Short answer
If there is smoke or flame, get everyone out and call 911. If there's only a smell, buzzing or heat, stop using that outlet or switch, unplug what you safely can, and turn off that circuit's breaker if you can reach it without going near the source. These usually mean a loose connection, a failing device or an overloaded circuit, which get worse with time. Call an electrician the same day.
What's probably happening
Electricity makes heat wherever it meets resistance. A good, tight connection has very little. A loose, corroded or damaged one has a lot, and that heat is what you smell, hear, or feel. It rarely fixes itself. Loose connections tend to get looser as they heat and cool.
A loose connection at an outlet or switch
This is the most common cause. A wire that has worked loose on a screw, or a push-in connection in the back of an older outlet, can heat up under load. You might notice a warm cover plate, discoloring around the slots, a plug that feels hot when you pull it, or a faint smell when something is running.
An overloaded circuit or cord
Space heaters, window AC units, and power strips daisy-chained together can push a circuit or an extension cord past what it can handle. The cord or plug gets hot before the breaker reacts.
A failing device or fixture
Dimmers, fans, light fixtures and ballasts in older fluorescent fixtures can overheat and buzz as they fail. An old light fixture with a bulb that's too high a wattage can cook its own wiring over the years.
A problem at the panel
Buzzing or a hot smell at the panel can come from a breaker that isn't gripping the bus well, a loose wire on a breaker, or a failing main connection. Older panels, and panels that have had moisture in a basement, are more prone to this. It's serious because everything in the house runs through it. See our page on fuse boxes and older panels.
Something that isn't electrical
A new furnace burning off dust in the fall, a motor in an appliance, or something in the oven can smell similar. If the smell is clearly coming from an appliance, turn it off and unplug it. If you can't tell, treat it as electrical.
What you can safely check yourself
- If there is any smoke, flame, or the smell is strong and getting stronger, stop here. Get everyone out and call 911.
- Try to find where the smell or sound is coming from. Walk the rooms. Note which outlet, switch, fixture or appliance it seems closest to.
- Hold the back of your hand near, not on, the cover plate to feel for warmth. If it's warm, don't touch it further.
- Unplug anything from that outlet if you can do it by the plug without touching a hot or damaged cover. Turn off the switch or appliance.
- If you can reach the panel safely, turn off the breaker for that circuit. If you don't know which one it is, and the smell is strong, turning off the main breaker is reasonable.
- Look for scorch marks, melted plastic, or discoloring on outlets, plugs, and cords. Take a photo if you can.
Don't open the panel, remove the outlet, or keep using the circuit to see if it happens again.
When to stop and call
- Smoke, flame, sparks, or a smell that keeps getting stronger: get out and call 911 first.
- Any outlet, switch or plate that's warm to the touch, discolored or melted.
- Buzzing, crackling or sizzling from an outlet, switch, fixture or the panel.
- A burning smell you can't trace to an appliance.
- A breaker that feels hot or trips along with the smell.
These problems don't wait well, and Sky High Electric is listed as open 24 hours on our Google profile. In Huntington County, once everyone is safe, call (260) 519-1188 and tell us what you smelled or heard, and where.
Common questions
What does an electrical burning smell smell like?
Often like hot or burning plastic, sometimes described as a fishy smell. It comes from wire insulation or plastic devices overheating. If you can trace it to an outlet, switch, fixture or the panel, treat it as an electrical problem.
Is it normal for my breaker panel to hum?
A very faint hum under heavy load can happen. Loud buzzing, crackling, sizzling, or any buzzing with heat or a smell is not normal and should be looked at soon.
My outlet is warm. Is that dangerous?
An outlet or switch should not feel warm. A dimmer can feel slightly warm in normal use, but an outlet that's warm points to a loose or overloaded connection. Stop using it and call.
Should I turn off the breaker?
If you can reach the panel without going near smoke, heat or the source of the smell, turning off that circuit's breaker is a reasonable step. If there's smoke or visible flame, skip it: get everyone out and call 911.