Short answer
If there's fire, smoke, a downed power line or an injury, call 911 first. If your whole area is dark, it's a utility outage. For everything else, like a burning smell, sparking, a breaker that won't stay on, or storm damage to the service on your house, turn off the affected breaker if you can do it safely, stay away from damaged wire, and call us.
In our own words: get your electrical problems fixed right away, from your electrical service to the outlet in the kitchen. Our Google profile lists us as open 24 hours, so call (260) 519-1188 whenever it happens. One family wrote about how quickly their power was restored after they called.
First: is this a 911 call or a utility call?
- Fire or smoke: get everyone out and call 911.
- Someone shocked and hurt: don't touch them if they may still be in contact with the source. Call 911.
- A power line on the ground or on a vehicle, fence or tree: stay far back, keep others away, and call 911 or your utility. Treat every downed line as live.
- Your whole road is dark: that's an outage. Report it to your utility or REMC.
If none of those apply, call us.
What counts as an electrical emergency
A burning smell, buzzing or heat
A hot or burning smell from an outlet, switch, fixture or the panel, a buzz or crackle, or a cover plate that's warm to the touch usually means a connection is failing and heating up. Turn that circuit off and call. See burning smell or buzzing.
Sparking or scorch marks
A small spark when you plug something in can be normal. Repeated sparks, sparks from a switch or outlet with nothing plugged in, or black marks on a cover plate are not.
Power out on your side only
If your neighbors have power and you don't, or half the house is dark and 240-volt appliances are acting strangely, the problem may be a failed connection at the meter, the service entrance or the main panel. See half the house has no power.
Storm damage
Wind, ice and falling limbs can pull the service drop and mast off the house or break the meter base. The utility handles the line from the pole. The mast, meter base and wiring on your house are usually yours to repair before the utility will reconnect. See storm damage to the service line.
Shocks
A tingle or shock from an outlet, a faucet, an appliance or a metal fixture can mean a ground fault or a missing ground. Stop using it and call. See shock from an outlet or appliance.
What to do before we arrive
- Turn off the affected breaker if you can reach the panel safely, with dry hands, and without standing in water. If the panel itself is hot, smoking or sparking, stay away from it.
- Unplug appliances and cords on the affected circuit.
- Don't keep resetting a breaker that trips again right away.
- Don't open outlets, switches, fixtures or the panel.
- Keep people and pets away from damaged or downed wire, and from water near electrical equipment.
- Note what you saw: what happened, where, and what was running at the time. It helps us find the problem faster.
What happens when we get there
The first job is to make things safe: find the source, isolate it, and make sure nothing else is at risk. Then we explain what we found and what the options are. Sometimes the full repair happens right then. Other times we make it safe and get essential circuits back on, and the permanent fix, such as a new meter base or panel, follows once parts, permits and the utility line up.
What it costs
Ask what the service call costs when you call. Fair pricing is the topic customers mention most in our Google reviews. For what drives the price of electrical work, see what electrical work costs.
Local detail: ice, wind and summer storms
Northeast Indiana gets winter ice and wind storms and hard summer thunderstorms, and both bring down limbs and lines. Rural homes on long overhead services and farms with lines running to barns and outbuildings are especially exposed. After a storm, look at where the service line meets your house. If the mast is bent, the meter is hanging, or the line is sagging low, keep clear and call the utility, then call us.
Common questions
When should I call 911 instead of an electrician?
Call 911 if there is fire or smoke, if someone has been shocked and is hurt, or if a power line is down. Get everyone out of the house if there is fire. Call us once everyone is safe.
The whole house is dark. Is that the utility or my wiring?
Check whether your neighbors have power and look at your utility's outage map or call them. If the neighborhood is out, it is an outage and the utility handles it. If only your house is dark, or only part of it, the problem may be on your side and we can help.
What should I do while I wait for an electrician?
If a circuit smells hot, is buzzing or has sparked, turn that breaker off if you can reach the panel safely and dry-handed. Unplug what is on it. Don't reset a breaker that trips again immediately, and don't open outlets, switches or the panel. Keep people away from any downed or damaged wire.
Are you really open 24 hours?
Our Google profile lists us as open 24 hours. Call anytime and tell us what is happening, and we will tell you what we can do and when.