Electrical work is the part of a home most owners never see until something goes wrong, and along the bayou it ages faster than it does inland. Salt in the air corrodes exterior disconnects, meter bases, and outdoor receptacles. Storm season means surges and generator hookups. Martin’s A/C and Electric has held Louisiana license 40204 since long before most of the panels we open were installed, and electrical has been part of what we do since 1967.
Signs Your Electrical System Needs Attention
Electrical problems rarely start dramatically. Breakers that trip on the same circuit more than once a month, outlets that feel warm, lights that dim when the AC compressor starts, a faint burning smell near a switch, or a panel that hums are all worth a look. Two-prong outlets and the absence of GFCI protection in kitchens, baths, garages, and exterior locations are code issues in their own right, and they matter more in a humid climate where moisture and electricity meet often.
Electrical Services We Provide
- Panel and breaker replacement, including corroded or obsolete panels.
- Service upgrades when a home has outgrown its existing amperage.
- Dedicated circuits for HVAC equipment, appliances, and workshops.
- GFCI and AFCI protection where code requires it.
- Outlet, switch, and fixture repair and replacement.
- Ceiling fans, exterior lighting, and landscape circuits.
- Generator inlets and transfer switch wiring.
- Troubleshooting circuits that trip, flicker, or lose power intermittently.
Panels, Amperage, and Older Homes
A house built for a window unit and a few lamps is now running central air, a heat pump with electric backup, a tankless water heater, a car charger, and a shop out back. Many homes along the bayou still run 100 amp service that was adequate in 1985 and is not adequate now. Undersized service does not usually fail outright. It shows up as nuisance tripping, dimming under load, and equipment that runs hot and dies early. We calculate the actual load rather than guessing from the square footage, so you upgrade once instead of twice.
Where Electrical and HVAC Overlap
Because we do both, we find problems that a company doing only one would hand off. A heat pump that trips its breaker when the backup strips energize can be an electrical fault, a sequencer fault, or an undersized circuit, and the answer changes who should be holding the screwdriver. The same is true of a condenser with a corroded disconnect or a thermostat wired to the wrong terminal. If you are already having air conditioning or heating work done, having one company own both sides shortens the diagnosis.
Safety Comes Before Speed
We do not energize work we have not tested, and we do not leave a panel with an unlabeled breaker. Every job gets the cover back on, the circuits mapped, and the work explained before we leave. We are based at 16878 W Main St in Cut Off, hold Louisiana license 40204, and carry a 4.9 star average across more than 200 Google reviews. For anything you suspect is a live hazard, stop using the circuit and call (985) 632-6428.
