Burning Smell Near An Outlet
Stop using the circuit and shut off that breaker. A hot plastic or fishy smell at a device usually means a connection is arcing behind the wall. If you see smoke or scorching, get everyone out and call 911.
Urgent electrical
Same-Day Electrical Help, Seven Days
Gale Electric answers the phone seven days a week, 8AM to 5PM, and we hold room in the schedule for same-day calls. We are not a 24-hour company and we will not pretend otherwise. If you smell burning, see smoke or sparks, or there is a downed power line, call 911 first and then your utility. After that, call us at (509) 205-8146 and we will get out.
If you see fire, smell burning, or there is a downed power line, call 911 first. For a downed line or a metered outage, call your utility. Do not touch the panel.
Stop and call
Signs you should not wait on
Breaker Trips Every Day
A breaker doing its job once is fine. A breaker tripping daily means the circuit is overloaded or something on it is failing. Do not replace it with a bigger breaker. That removes the protection and leaves the problem.
Warm Or Buzzing Panel
Shut off the main if you can do it safely, then call. A panel that is warm to the touch or humming has a loose lug, a failing breaker, or a bad main connection. This one does not wait until Monday.
Lights Dim When Appliances Start
Some flicker on a big motor start is normal. Lights across the whole house dimming or brightening, especially on both sides of the panel, can mean a loose neutral. That damages electronics and needs checking quickly.
Outlets Or Switches Feel Hot
Unplug whatever is on it and turn off the breaker. Heat at a device means resistance where there should not be any, usually a backstabbed connection or a worn receptacle. It is a cheap fix now and an expensive one later.
Shock From An Appliance
Even a small tingle from a faucet, dryer, or metal appliance means current is finding a path it should not have. Stop using it, shut off the circuit, and call. This is usually a grounding or bonding problem.
What Same-Day Actually Means
We keep openings in the daily schedule for calls that cannot wait. Call in the morning and there is a good chance we are out that day. Call in the afternoon and it may be the next morning, and we will tell you which one it is when you call rather than leaving you guessing. Weekends count. Saturday and Sunday run the same 8AM to 5PM hours as the rest of the week, which is when a lot of electrical problems actually get noticed, because that is when people are home and using the house.
Being honest about hours matters more than sounding available. Plenty of companies advertise around the clock service and then quote a night rate that makes you wish you had waited until morning. We would rather tell you the truth. If it is midnight and your power is out in one room, shut the breaker off, leave it off, and call us at eight. Nobody should pay a premium to be told the same thing. If it is midnight and something is burning, that is not an electrician call. That is 911.
Before You Call, Check This
Two things solve a surprising number of no-power calls. First, check whether the neighbors have power. If the whole street is dark, it is the utility, not your house. Benton PUD, Franklin PUD, City of Richland Energy Services, and Benton REA all take outage calls directly, and they will get to it faster than we can. Second, check your GFCI outlets. One tripped GFCI in a bathroom or garage can kill outlets in three other rooms, and the reset button is free.
If power is out to part of the house and the breakers all look normal, look again. A tripped breaker does not always move all the way to off. Push it firmly to off, then back to on. If it trips again immediately, leave it off and call. Do not keep resetting a breaker that keeps tripping, and never wedge one on. If your panel is a brand you have been warned about, or the breakers are older than you are, mention it when you call so we bring the right parts with us.
FAQ
Urgent electrical questions
Are you available 24/7?
No. We are open seven days a week from 8AM to 5PM, including weekends, and we hold same-day slots for urgent calls. If you have fire, smoke, or a downed line outside those hours, call 911 or your utility first.
Do you charge extra on weekends?
Saturday and Sunday are regular business days for us, 8AM to 5PM, and estimates are free every day of the week. You get the price before work starts, the same as any weekday.
My power is out. Is it my house or the utility?
Check whether your neighbors have power first. If the block is dark, call your utility: Benton PUD for Kennewick, Prosser, Benton City, and Finley; Franklin PUD for Pasco; City of Richland Energy Services for Richland; Benton REA for West Richland and rural areas. If only your house is out, call us.
Should I just reset the breaker myself?
Once is fine. Push it fully off, then back on. If it trips again right away, leave it off and call, because the breaker is telling you something is wrong on that circuit. Never replace it with a larger one to make it stop.
Free estimate
Something is not right with your power?
Call and describe what is happening. We will tell you whether it can wait, and if it cannot, when we can be there.
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