Electrical Emergency: What to Do Before the Electrician Arrives
If something is actively burning, or anyone has been shocked, call 911 first. Everything below assumes the situation is alarming but not yet on fire.
Burning or fishy smell near an outlet or panel
That smell is overheating plastic, and it is the most urgent non-fire call we take. Switch off the breaker for that area if you can reach the panel safely. If the smell is coming from the panel itself, switch off the main. Do not open the panel cover. Call an electrician immediately.
Sparking, buzzing or warm outlet
Unplug whatever is in it if you can do so without touching the faceplate. Kill the breaker for that circuit. Put tape over the outlet so nobody uses it. A small spark when plugging something in is normal; a spark with nothing being plugged in is not.
No power in part of the house
Check the panel for a tripped breaker. Then check GFCI outlets — one tripped GFCI in a bathroom or garage can kill receptacles in several rooms. If the breaker will not reset, or resets and trips straight back, stop and call.
No power at all
Check whether the neighbours have power. If they do, look at your main breaker and your meter. If the outage is yours alone and the main breaker will not hold, it is an electrical problem rather than a utility one.
Water and electricity together
Flooding, a burst pipe over a panel, or a leak into a light fixture. Do not stand in water to reach a breaker. If you cannot get to the panel from dry ground, call the utility to cut supply and call us at the same time.
Storm and lightning damage
Damaged service mast, meter base pulled away from the wall, or a downed line on the property. Stay well clear of anything on the ground, call the utility for the line, and call us for the equipment on your side of the meter.
What not to do
- Do not repeatedly reset a tripping breaker. It is tripping for a reason.
- Do not use water on an electrical fire.
- Do not run a portable generator into a wall outlet.
- Do not open a panel cover to investigate.
- Do not leave a suspect outlet in service overnight because it is late.
What to tell us when you call
What you can see or smell, what changed just before it started, whether anything is wet, whether the breaker holds, and your address. That is enough for us to tell you how urgent it is and give you a real arrival window. We answer 24 hours — (888) 633-7804. More on emergency electrician services.