New guide
Outlet smells burnt or feels hot
Learn why heat and burning odor matter, what to stop doing immediately, and what information helps an electrician respond.
Read the outlet safety guideHome electrical guidance
What should you do when something electrical feels wrong?
Start with safety, not diagnosis. Use this guide to recognize an emergency, decide whether the utility or an electrician should respond, and gather useful information without opening electrical equipment.
Guidance from Jacob BakerFounder of Shaka Electric ยท Updated September 28, 2026About Jacob and his experience
Situation-to-action guide
| What is happening | Safest first step | Who to contact | Related guide |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fire, smoke, active arcing, or immediate danger | Move away. Do not touch the equipment or use water on electrical equipment. | Emergency services | Emergency warning signs |
| Downed line, damaged meter connection, or nearby homes also without power | Keep everyone away from the line or equipment. | Electric utility; emergency services if anyone is endangered | Utility or electrician? |
| Outlet or switch feels unusually hot, smells burnt, or shows discoloration | Stop using it. If there is no active emergency and the circuit can be identified safely, leave it off. | Licensed electrician | Hot or burning outlet guide |
| GFCI will not reset | Unplug connected equipment. Do not open the device or keep forcing the reset button. | Licensed electrician if it remains unresolved | GFCI reset guide |
| Breaker trips again after one reset | Leave it off and stop using the affected equipment. | Licensed electrician | Why breakers trip |
| Lights across several rooms flicker, dim, or brighten unexpectedly | Note the pattern and whether large equipment was operating. Avoid touching service equipment. | Utility and/or licensed electrician, depending on the pattern | Partial outages and flickering |
| Shock or tingling from an appliance, fixture, faucet, or metal surface | Do not touch it again to test it. Keep others away. | Licensed electrician; emergency services for immediate danger or injury | Shock-risk guidance |
New guide
GFCI will not reset
Understand the limited checks a homeowner can make safely and why a GFCI may remain off when a fault, moisture, lost power, or device problem is present.
Read the GFCI guideTroubleshooting
Breaker keeps tripping
See how overloads, connected equipment, circuit faults, moisture, and breaker problems can produce similar symptoms.
Read the breaker guideEmergency routing
Warning signs not to ignore
Know when fire, smoke, shock, a utility problem, heat, odor, or unreliable power calls for urgent action.
Read the emergency guideWhat you can document safely
Only gather information when the area is safe. A useful consultation request can include what happened, when it started, which rooms or equipment are affected, and whether you noticed heat, odor, sound, water exposure, visible damage, or recent electrical work.
A wide photo taken from a safe distance can help. Keep panel covers, device plates, disconnects, and other electrical enclosures closed. Never remove a cover or touch damaged equipment to get a better picture.
Why these guides do not diagnose your home
Different electrical problems can produce similar symptoms. A hot device might involve the device, its wiring connections, the connected load, or another point on the circuit. A GFCI that will not reset can be responding to a real fault, missing power, moisture, wiring conditions, or the device itself. These pages help with safe decision-making; they do not replace on-site testing.
Safety references
These recommendations are informed by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission guide to home wiring hazards, the NFPA home electrical safety checklist, and equipment-specific manufacturer instructions. If a product's instructions are available, follow those instructions and keep them for the electrician.