A burning smell, or an outlet or switch plate that is warm
- Switch that circuit off at the panel. If you cannot tell which breaker it is, switch the main off — the big one at the top.
- If it is a plugged-in device and the plug itself is cool, unplug it.
- Keep everyone away from the spot, and never put water on anything electrical.
If you see smoke or flame, get everyone out first and call 911 from outside. Once it is safe, the breaker stays off until it has been looked at.
A sparking outlet or switch
- Do not touch the device again.
- Switch that circuit off at the panel, and leave it off.
One static pop when unplugging something is normal. Repeated sparks, scorch marks, or a crackle inside the wall is not — the breaker stays off, and the next hand on it should be licensed.
Half the house is dead, or the power keeps cutting out
- Open the panel door and look for a breaker sitting between ON and OFF. Flip it fully off, then back on — once.
- If it trips again, leave it off. A breaker that will not stay on is doing its job.
- If the neighbours are dark too, it is an outage, not your wiring — BC Hydro: 1-800-224-9376.
One reset is the limit. Forcing a breaker back into a fault over and over is how a nuisance becomes a fire — leave it off and call.