Electrical Repairs near you

Some faults can be booked for later in the week; others can't. A burning smell, sparks or a flash when something is plugged in, scorch marks on a cover plate, or an outlet, switch or panel that is hot to the touch mean something is overheating right now. Stop using the circuit, switch it off at the breaker if the panel is dry and safe to reach, and get an electrician in the same day, through an emergency service if needed. If you see smoke or flames, leave the house and call 911.

Milder symptoms still deserve a prompt booking: a light flickering on one circuit, an outlet that stopped working, or a GFCI that won't reset. They rarely turn into an emergency overnight, but loose connections tend to get worse with heat and time, so avoid leaving them for months and working around them with extension cords.

A repair visit starts with questions: when the problem began, whether it depends on the weather, the time of day or a particular appliance, and what has changed in the house lately, such as a renovation or a new heater. Those answers narrow the search before a single cover comes off.

A small repair is still regulated electrical work. ESA states that if you need someone to do electrical repairs in your Ontario home, by law you must hire a Licensed Electrical Contractor who takes out a notification, ESA's permit, for the work. In Quebec, repairs done for someone else go to a contractor licensed through the CMEQ, and in British Columbia, Technical Safety BC or the local government issues the electrical installation permit. Other provinces and territories have their own authority, so the rules follow the address, not the size of the job.

Declaring a repair shouldn't slow it down: the contractor files the notification or permit and arranges the inspection where one applies. If opening a box reveals more than expected, such as heat-damaged cable inside the wall, ask for it to be included in the declared work rather than patched around, and keep the confirmation with your house records.

Older wiring changes how a repair is done. On aluminum branch circuits, which ESA says may be found in homes built from the mid-1960s to the late 1970s, the weak points are the connections, so a replacement outlet, switch or splice has to use devices and connectors compatible with aluminum or an approved method of joining it to copper. A standard device fitted in its place is not a like-for-like repair.

Knob-and-tube has no ground wire, and ESA notes that many insurers will not provide or renew coverage on homes that still have it. When a repair touches one of these circuits, ask the electrician to describe the condition of the wiring in writing. That note answers an insurer's questions and helps you decide whether to repair the circuit or plan a rewire.

Many repair calls come in the cold months. Space heaters plugged into bedroom circuits that already feed other loads trip breakers and heat up receptacles, baseboard thermostats wear out after years of cycling, and outdoor outlets used for block heaters and holiday lights take in moisture and ice. A warm plug, a cord that's hot to the touch, or an outdoor outlet that trips its GFCI in wet weather are all worth mentioning when you book, because they point the electrician straight to the right circuit.