Electrical Emergency! When to Call Your 24/7 Electrician

The smell hit me before I even opened the bedroom door; that distinct, acrid scent of burning plastic that makes your stomach drop. 

As an electrician with over 25 years of experience here in Northwest Arkansas, I’ve responded to thousands of emergency calls, and I can tell you this: most electrical fires could have been prevented if homeowners had called us at the first warning sign.

Not Every Electrical Problem Is An Emergency (But Some Absolutely Are)

Let me be clear about something. I’ve been in this business long enough to know the difference between an inconvenience and a true emergency. 

A single outlet that stops working? That’s frustrating, but it can wait until morning. But when certain situations arise, every minute counts, and that’s exactly why we offer 24/7 emergency service at Epic Electric.

The Big Five: Electrical Emergencies That Need Immediate Action

1. You Smell Something Burning (And Can’t Find the Source)

If you smell that distinctive burning electrical odor, especially if you can’t locate where it’s coming from, you need to act fast. That smell often means wires are overheating behind your walls, and trust me, you don’t want to wait until you see smoke.

Turn off your main breaker immediately and call us. This is the kind of situation where homeowners who assume it will “go away on its own” often face serious consequences. Spoiler alert: it doesn’t go away.

2. Your Breaker Keeps Tripping After Reset

Here’s what I tell every customer: your circuit breaker is like a bodyguard for your electrical system. When it trips once, it’s doing its job. When you reset it and it immediately trips again? That’s your electrical system screaming for help.

Imagine a homeowner who resets the same breaker five times in one evening. In situations like this, the wiring could be severely damaged and inches away from starting a fire. Never force a breaker to stay on if it wants to trip.

3. Outlets Are Sparking, Smoking, or Feeling Hot

This one should be obvious, but you’d be surprised how many people think a little spark is “normal.” It’s not. If you see sparks when you plug something in or unplug it, if you see smoke, or if your outlet cover feels warm to the touch, you’ve got a serious problem.

Consider what happens when someone notices their phone charger outlet is “a little warm.” Behind that outlet, the entire junction box could be melting. These situations escalate quickly, and calling immediately can prevent disaster.

4. Water and Electricity Are Mixing

Whether it’s a flooded basement after one of our Arkansas storms or a burst pipe near your electrical panel, water and electricity create one of the most dangerous situations you can face in your home.

Do NOT attempt to turn off breakers or unplug anything if water is present. Call us immediately. We have the proper equipment and training to handle these situations safely. DIY attempts at handling water and electrical issues can lead to serious injury or worse.

5. You’ve Lost Power But Your Neighbors Haven’t

If your entire house goes dark but you can see your neighbor’s TV through their window, you might have a serious problem with your main electrical line or panel. This is especially concerning if you hear buzzing or humming from your electrical panel or meter.

The Gray Areas: Urgent But Not Quite Emergency

Some situations fall into what I call the “urgent” category. These need attention within 24 hours, but might not require a middle-of-the-night call:

Flickering lights throughout your house (not just one bulb) could indicate a loose neutral connection. It’s serious and needs quick attention, but if it’s 10 PM and the flickering is mild, you can probably wait until morning.

Multiple dead outlets in the same room suggest a problem with that circuit. Unless you smell burning or see other warning signs, this can wait for regular business hours.

Buzzing sounds from your panel that are consistent but not accompanied by burning smells or visual signs of damage should be checked soon, but probably don’t require emergency service.

What To Do While You Wait For Us

If you’re facing a true electrical emergency and you’ve called us, here’s what you should do while we’re on our way:

First, turn off the main breaker if it’s safe to do so. I know your first instinct might be to investigate or fix the problem yourself, but please don’t. More injuries occur from people trying to address electrical emergencies themselves than from the original problem.

Second, get everyone out of the immediate area. If you smell burning or see smoke, treat it like a fire emergency because it very well could be.

Third, avoid using water to address any electrical issue. I can’t stress this enough. Water conducts electricity, and even if the power seems to be off, there could be stored energy in the system.

The Cost of Waiting

I get it. Nobody wants to pay emergency service rates. But let me share something with you: in my 25 years serving Northwest Arkansas, the cost of waiting always exceeds the cost of calling.

Think about a family who notices a burning smell on a Friday night but decides to wait until Monday to avoid the emergency call fee. By Sunday afternoon, they could have significant fire damage in their attic. The emergency service call would cost a few hundred dollars. Fire damage? That’s measured in thousands or tens of thousands.

Trust Your Instincts

Here’s my final piece of advice, and it might be the most important: if something feels wrong with your electrical system, it probably is. You know your home better than anyone. You know what’s normal and what isn’t.

Too often, homeowners second-guess themselves, thinking they don’t want to bother anyone. You’re not bothering us. This is literally what we’re here for. We’d rather check out a hundred false alarms than have one customer experience a preventable electrical fire.

We’re Here When You Need Us

At Epic Electric, we’ve been serving Northwest Arkansas for over two decades. We understand everything from storm damage after those intense spring thunderstorms to aging electrical systems in our beautiful historic homes. Our 24/7 emergency service isn’t just a marketing tagline; it’s a commitment to keeping our community safe.

When you call us for an emergency, you’re not getting an answering service or a callback promise. You’re getting experienced, licensed electricians who understand that electrical emergencies don’t wait for convenient times. We’re prepared to respond any time, day or night, because your safety can’t wait.

Your Safety Comes First

Electrical emergencies are serious business. It’s not the time to consult YouTube videos or wait for regular business hours. If you’re experiencing any of the situations I’ve described above, don’t hesitate. Your safety and the safety of your family is worth more than any service call fee.

Remember: burning smells, repeated breaker trips, sparking outlets, water near electricity, and unexplained power loss are all reasons to call immediately. When in doubt, make the call. We answer our phones 24/7 because electrical emergencies don’t follow a 9 to 5 schedule.

Stay safe, Northwest Arkansas. And remember, we’re just a phone call away whenever you need us.