Most electrical problems are inconvenient. A burning smell, heat or buzzing from an outlet, switch, fixture or panel is different: it usually means a connection is overheating, and overheating connections are how many electrical fires start. The good news is that caught early, the repair is usually small. Here is what to do in the first few minutes, and what is going on behind the cover.
If there is smoke, fire or sparks
Get everyone out of the house and call 911. Do not try to put out an electrical fire with water. Do not go back in to switch anything off. That is the fire department's job.
If there is a smell, heat or buzzing but no smoke
- Stop using it. Unplug what is plugged into the outlet if the plug is not hot and you can do it without touching the outlet face. If the plug or cord is hot or melted, leave it.
- Turn off the breaker for that circuit if you can reach the panel safely, the floor is dry, and the panel itself is not hot, buzzing or smelling. If you are not sure which breaker it is, and the smell is strong, turning off the main breaker is reasonable.
- Do not open anything. Do not take the cover off the outlet, switch or panel to look.
- Call an electrician, and say there is a smell, heat or buzzing. That changes how urgently the call is handled.
If the smell or heat is coming from the panel itself, do not touch the panel. Keep people away from it and call. If the smell gets stronger or you see smoke, leave and call 911.
What the smell means
The insulation on wires and the plastic in outlets and switches give off a sharp, acrid smell when they overheat. Many people describe it as fishy, which surprises them; it is a recognized description of overheating electrical plastics. Either smell near an outlet, switch, light or panel is worth taking seriously, even if it comes and goes.
Common causes
- A loose connection. The most common cause by far. A wire that is not tight on its terminal, or a worn push-in connection on the back of an outlet, has resistance, and resistance makes heat. It often gets worse over time, as heat loosens the connection further.
- An overloaded outlet or circuit. A space heater, hair dryer, window AC or kitchen appliance on a circuit already carrying other loads can push an outlet or plug past what it can handle.
- A worn outlet. When the contacts no longer grip a plug firmly, the contact point heats up. A plug that falls out easily is a warning sign.
- A failing breaker or panel connection. Heat at the panel usually comes from a breaker that is not seated firmly on the bus or a loose wire at a breaker terminal.
- Moisture and corrosion. Water and salt air corrode contacts outdoors and near the water, raising resistance. See our post on salt air corrosion.
What buzzing means
Some sounds are normal. Dimmers can hum faintly, especially with LED bulbs, and some transformers and fluorescent fixtures hum. A buzz, crackle or sizzle from an outlet, switch or the panel is different. It usually means electricity is jumping across a gap at a loose or damaged connection, which is called arcing. Arcing makes heat and should be treated the same way as a burning smell: stop using the circuit and call.
What we do
We start where the symptom is and work outward. At an outlet or switch, we check the device, the wire ends and the box for heat damage, and test the circuit for overload. At the panel, we check the breaker, its connection and the bus it sits on. The repair is usually a replaced device and remade connections, with damaged wire cut back to clean copper. If the damage is wider, as in a panel with burned bus stabs, we explain the options. See outlet repair and panel repair for more.
Preventing it
- Replace outlets that no longer grip plugs firmly.
- Do not run space heaters or other high-wattage appliances on extension cords or power strips.
- Move heavy, regular loads onto a dedicated circuit.
- Have outdoor and coastal outlets and panels checked for corrosion periodically.
- Pay attention to warm cover plates and plugs. Warm is an early warning.
Questions people ask
Can an outlet smell with nothing plugged in?
Yes. Current still flows through an outlet to the outlets after it on the same circuit, so a loose connection at an outlet can heat up even when nothing is plugged into that outlet. Treat it the same way: turn off the breaker and call.
Is it safe to keep using the other outlets?
Not on the same circuit. Turning off the breaker for that circuit is the safe choice until it has been checked. Other circuits are generally fine to use, unless the smell or heat is coming from the panel.
The smell went away. Do I still need someone?
Yes. A connection that overheated once will usually do it again, and it tends to get worse each time. A smell that comes and goes is still worth having checked.
Need it looked at?
KRW Electric (EC13012832) troubleshoots and repairs burning smells, hot outlets and buzzing panels in Pinecrest, Coconut Grove, South Miami and Miami Beach, with same-day service when scheduling permits. Call (305) 359-7312 and tell us what you are seeing. We will ask a few questions, tell you whether it sounds urgent, and give you the earliest time we have. Our before you call checklist covers what to have ready, and what happens on a repair visit explains the rest.
Reviewed by Kyle White, KRW Electric Company LLC — licensed electrical contractor EC13012832.
