Some electrical problems can wait until Monday morning. Others absolutely cannot. I'm Sam from City Power Electrical Services (ECRA/ESA #7015314), and I take emergency calls across the GTA. Here are the situations where you should not wait to call an electrician.
Emergency 1: Burning smell from an outlet, switch, or panel. If you smell something burning — a hot, acrid, or plasticky smell — near any electrical point in your home, this is an emergency. A burning smell means something is overheating, which means something could catch fire. Turn off the breaker for that circuit if you can identify it. If the smell is coming from the panel itself, turn off the main breaker if you can do so safely. Call an electrician immediately and, if the smell is strong or you see smoke, call 911 first.
Emergency 2: Sparking from an outlet or panel. Occasional tiny sparks when plugging something in can be normal — that's the circuit energizing. But visible, persistent sparking from an outlet, a switch, or your panel is dangerous. It indicates a loose connection, damaged wiring, or a failing device. Don't use the affected outlet or switch. Turn off the breaker and call an electrician.
Emergency 3: Buzzing or humming from the panel. Your electrical panel should be virtually silent. If you hear a persistent buzzing, humming, or crackling sound from the panel, something inside is arcing. This could be a loose connection on a bus bar, a failing breaker, or corroded connections. Arcing inside a panel is a fire hazard. Don't open the panel cover yourself — call a licensed electrician.
Emergency 4: Water and electrical contact. If water has reached your electrical panel (from flooding, a burst pipe, or a leak), do not touch the panel. Water and electricity are a lethal combination. Call your utility company to have the power disconnected at the meter, and then call an electrician to assess the damage before power is restored. This applies to any situation where water has entered electrical outlets, junction boxes, or fixtures.
Emergency 5: Exposed live wires. If wiring has been exposed due to renovations, damage, rodent activity, or any other reason, and the wires are potentially live, keep everyone away from the area. If you can safely turn off the breaker for that circuit, do so. If you're not sure which breaker controls the circuit, leave it alone and call an electrician. Exposed live wires can deliver a fatal shock.
Emergency 6: Complete power loss to part of your home. If half your house loses power (usually every other breaker in the panel stops working), you may have lost one leg of your 240V service. This can happen at the utility connection, the meter base, or the main panel. It's not immediately dangerous in most cases, but it can damage sensitive electronics and indicates a problem that needs professional attention the same day. Check if it's a utility outage first by checking with your neighbours or calling your utility company.
Emergency 7: Electrical shock from an outlet, switch, or appliance. If someone receives an electrical shock (beyond the static electricity kind) from touching an electrical device, outlet, or switch in your home, something is wrong with your wiring or grounding. Even a mild shock indicates a fault. Have the person checked by a doctor if necessary, stop using the affected circuit, and call an electrician. If the shock was severe or the person is unconscious or not breathing, call 911 immediately.
Emergency 8: Scorch marks or heat damage on walls, outlets, or switches. If you see brown or black scorch marks around an outlet or switch plate, or if a wall feels warm near an electrical fixture, you have evidence of a serious wiring problem that has already caused heat damage. Turn off the breaker for that area and call an electrician immediately. This is a fire in progress or a fire that's about to happen.
Situations that are urgent but not 911 emergencies. A breaker that trips and won't reset — call an electrician within 24 hours. A GFCI outlet that won't reset — don't use the affected outlets and call an electrician within a day or two. Flickering lights throughout the house — call an electrician within 24 to 48 hours. A dead outlet or circuit — inconvenient but not dangerous as long as there's no smell, heat, or other warning signs. Call an electrician at your convenience.
What to do before the electrician arrives. If it's safe, turn off the breaker controlling the affected area. Don't touch any damaged wiring or equipment. Keep children and pets away from the area. If there's a burning smell, open windows for ventilation. Take photos if you can safely do so — they help with diagnosis. Don't try to fix it yourself. Electrical emergencies are not the time for DIY.
One thing I want to mention specifically for GTA homeowners: electrical emergencies happen more frequently during extreme weather. Ice storms bring down power lines and cause surges when power is restored. Summer heat waves overload circuits as everyone runs air conditioners. Spring thaws cause basement flooding that can reach electrical panels. Be especially vigilant during these periods.
Also, if you have an older home (pre-1980) in Toronto or the inner suburbs, the probability of electrical issues is higher simply due to the age of the wiring, connections, and panel. Regular electrical inspections every 5 to 10 years can catch developing problems before they become emergencies.
For electrical emergencies in the GTA, call City Power Electrical Services at 416-877-3048. I respond to emergency calls promptly because I know that when electrical safety is at stake, every hour matters.