.
For electrical repairs, here's the honest comparison. We'd tell you the same thing if we weren't trying to win the job.
Electrical repair work covers the everyday issues that need fixing but aren’t emergencies. A dead outlet that the breaker isn’t tripping for. A light switch that doesn’t work. A circuit that trips under specific loads. Wiring that was damaged during a renovation. Older devices that have failed gradually. The work is bounded, the diagnosis is straightforward, and the fix is usually quick once the cause is identified.
Repair scope is different from installation scope. Installation adds new equipment or new circuits. Repair brings existing equipment or circuits back to working condition. Most homes need both at different times. The diagnostic visit determines which scope applies and produces the written quote.
Common residential repair scopes: outlet replacement, switch replacement, light fixture troubleshooting, circuit tracing, breaker replacement, GFCI replacement, dimmer compatibility issues, dead circuit diagnosis, neutral failures on shared circuits, doorbell wiring, and intermittent connection issues. Each has its own diagnostic path.
The diagnostic visit starts with the symptom. The technician asks what’s not working, when it started, what changed in the home (renovation, new equipment, weather event), and what’s been tried already. The answers narrow the likely causes.
From there, the diagnostic uses a few standard tools. A multimeter to measure voltage and continuity at the device and at the panel. A tone generator and probe to trace cables through walls when the routing is unclear. An infrared thermometer or thermal camera to spot hot terminations on a working circuit. A circuit tester to verify outlet wiring (hot, neutral, ground, polarity).
Most repairs resolve at the diagnostic visit. We carry common parts on the truck (standard outlets, switches, breakers, GFCI devices, common dimmer types, basic wire). The diagnostic fee gets credited toward the repair when the homeowner books the work with us.
An outlet that’s loose, hot, or showing scorch marks is a replacement, not a repair. The internal contacts have likely been damaged by heat or wear, and re-tightening doesn’t restore the original spec. Replacement uses a current-rated device (15A or 20A depending on the circuit) and proper terminations.
An outlet that’s dead but otherwise undamaged might be the device, the connection at the device, the wiring upstream, the breaker, or a tripped GFCI somewhere on the same circuit. The diagnostic walks through each possibility in order from likely to less likely.
Switch replacement follows similar logic. A switch that doesn’t click cleanly, that’s warm, or that’s damaged gets replaced. A switch that doesn’t function at all gets diagnosed (dead circuit vs failed switch vs failed bulb downstream).
A breaker that trips under specific loads is doing its job. The question is whether the breaker is sized correctly for the load. A 15A circuit can handle about 1,800 watts continuous (1,440 watts continuous per the 80% rule). Adding a 1,500-watt space heater plus a 200-watt lamp plus 500 watts of other loads will trip the breaker, and that’s the right behavior.
The fix depends on the actual loads. If the breaker trips at low load, the breaker is failing or there’s a fault on the circuit. If it trips under specific equipment use, the circuit needs a different breaker, the equipment needs a dedicated circuit, or the homeowner needs to schedule which equipment runs together.
Nuisance trips on AFCI breakers are a separate diagnostic. Older AFCI designs had higher false-positive rates than current-generation breakers. Sometimes a current-generation AFCI replacement resolves nuisance trips. Sometimes the underlying circuit has a non-arcing condition that the AFCI is reading as arcing.
A specific wire that’s damaged (cut during renovation, chewed by rodents, damaged by water) gets repaired in place when the access allows. We use proper junction boxes (NEC 314.29 requires accessibility), proper splicing (twist-on connectors or push-in connectors rated for the wire size), and proper protection of the splice.
Broader wiring issues (multiple damaged sections, deteriorating insulation, knob-and-tube in active service) push the scope from repair into rewiring. We document the conditions and tell the homeowner whether the issue is targeted or systemic.
We don’t recommend work the homeowner doesn’t need. If the diagnostic reveals that the existing system is fine and the issue is user error or a one-time condition, we say so.
The diagnostic fee gets credited toward repair when the homeowner books the work. The homeowner isn’t paying twice for the visit.
Some repairs reveal larger issues. A dead outlet diagnostic that uncovers aluminum branch wiring with damaged terminations turns into a different conversation. We document the finding and quote the broader scope before doing the broader work.
Repair quotes are written. We don’t do verbal estimates that might shift later.
Repair work is a different category from new installation. The job is to find what failed, understand why, and fix it correctly so it does not fail again. The list below covers the scopes that account for most residential repair calls.
One outlet has stopped working but the breaker is on. Common causes, in rough order of frequency:
We start at the dead outlet, work backwards through the circuit, and find the actual fault. Replacing the outlet without finding the upstream fault leaves the underlying issue in place.
A switch that no longer turns the light on, turns it on but flickers, or feels loose in the wall. Most fixes are device replacement plus tightening the box. Three-way and four-way switch combinations have more failure modes, a single failed traveler in a four-way circuit can disable the entire group of switches.
A breaker that trips repeatedly is signaling a fault: overload, short circuit, ground fault, or an internal breaker problem. The diagnostic process:
The fix follows the diagnosis: device replacement, wiring repair at the failed location, or breaker replacement. Replacing the breaker without diagnosing the cause is the most common amateur mistake.
An electrical burning smell, distinctive plastic-fishy odor, is signaling a hot connection somewhere. The connection is overheating, the insulation is melting, and the failure is in progress. Not a wait-until-business-hours issue.
The diagnostic is locating the hot connection. Common locations: a receptacle or switch terminal, a junction box, a light fixture termination, or a panel breaker terminal. Thermal imaging helps locate hot spots that are not yet visible. The fix is replacing the failed device or termination and inspecting nearby terminations on the same circuit.
Lights dim or flicker when the HVAC compressor, refrigerator, or other large appliance starts. The cause is usually voltage drop on the circuit feeding the lights, or a loose neutral connection somewhere in the home. Severe flickering on multiple circuits can indicate a service-entrance neutral problem, which is a real safety issue and warrants utility involvement.
For each scope we evaluate whether the right answer is repair or replace:
Every repair starts with a diagnostic, finding the actual fault before pricing the fix. We do not quote a repair without understanding what is wrong. We do not replace devices when the underlying fault is in the wiring. We do not replace panels when the underlying fault is a single failed breaker. Diagnostic work is billed by time at a documented rate; the repair is quoted separately once the fault is identified. The homeowner always knows the diagnostic cost before we start, and the repair scope before we begin work.
Outlet repair and replacement (including GFCI outlet replacement and AFCI outlet replacement where current code requires the upgrade), light switch repair and replacement, dimmer compatibility fixes, ceiling fan repair (wobble, wiring fault, no-power, light kit issues), and light fixture repair are the most common single-visit jobs. For wiring repair, we trace the circuit before replacing parts so the same fault does not return after the visit.
Other typical repair scopes: light fixture repair, exterior outlet weatherproofing, three-way and four-way switch wiring corrections, repaired or replaced GFCI outlets in kitchens, bathrooms, garages, and exterior locations where code-cycle GFCI is now required, and isolated circuit-fault tracing where one or two outlets stopped working.
Outlet and switch repair, light switch replacement, individual circuit issues, dead receptacles, intermittent power on a circuit, and small wiring repairs. Anything that is not a full panel or rewire job typically falls under this scope.
We ask what is not working, when it started, which breaker or room is affected, and whether anyone has tried to reset a breaker. Photos of the device or area help. From there we confirm whether the visit is repair, diagnostic, or larger.
When the cause is upstream of the device - a panel issue, damaged wiring in the wall, or aged service equipment. We always tell you before scope grows so the conversation about cost and timing happens before the work continues.
Both locations carry standard outlets, switches, breakers, and basic supplies on every service truck. Less common parts are sourced after the diagnostic visit.
Yes. Older homes with knob-and-tube, aluminum, or aged Romex wiring need extra care during repair so existing problems are not made worse. We flag wiring conditions on the first visit so the homeowner has the full picture.
Yes. Outlet repair, outlet replacement, GFCI outlet replacement, and AFCI outlet replacement are standard scope. If a backstabbed connection is the cause (the spring connection on the back of cheap outlets), we replace with screw-terminal fixtures for long-term reliability.
Yes. We replace and install GFCI outlets in kitchens, bathrooms, garages, exterior locations, and any other code-cycle-required location. Where current code now requires GFCI but the original install predated it, we tell you up front it is a code-correction job and quote accordingly.
Yes. Ceiling fan repair (wobble, wiring fault, no-power, light kit issues, remote pairing) is standard scope. If the existing box is not fan-rated, we pull a fan-rated box before mounting a replacement.
Yes. Light fixture repair, light fixture replacement, and exterior fixture work (with proper weatherproofing) are common single-visit jobs.
Pick the location closest to your property to reach the local team and request a real plan.
