Emergency Electrician for Outages, Burning Smells and Urgent Faults
Red Electricians sends an emergency electrician for urgent electrical problems: outages, burning smells, sparks and faults that cannot wait. Emergency electrician service starts from $99 per hour, with 24/7 emergency service (starting price; your cost may differ). Call now.
24/7
Emergency service
About 5 min
Callback after a form request
Licensed & insured
In every city we serve
Request a service
Tell us what you
see, hear or smell.
Tell us what happened, what you smell or see and which rooms lost power. Call now. You can also send the form.
- A form request gets a callback in about 5 minutes
- Same-day service is possible in many cases
- We offer 24/7 emergency service
Call any time, 24/7
(213) 322-0128
Request a Service
Tell us the problem and we will call you back in about 5 minutes.
Prefer to talk? Call (213) 322-0128.
Overview
Is it an electrical emergency? What to look for first
An electrical emergency is any problem that puts people or property at risk right now. If there is smoke or fire, get everyone out and call 911 first. For everything else, call (213) 322-0128 to check availability. Our call center is open 24/7, and we offer 24/7 emergency service. Same-day service is possible in many cases. See every electrical service we offer for our other work.
Treat it as an emergency if you see any of these:
- A burning smell, sparks or smoke from an outlet, a switch or the panel.
- A warm, scorched or discolored cover plate.
- Part of the house has lost power, or lamps are getting brighter in one room and dimmer in another.
- The main breaker has tripped and will not reset.
While you wait, stay clear of the problem, turn off the affected appliance if you can do so safely, and do not touch anything that looks damaged. Do not try to repair breakers or wiring yourself.
Power out in half the house
Some callers lose power in half the house, or the lights in some rooms get stronger while others dim. A utility may tell you its side is fine and to call an electrician. That pattern points to a supply problem beyond a single room, and it needs prompt attention. The field notes below show one.
What we do
Urgent faults we deal with
Every price in this section: starting price; your cost may differ.
Emergency electrical repair covers the faults below. We link each to its own page where there is one.
Partial or total outage on your side of the meter
We find where the supply fails on the property.
Burning odor or scorched fittings
We isolate the circuit, find the damage and make it safe.
A tripping main or breaker
See circuit breaker repair for breaker faults and electrical panel repair for the panel.
A circuit that failed after a storm or a renovation
We trace it and repair it. See electrical repair.
Essential supply, such as a refrigerator
We look at what can be made safe in the short term, without improvising.
Pricing
What an urgent visit costs at the start
How much does an emergency electrician cost? An emergency electrician starts from $99 per hour. That is where pricing begins, not a total.
An urgent visit is not a free estimate. We explain the price before the work starts.
Every price in this section: starting price; your cost may differ.
| Service | Starting price | What changes the final cost | Estimate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Emergency electrician | From $99 per hour | Time on site, parts, access, the extent of the damage, and whether the repair continues past diagnosis | Quoted on the call |
Decision guide
Emergency, or can it wait for a booked repair?
| What is happening | What to do | What we check first |
|---|---|---|
| Burning smell or sparks | Call now. If there is smoke or fire, call 911 | Which branch is affected, and the damage around it |
| Partial outage | Call now | The supply on both sides of the house |
| One dead outlet | Book a repair. See outlet repair | The outlet and the circuit |
| Lights flicker, but it feels safe | Book a visit. See electrical repair | Connections and the fixture |
| A breaker trips again and again | Book a visit. See circuit breaker repair | The breaker and the load |
| The panel buzzes or feels hot | Call now. See panel repair | The panel and its connections |
| Power is out and you want backup | After the emergency, see standby generator installation | How the generator would connect |
Business with an urgent problem? See our commercial electrical services.
The visit
What happens from the moment you call
- Call us. We confirm availability on the phone.
- Tell us what happened, what you smell or see and which rooms lost power. A photo helps if it is safe to take one.
- An electrician comes out. We do not promise an arrival window before we hear about the job.
- The electrician isolates the problem and makes it safe.
- The price is explained before work continues.
- The repair, or a safe temporary fix where one is appropriate, is made and tested.
Questions such as whether the technician calls on the way, or whether you can cancel if you find someone sooner, are answered on the call.
Field notes
Field notes: three urgent jobs and what was checked first
Residents in an occupied home reported lamps that dimmed and brightened at once, with a burning smell near the service. Supply checks found very unequal line-to-neutral voltages while line-to-line stayed stable. A faulty service neutral was the cause. We made the installation safe, kept the residents clear and coordinated the service-side repair with the utility. After that repair both line-to-neutral readings settled near normal under load. The relevant reference is NFPA 70 (NEC), 230 and 250.
Opposite changes in lamp brightness can indicate a supply problem beyond one room circuit.
Our electrician
Our electrician’s advice: report simultaneous brightening and dimming promptly, and do not investigate service equipment yourself.
A burning smell near a shop display
The manager told us where the smell was and what the display was doing, which helped us find the circuit quickly. We isolated that branch and found a scorched driver connection. We replaced the damaged parts after checking the rest of the wiring, and trading resumed only after loaded checks.
A refrigerator that lost power
Food was at risk, but urgency did not justify an improvised supply. We found where the damaged section ended, set up an approved temporary supply with clear limits, then renewed the damaged section and removed the temporary one after final checks.
Availability
Where we cover and how availability works
We cover emergencies across our service area. See where we work for the full list, and ask us on the call if you are not sure. Cities with a Google profile are Pasadena, Sherman Oaks, Topanga, Palm Springs, Yorba Linda and Montecito. Every other city is service-area coverage with no office there. The call center answers 24/7, and emergency service runs 24/7. We do not publish arrival times.
Customer feedback
What customers said after an outage or urgent fault
We have no review about an outage that we have not already shown on another page, and we will not repeat one. The three profiles above are rated on Google as of Oct 8, 2026: Sherman Oaks 4.9 from 52 reviews, Topanga 5.0 from 69 and Palm Springs 5.0 from 83. Each belongs to its own profile. Read what our customers say.
Common questions
Emergency electrician questions answered
Can someone come today or tonight?
Same day in many cases, and we offer 24/7 emergency service. Availability is confirmed on the phone.
How much will an urgent visit cost?
Emergency electrician service starts from $99 per hour. It is a starting price, and your cost may differ. We explain the price before the work continues.
Is it dangerous to wait?
It can be. A burning smell, sparks, smoke or a hot panel are urgent. Stop using the circuit and call us. If there is smoke or fire, call 911.
Do you work weekends or after hours?
Yes. Our call center answers 24/7, and we offer 24/7 emergency service.
My utility says its side is fine. What now?
The problem is then on your side of the meter, or at the service connection. Call us and tell us what you see.
Can I cancel if I find someone sooner?
Please tell us as soon as you can. The terms are given on the call.
Who am I calling?
You are calling Red Electricians, a licensed and insured electrical company.
Do you offer a warranty?
Red Electricians offers a standard warranty on its work. Ask your technician for the details when you call.
Call now about an urgent electrical problem
Tell us what happened, what you smell or see and which rooms lost power. Call now. You can also send the form.