Nitro was built almost overnight, and some of its wiring still shows it. Atlas Electric is a locally owned electrical contractor led by a Master Electrician, and we work on Nitro homes and businesses on both sides of the Kanawha and Putnam county line.
Call or text 681-322-3294 for a free estimate.
Nitro went up in 1918 as a government town for a smokeless powder plant, and it took its name from the nitrocellulose made there. Thousands of workers needed housing fast, so many of the first homes were simple frame houses built from the same few plans. The war ended before the plant reached full production, and the town found new life as a chemical and manufacturing center along the river. Nitro was incorporated in 1932, and today it sits in both Kanawha and Putnam counties, right across the Kanawha River from St. Albans.
That history shows up in the housing. Some of the original war-era houses are still standing and lived in, next to post-war ranches and newer homes on the hills above town.
A house that went up quickly in 1918 was wired for lights and not much else. Over a hundred years, owners have added outlets, appliances, window units and additions one at a time, often on circuits that were never meant to carry them. We regularly find ungrounded outlets, old fuse boxes or early breaker panels that are full, splices hidden in walls and ceilings, and kitchens running a microwave, coffee maker and toaster on the same circuit.
We start by checking the service, the panel and the circuits you use most. Then we tell you plainly what needs attention now and what can wait. When a panel needs replacing, we install Eaton or Schneider Electric equipment, pull the permit and schedule the inspection.
The ranches and split-levels built after the war usually have breaker panels, but many of those panels have now been in service for 50 years or more. Newer homes near the edges of town are in better shape but were not built with an EV charger, hot tub or generator in mind. Before you add a big load, we run a load calculation so the new circuit does not cause trouble for the rest of the house.
When a storm takes down lines along the river, a few hours without power can mean no heat, no sump pump and a full freezer at risk. Atlas Electric supplies and installs Kohler natural gas standby generators, and we run the natural gas line ourselves, so one crew handles the whole job. If gas is not available at your home, we can install a generator inlet and an Interlock Kit so you can run a portable generator safely. See our generator installation page for details.
Atlas Electric is locally owned and works across the valley, from Nitro and St. Albans to Cross Lanes, Dunbar and Charleston. Atlas Electric holds West Virginia contractor license WV064889, and our work is led by a Master Electrician licensed under M2306001089. Estimates are free, you get the price before work starts, and we pull the permits so the job is inspected.
Call or text 681-322-3294, or use the Book Online button to schedule. Estimates are free.
Not always. Many older homes can be updated in stages, starting with the panel and the circuits that carry the most load. We look first and tell you what is worth doing now.
Yes. We work throughout Nitro and pull the permit required for your address.
Yes. We supply and install Kohler standby generators and run the gas line ourselves. Without gas, we install inlets and Interlock Kits for portable generators.
Yes. We handle LED retrofits, equipment circuits, tenant improvements, and emergency and egress lighting for Nitro businesses.
Yes. Estimates are free, and you get your price before any work begins.