You cannot tell whether this is a real emergency or whether you are overreacting. Ask him. That part is free.
Most people sit on it, turn the breaker off, and try to talk themselves into waiting until morning, usually because they are picturing what an after hours call is going to cost. Sparks, smoke, a burning smell, a hot cover plate, scorch marks, a buzzing panel, a breaker that will not reset with nothing plugged in, or half the house dark with nothing tripped: those are tonight. A cracked faceplate on an outlet nobody uses is not. Chris will tell you which one you have, and telling you costs nothing.
- He answers his own phone, day or night
- Free estimate, price agreed before work starts
- Licensed and insured, NJ #19320
Four things, in this order.
Kill the power to it
Switch off the breaker for the circuit, or the main if you cannot work out which one it is. A breaker that has tripped and will not reset is doing its job. Leave it off. That is the safe state and it is not a thing to force.
Do not go looking for it
The panel is the one place in the house nobody should open, and a burning smell with no visible cause is still a live fault. Visible smoke or flame is 911 first, an electrician second.
Call and describe what it is doing
Not what you think it is. What you saw, what you smelled, which rooms are out, and whether anything is warm to the touch. That is enough for him to tell you whether it waits.
You get the price before the work
The estimate is free and the number is agreed before anything starts, at two in the afternoon or two in the morning.
The thing people write about first is that he answered.
Their words off his Google listing, not edited. There is no photograph of an emergency call on this page because he takes photos of finished work, not of somebody's worst night.
- Lauren Greenfield
- Chris was really helpful and responds right away! Puts the time into his work and helped me understand everything, very professional. Wouldn't go to anyone else!Google review, in their words.
- Kim Lobell
- Chris was knowledgeable, fast and efficient.Google review, in their words.
- Mike Lacitignola
- Needed some help in the backyard and Chris came no problem and did an excellent job. Great person and great at his craft.Google review, in their words.
The midnight questions.
Real questions, taken off the forums and inspection sites where homeowners ask them, with a link to where each one was asked.
Can this wait until morning, or do I need an electrician now?
Now, if there are sparks, smoke, a burning or melting plastic smell, an outlet or cover plate that is warm to the touch, scorch marks, a panel that buzzes under load, a breaker that will not reset, or half the house is dark with nothing tripped. A single dead outlet on a panel that otherwise looks normal can wait for the morning. If you are not sure which one you have, call and say what it is doing.
The original question on RedditThere is a burning smell but I cannot see anything. Am I overreacting?
No. A burning or melting plastic smell means something is overheating right now, and a fishy or urine like smell is the same thing: hot plastic. Kill the breaker for that area, or the main if you cannot isolate it, stop using the circuit, and get a licensed electrician on it. Do not reset it and go to bed. If you can see smoke or flame, that is 911 first.
The original question on RedditThe breaker will not reset and nothing is plugged in. Is that an emergency?
It is a fault, and the breaker is telling you about it. A breaker that will not reset with nothing on the circuit has found something it does not like, and forcing it is the wrong move. Leave it off, which is the safe state, and get it looked at rather than lived with.
The original question on RedditHalf the house has no power and no breaker is tripped. What is that?
Usually one of the two legs feeding the house is gone, which can be a failed main breaker, a loose lug inside the panel, or a fault on the utility's service drop before it ever reaches you. It is not something to chase with a screwdriver. Call the utility and a licensed electrician, because depending on which side of the meter it is on, both end up involved.
The original question on RedditThe lights get brighter in one room when the air conditioner starts, and dimmer in another. Is that bad?
That one is worth calling about tonight. Lights brightening on one side of the house while they dim on the other is the classic sign of a lost neutral, the voltage climbs on the lightly loaded side, and it cooks electronics while it does it. Shut off what you can, and call the utility and a licensed electrician rather than waiting to see if it settles.
InspectAPedia diagnostic notes