When You Need an Emergency Electrician Right Now
If you need an emergency electrician fast, here’s what to do immediately:
- Turn off your main breaker if it’s safe to do so
- Leave the area if you smell smoke, see sparks, or notice burning
- Call a licensed 24/7 electrician — reliable providers arrive within 1-2 hours
- Don’t attempt DIY repairs — electrical emergencies can cause fires or electrocution
- Call 911 first if there is an active fire or someone has been shocked
Electrical emergencies don’t wait for business hours. A burning smell from an outlet at midnight, a sudden full power loss during a winter storm, or a sparking breaker box on a Sunday — these situations are dangerous and demand immediate professional attention. Ignoring them, or trying to fix them yourself, can turn a manageable problem into a house fire or serious injury.
I’m Aaron, owner and master electrician at Buckeye Electrical Solutions, and I’ve responded to dozens of urgent electrical situations across Northeast Ohio — from full home rewires to emergency panel failures. In this guide, I’ll walk you through exactly what to do when an electrical emergency strikes, how to find the right emergency electrician, and how to protect your home going forward.
Identifying the Signs of an Electrical Emergency
Not every flickering light bulb is a reason to panic, but some signs indicate a “clear and present danger” to your family and property. In Northeast Ohio, where winter storms and humid summers put extra stress on our grids, knowing when to call an emergency electrician is vital.
Here are the most common red flags that qualify as a true electrical emergency:
- Burning Smells or Smoke: This is the most urgent sign. If you smell something like burning plastic or ozone coming from an outlet, switch, or your breaker panel, it means wires are overheating or melting.
- Sparking Outlets: A small “pop” when you plug something in can be normal, but sustained sparking or visible flashes from an outlet are a major fire risk.
- Buzzing or Humming Breaker Boxes: Your electrical panel should be silent. If you hear a loud hum or a persistent buzzing, it could indicate a breaker that is failing to trip or a loose connection that is “arcing.”
- Hot Service Panels: If the cover of your electrical panel feels hot to the touch, the system is overloaded and could lead to a catastrophic failure.
- Partial Power Loss (Brownouts): If half of your house has power and the other half doesn’t, you might have a dropped “leg” of power. This can damage your appliances and often indicates a serious issue with your main service line.
- Flickering Lights: While sometimes caused by a bad bulb, persistent flickering across multiple rooms often points to faulty wiring or a failing neutral wire.
- Exposed or Damaged Wiring: If a storm knocks a tree limb onto your service line or you find chewed, exposed wires in your basement, do not touch them.
If you are unsure if your situation is an emergency, Electrical Safety First provides excellent resources on identifying immediate hazards. Remember: if you feel unsafe staying in your home or leaving it unattended because of an electrical issue, it is an emergency.
Immediate Steps to Take Before Help Arrives
When you’re waiting for an emergency electrician to arrive at your Northeast Ohio home, your primary goal is to “neutralize” the threat. Here is how we recommend you handle those tense minutes:
1. Cut the Power
If it is safe to reach your electrical panel without walking through water or touching charred metal, turn off the main breaker. This is usually the large switch at the top of the panel. Cutting the power stops the flow of electricity to the fault, which can prevent a fire from starting or spreading.
2. Unplug and Isolate
If the emergency is localized—for example, a single outlet is smoking—unplug any appliances in that area. If a circuit breaker keeps tripping, do not keep flipping it back on. This is a safety mechanism telling you there is a “short” or an overload. Leave it off.
3. Avoid Standing Water
Electricity and water are a deadly combination. If your basement is flooded and you suspect electrical damage, do not enter the water. Wait for a professional to confirm the power is cut from the street.
4. Ventilate and Clear the Area
If there is a burning smell or light smoke, open windows to ventilate the area. Keep children and pets far away from the affected zone. For more information on keeping your home safe during repairs, check out our Residential Electrical Services page.
5. Use the Right Fire Extinguisher
If a small fire breaks out, never use water. Water conducts electricity and could result in a fatal shock. Only use a Class C fire extinguisher, which is specifically designed for electrical fires. If the fire is larger than a wastebasket, get everyone out and call 911 immediately.
Why You Need a Professional Emergency Electrician
It might be tempting to watch a YouTube video and try to swap out a breaker yourself, but electrical work is one area where DIY can be deadly. In Ohio, strict regulations govern electrical repairs for a reason.
- Risk of Electrocution: Even with the power “off,” capacitors in certain systems can hold a lethal charge.
- Fire Hazards: Incorrectly tightened lugs or the wrong wire gauge can cause “resistance heating,” which leads to fires days or weeks after the “fix.”
- NEC Compliance: All repairs must meet the National Electrical Code (NEC). Our team at Buckeye Electrical Solutions ensures every emergency fix is up to code to protect your home’s value and safety.
- Insurance Complications: If a fire occurs because of uncertified DIY electrical work, your insurance company may deny your claim.
For business owners, the stakes are even higher. Our Commercial Electrical Services ensure that your facility remains compliant with OSHA and local Ohio building codes during urgent repairs.
Common Services Provided by an Emergency Electrician
When we arrive on-site for an emergency call, we don’t just put a “band-aid” on the problem. We perform a full diagnosis to ensure the root cause is addressed. Most emergency electrician visits include:
- Power Restoration: Diagnosing why your home or business has lost power and coordinating with utility providers like FirstEnergy if the fault is on their side.
- Panel Repairs: Replacing burnt buses or failed main breakers.
- Circuit Breaker Replacement: Swapping out faulty breakers that are buzzing or refusing to reset.
- Storm Damage Repair: Fixing “mastheads” or service lines that have been ripped away from the house by wind or ice.
- Wiring Fixes: Locating and repairing “shorts” within the walls.
| Service Type | Typical Response Time | Estimated Cost Range |
|---|---|---|
| Emergency Service Call/Diagnosis | 1 – 2 Hours | $150 – $500+ |
| Individual Breaker Replacement | Same Day | $150 – $300 |
| Main Panel Repair | Same Day | $300 – $2,500 |
| Full Emergency Panel Upgrade | Same Day / 24 hrs | $1,000 – $3,500 |
How to Choose a Reliable Emergency Electrician
In the middle of the night, you might be tempted to call the first number you see. However, taking sixty seconds to verify a few details can save you thousands in the long run.
- Verify Licensing and Insurance: Never hire an “unlicensed handyman” for emergency electrical work. In Northeast Ohio, a valid state license is a requirement for safety.
- Look for 24/7 Availability: A truly reliable emergency electrician will have a live person or a prompt callback system (often within 15 minutes) even on holidays and weekends.
- Transparent Pricing: Ask for an upfront diagnostic fee. While the total repair cost might change based on what is found, the base “truck fee” should be clear.
- Well-Stocked Trucks: A professional arrives in a vehicle filled with common breakers, wire, and tools. This allows us to complete most repairs in a single visit, which is crucial when your furnace is off in 10-degree Ohio weather!
Preventing Future Electrical Emergencies
The best way to handle an electrical emergency is to prevent it from happening in the first place. At Buckeye Electrical Solutions, we advocate for proactive maintenance to keep the “sparks” at bay.
- 5-Year Inspections: We recommend that residential and commercial panels be inspected every 5 years. We check for loose connections, signs of moisture, and aging components.
- Whole-Home Surge Protection: Ohio storms are notorious for power surges. A whole-home protector installed at your panel can save your expensive appliances and electronics from being fried.
- GFCI and AFCI Outlets: Ensure your kitchen, bathroom, and outdoor outlets are GFCI protected. These outlets trip instantly if they detect a current leak, preventing shocks.
- Dedicated Circuits: High-wattage items like space heaters, furnaces, and sump pumps should always be on their own dedicated circuits. Overloading a shared circuit with a “cord and plug” heater is a leading cause of nighttime emergency calls in the winter.
- Load Shedding and Monitoring: For our commercial clients, we offer power quality monitoring to detect voltage drops or spikes before they cause a system-wide failure.
To learn more about how we can help you “fortify” your home, visit Our Services page.
Frequently Asked Questions about Emergency Electricians
What qualifies as an electrical emergency?
An electrical emergency is any situation that poses an immediate risk of fire, electrocution, or significant property damage. This includes smelling burning plastic, seeing sparks or smoke, hearing loud buzzing from your panel, or losing power to essential medical equipment or your furnace during extreme cold. If you are afraid to go to sleep because of an electrical issue, it is an emergency.
How much does an emergency service call typically cost?
In Northeast Ohio, a standard emergency diagnostic visit typically ranges from $150 to $500. This often covers the travel and the first hour of troubleshooting. Extensive repairs, such as replacing a main breaker or repairing storm damage to your service mast, can range from $300 to $3,500 depending on parts and labor. We always provide transparent, upfront pricing before we begin the work.
How quickly can I expect a response?
Most reputable emergency electrician providers aim to be on-site within 1 to 2 hours. At Buckeye Electrical Solutions, we understand that every minute counts. We prioritize calls based on the severity of the danger—for instance, a smoking panel will always take precedence over a single dead outlet.
My power is out, but my neighbors have lights. Is this an emergency?
Yes. If the outage is isolated to only your home, it likely means there is a failure in your main breaker, your service mast, or the connection point to the utility. This requires a professional to diagnose whether the issue is on your side or the utility’s side.
Can I wait until morning if I smell something burning?
No. Electrical fires can smolder inside walls for hours before erupting into a full-blown house fire. If you smell burning or see smoke, turn off the power and call us immediately. It is much cheaper to pay for a late-night service call than to rebuild a home after a fire.
Conclusion
When electricity goes wrong, it happens fast. Whether it’s a buzzing panel in Canton or a storm-damaged line in Cleveland, you need a team that responds with urgency and expertise.
At Buckeye Electrical Solutions, we bring over 20 years of experience to every call. We are a trusted electrical contractor in Northeast Ohio, known for our prompt project completion and exceptional service. We handle everything from minor residential repairs to complex commercial installations, always with a focus on safety and your peace of mind.
Don’t gamble with your family’s safety or your business’s bottom line. If you see the signs of trouble, act now. Contact Us today or visit our services page to get professional help now. We’re here 24/7 to make sure your lights—and your life—stay on safely.
