Dutton Electric

Dutton Electric Contact information, map and directions, contact form, opening hours, services, ratings, photos, videos and announcements from Dutton Electric, Electrician, Murfreesboro, TN.

Home electrical has come a long way. If your house has not kept up, it may be running on systems that were standard deca...
08/28/2026

Home electrical has come a long way. If your house has not kept up, it may be running on systems that were standard decades ago and are not built for how we live today.

Then: Fuse boxes. When a circuit overloaded, a fuse blew and had to be physically replaced before power came back.
Now: Circuit breakers. When a circuit overloads, a breaker trips and you simply reset it. Safer, easier, and far more convenient.

Then: 60-amp service. Plenty for a home with a few lights, a radio, and a refrigerator.
Now: 200-amp service is the modern standard. Today's homes run AC, multiple TVs, computers, kitchen appliances, EV chargers, and more, all at once.

Then: Two-prong, ungrounded outlets. No safe path for stray electrical current.
Now: Grounded three-prong outlets and GFCI protection in wet areas, dramatically reducing shock and fire risk.

Then: Aluminum branch wiring in some 1960s and 1970s homes, prone to loosening connections over time.
Now: Copper wiring as the standard, with modern connectors and methods.

If your Murfreesboro home is still running on any of the “then” column, it does not necessarily mean there is an emergency. But it does mean an upgrade could make your home safer, more capable, and better suited to the way you actually live. We are happy to take a look and walk you through your options.

Dutton Electric | (615) 416-5954 | duttonelectrictn.com
Tennessee Licensed Electrician #82842 | Murfreesboro License #1576

We appreciate every customer who takes the time to share their experience.“Alerted me of his ETA. Arrived on time. Very ...
08/21/2026

We appreciate every customer who takes the time to share their experience.

“Alerted me of his ETA. Arrived on time. Very personable, knowledgeable, and dependable. Have used his services twice. Would recommend.” — T. Green
Thank you, T. Green. Repeat customers mean the world to us.

The little things T. Green mentioned are the things we work hardest at. Letting you know when we are on the way. Showing up when we said we would. Being someone you feel comfortable having in your home. Those habits are why so many of our customers call us back the next time they need electrical work, and why they feel good referring us to their neighbors.

If you are looking for an electrician in Murfreesboro or anywhere in Rutherford County who will show up on time and treat your home with respect, we would love to earn your trust.

Dutton Electric | (615) 416-5954 | duttonelectrictn.com
Tennessee Licensed Electrician #82842 | Murfreesboro License #1576

Just bought your first home in Murfreesboro or Rutherford County? Congratulations. Once the boxes are unpacked, here are...
08/13/2026

Just bought your first home in Murfreesboro or Rutherford County? Congratulations. Once the boxes are unpacked, here are a few electrical basics every new homeowner should take care of in the first week.

Find your electrical panel and label it. Most panels are in the garage, a utility room, or on an exterior wall. Take fifteen minutes to figure out which breaker controls what, and label them clearly. When something trips at the worst possible moment, you will be glad you did.

Test every GFCI outlet. These are the outlets with test and reset buttons, found in kitchens, bathrooms, garages, and outdoors. Press test, confirm the power cuts, then press reset. If one does not work, it needs attention.

Locate your main shutoff. In an emergency, you need to know how to cut power to the whole house fast. Find it now, not during a crisis.

Check the age and brand of your panel. If your home was built between the 1950s and 1980s, it is worth confirming you do not have one of the older panel brands with known safety concerns. When in doubt, have it looked at.

Note anything that seems off. Outlets that do not work, switches that do nothing, warm outlet covers, flickering lights. Make a list as you settle in, and knock them out before they become bigger problems.

Buying an older home or just want peace of mind about what you inherited? A pre-move-in or new-homeowner electrical inspection is one of the smartest things you can do. We would love to help you start off right.

Dutton Electric | (615) 416-5954
Tennessee Licensed Electrician #82842 | Murfreesboro License #1576

Our pets are curious by nature, and that curiosity does not always mix well with your home's electrical system. A few si...
08/07/2026

Our pets are curious by nature, and that curiosity does not always mix well with your home's electrical system. A few simple steps can keep your furry family members safe.

Keep cords out of reach and out of sight. Puppies and kittens chew, and an exposed cord is an invitation. Cord covers, wire concealers, and routing cords behind furniture all help. For young chewers, bitter anti-chew spray on cords can save a life.

Cover unused outlets. The same outlet covers that protect toddlers protect pets. Tamper-resistant outlets, which are required in new construction, add another layer of protection by preventing objects from being pushed into the slots.
Watch the space heaters, curling irons, and dangling cords. Pets knock things over. A heated item knocked over by a wagging tail or a lamp pulled down by a dangling cord can start a fire or cause injury. Secure them.

Unplug when you are away. Small appliances and chargers left plugged in are a risk if a pet gets to them while you are gone. When in doubt, unplug it.

If your pet has chewed a cord, do not assume it is fine because it still works. Damaged insulation is a shock and fire hazard even when the cord still functions. Have it replaced.

Keeping your home safe for pets often means keeping it safer for everyone. If you need outlets relocated, cords concealed, or tamper-resistant outlets installed, we are happy to help.

Dutton Electric | (615) 416-5954
Tennessee Licensed Electrician #82842 | Murfreesboro License #1576

There is a real difference between hiring a licensed electrician and hiring a handyman for electrical work, and it matte...
07/31/2026

There is a real difference between hiring a licensed electrician and hiring a handyman for electrical work, and it matters more than most homeowners realize.
A handyman can be genuinely skilled and well-intentioned. But electrical work is one of the areas where the gap in training, licensing, and accountability shows up in ways you may not see until it is too late.

A licensed electrician has completed years of training and testing to earn and maintain their license. That means a working knowledge of the National Electrical Code, which changes every three years, and an understanding of why each requirement exists. Electrical mistakes are often invisible. A connection that looks fine can be a fire hazard inside the wall. Licensed training is what catches those things before they become problems.

A licensed electrician pulls permits and gets work inspected when the job calls for it. This protects you. It creates a record that the work was done to code, which matters for your insurance and when you eventually sell your home. Unpermitted electrical work can come back to haunt you in both.

A licensed electrician carries insurance. If something goes wrong, you are protected. If an unlicensed person is hurt on your property or causes damage to your home, you may be the one left holding the bill.

None of this is a knock on handymen for the right jobs. But when it comes to your home's electrical system, the stakes are too high to guess. In Tennessee, electrical contractors are licensed by the state, and in Murfreesboro an additional city license is required.

Drew Dutton holds Tennessee Electrical License #82842 and Murfreesboro License #1576, with over 23 years of experience. When you hire Dutton Electric, you know exactly who is working in your home and that the work is done right.

Dutton Electric | (615) 416-5954 | duttonelectrictn.com
Tennessee Licensed Electrician #82842 | Murfreesboro License #1576

Buying a home in Rutherford County this summer? Before you sign, there are a few electrical things worth checking that m...
07/27/2026

Buying a home in Rutherford County this summer? Before you sign, there are a few electrical things worth checking that most buyers never think about.

The electrical panel. The brand and age matter more than most people realize. Certain older panels found in homes built between the 1950s and 1980s have documented safety issues, and some insurance companies will not write a policy on a home that still has one. It is worth knowing before you close, not after.
The outlets. Two-prong outlets throughout a home signal older, ungrounded wiring. Three-prong outlets that are not actually grounded are even more concerning because they hide the problem. A quick check can tell you a lot about what is behind the walls.

GFCI protection. Most areas should have GFCI outlets. Missing them is both a safety issue and a sign the home may not have been updated to current code.
These are just a few of the things we look at. We just published a full guide to the electrical questions every Rutherford County homebuyer should ask before signing, and it is on our website now.

Thinking about buying, or already under contract and want peace of mind? A pre-purchase electrical inspection is one of the smartest things you can do.
Read the full guide at duttonelectrictn.com or call (615) 416-5954.

Dutton Electric | (615) 416-5954 | duttonelectrictn.com
Tennessee Licensed Electrician #82842 | Murfreesboro License #1576

Myth: Turning your lights off and on uses more electricity than just leaving them on.Fact: This one has been around for ...
07/17/2026

Myth: Turning your lights off and on uses more electricity than just leaving them on.

Fact: This one has been around for decades, and it is not true for modern lighting.

The tiny surge of power when you flip a switch on is negligible. It does not come anywhere close to the energy used by leaving a light burning for even a minute or two. Turn lights off when you leave a room. It saves energy and extends the life of the bulb.

This myth started back in the era of old fluorescent tubes, which did draw a noticeable startup surge and did wear out faster with frequent switching. But with today's LED and standard bulbs, the old rule simply does not apply. LEDs in particular are completely unbothered by being switched on and off, and they use a fraction of the power in the first place.

If you are still running older lighting throughout your Murfreesboro home, switching to LED is one of the simplest upgrades you can make to lower your summer power bill. And if you want to talk about a full lighting upgrade, we are always happy to help.

Have an electrical myth you have always wondered about? Drop it in the comments and we may feature it next time.

Dutton Electric | (615) 416-5954 | duttonelectrictn.com
Tennessee Licensed Electrician #82842 | Murfreesboro License #1576

Let's play a game. Which of these do you think uses the MOST electricity in your home on a hot Tennessee summer day?A) Y...
07/10/2026

Let's play a game. Which of these do you think uses the MOST electricity in your home on a hot Tennessee summer day?

A) Your central air conditioner
B) Your electric water heater
C) Your EV charger (if you have one)
D) Your clothes dryer

Take a guess in the comments before you scroll to the answer.

Here is the breakdown. Your central air conditioner is almost always the biggest energy user in the house during summer, especially when it is running nearly nonstop through a Middle Tennessee heat wave. A central AC unit can draw a huge share of your total electrical load on the hottest days.

Your electric water heater is usually second, quietly using a significant amount of power all day, every day. An EV charger can rival or beat the AC while it is actively charging, but it is typically only running for a few hours. And the clothes dryer draws a lot, but only in short bursts.

The takeaway: summer is when your home's electrical system works its hardest, and it is also when weak spots start to show. If your breakers trip on hot days, your lights dim when the AC kicks on, or your panel feels warm to the touch, those are signs worth having looked at before peak summer really sets in.

How did your guess do? Let us know in the comments.

Dutton Electric | (615) 416-5954 | duttonelectrictn.com
Tennessee Licensed Electrician #82842 | Murfreesboro License #1576

A whole-home generator is one of those upgrades nobody thinks about until the power goes out in July with the AC off and...
07/02/2026

A whole-home generator is one of those upgrades nobody thinks about until the power goes out in July with the AC off and the freezer thawing.

If you have been thinking about backup power for your Murfreesboro home, summer is actually the right window to plan for it. Here is why.

Fall is generator installation rush season. Once the first cold snap hits, every electrician and generator installer in Middle Tennessee gets booked out for weeks. Planning in July means you can have your generator installed and running before fall.

A standby generator is not the same as a portable generator. A standby unit is permanently installed outside your home, connected to your natural gas or propane supply, and wired into your electrical panel through a transfer switch. When the power goes out, it kicks on automatically within seconds. No extension cords, no fuel runs, no manual setup.

What it actually powers depends on the size. A smaller unit can keep your refrigerator, a few lights, and your HVAC running. A larger unit can run the entire house just like nothing happened. The right sizing depends on your home's electrical service and what you want to keep going during an outage.

Installation involves more than just dropping in the generator. The transfer switch has to be sized correctly, the gas line has to be run, the unit needs a code-compliant location, and the whole installation has to be permitted and inspected. It is a real project, which is why planning ahead matters.

If you want to talk through whether a whole-home generator makes sense for your home, we are happy to walk through the options.

Dutton Electric | (615) 416-5954 | duttonelectrictn.com Tennessee Licensed Electrician #82842 | Murfreesboro License #1576

Reviews like this one make our day."I couldn't be happier! Drew installed lighting under my kitchen cabinets and now I c...
06/23/2026

Reviews like this one make our day.

"I couldn't be happier! Drew installed lighting under my kitchen cabinets and now I can see what I'm cooking! The process went very quickly and when he was finished it looked as if the lights had always been there. I was very impressed. Drew was professional, courteous, and when he left he didn't leave a mess for me to clean up. I will definitely be calling Dutton Electric the next time I need anything electrical." — J.M.

Thank you, J.M. We are so glad you are loving your new under-cabinet lighting.
Under-cabinet lighting is one of those upgrades that genuinely changes how a kitchen functions. Better visibility for cooking, better ambiance for entertaining, and when it is installed cleanly, it looks like it was always part of the kitchen. The trick is getting the wiring concealed, the switch placement right, and the lights tied into a proper circuit that does not interfere with anything else.

If you are thinking about adding under-cabinet lighting, recessed lighting, or any other lighting upgrade to your Murfreesboro home, we would love to help.

Call Dutton Electric at (615) 416-5954 or visit duttonelectrictn.com.
Tennessee Licensed Electrician #82842 | Murfreesboro License #1576

Address

Murfreesboro, TN
37129

Opening Hours

Monday 8am - 4pm
Tuesday 8am - 4pm
Wednesday 8am - 4pm
Thursday 8am - 4pm
Friday 8am - 4pm

Website

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Dutton Electric posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Shortcuts

Share

Category