Can I reset a breaker myself?

Yes, once. If it won’t stay on or trips right back, stop and call a pro — there’s a fault that needs to be found.

Do you offer emergency service?

Yes. We’re available 7 days a week, 6 AM to 9 PM, across Selden and all of Suffolk County. Call us and we’ll help you figure out the safest next step.

Emergencies

Electrical Emergencies: What to Do During an Outage or Burning Smell

June 26, 20267 min read

Electrical emergency right now?

Open 6 AM–9 PM, 7 days a week across Suffolk County.

Call 631.239.7000

Most electrical problems can wait for a normal appointment — some can’t. Knowing the difference, and what to do in the moment, keeps your family safe and limits the damage. Here’s a simple plan for the most common electrical emergencies in Selden and Suffolk County.

In an Emergency, Do This First

1Burning smell, smoke, or sparks — kill power at the breaker if it’s safe and call. If you see flames, get out and call 911.
2Don’t touch anything hot or near water — and never stand in water near electrical equipment.
3When in doubt, shut off the main breaker and call a 24/7 electrician.

If You Smell Burning or See Smoke

Most serious

1If it’s safe, unplug the device or switch off the breaker for that area.
2Do not touch anything hot or anything near water.
3If you see smoke or flames, get everyone out and call 911 first.
4Once safe, call an emergency electrician to find and fix the cause — often arcing (electricity jumping a gap) or an overheated termination (a connection point that has loosened and started cooking).

If an Outlet Is Sparking or Shocking You

1A small blue spark when you plug something in can be normal, but yellow or repeated sparks — or a shock from a switch — are not.
2Stop using that receptacle right away.
3Switch off its breaker at the panel.
4Call us. A live fault (an energized wire touching something it shouldn’t) behind the wall won’t fix itself.

If You Lose Power to Part of the House

1Check whether your neighbors have power. If they do, the problem is inside your home.
2Look for a tripped breaker and reset it once.
3A tripped GFCI or AFCI device (the safety outlets and breakers that cut power on a fault) can also knock out several outlets at once — check those Reset buttons too.
4If the breaker trips again or won’t reset, stop and call — there’s a fault on that circuit.

If the Whole Neighborhood Is Dark

1This is a PSEG Long Island grid outage, not your home.
2Report it to PSEG and wait it out.
3When power returns, a surge can follow — a good reason to have whole-home surge protection.

If Water Meets Electricity

1Flooding near outlets, a leak above a light, or a wet panel is dangerous.
2Never step into standing water near electrical equipment.
3If you can safely reach the main breaker (the big service disconnect at the top of the panel), shut off power to the home and call for help.