# What should I check before I call an electrician?

> Four safe checks before you book an electrician: the wall switch, the breaker, the GFCI reset button and the PSO outage map, plus when to stop and call.

Canonical page: https://hotshotelectrical.com/answers/before-you-call-an-electrician/

Hot Shot Electric Service Co. is a family-owned electrical contractor in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma, founded August 1, 1995. Oklahoma Electrical Contractor License #26574, bonded and insured. BBB A+ accredited. Rated 4.9 stars across 246 Google reviews. Address 9203 S 241st E Ave, Broken Arrow, OK 74014. Phone (918) 261-8024. Hours: Monday to Friday, 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM. Closed Saturday and Sunday. Urgent problems (no power, a burning smell, a hot panel, storm damage) are worked the same day during business hours. Calls after hours go to voicemail and are returned first thing the next business morning.

**Short answer:** Check four things first: the wall switch that may control the outlet or light, the breaker panel for a tripped breaker, every GFCI outlet's reset button, and PSO's outage map if the whole house is dark. If you smell burning, hear buzzing, or a breaker trips again right away, stop and call.

Some problems that look like a wiring failure are a switch, a breaker or a GFCI that did exactly what it was built to do. When you call (918) 261-8024, we ask a few questions and walk you through these checks first, because a five-minute check on the phone is better for you than a service call you did not need.

## Check 1: the wall switch

Many outlets in living rooms and bedrooms are switched, so a lamp plugged into one works only when the wall switch is on. The same goes for porch lights, garage lights and some kitchen fixtures. Flip every switch near the dead outlet or light, including the ones you never use.

## Check 2: the breaker panel

Open the panel door and look for a breaker that is not lined up with the others. A tripped breaker usually sits in the middle position. Push it firmly all the way to OFF, then back to ON. Reset it once, not over and over.

**Stop and call if** the breaker trips again right after you reset it, the panel is warm or buzzing, you see scorch marks, or you smell hot plastic. Those are signs of a real fault, and resetting again only makes it worse. [Here is why breakers keep tripping](https://hotshotelectrical.com/answers/why-does-my-breaker-keep-tripping/).

## Check 3: every GFCI reset button

A GFCI outlet has TEST and RESET buttons. One GFCI often protects several regular outlets downstream, so a tripped GFCI in a bathroom can kill an outlet in another bathroom, and one in the garage can kill outdoor outlets. Press RESET firmly on every GFCI you can find: kitchen, bathrooms, garage, laundry, outside and near the pool or hot tub.

## Check 4: is it the whole house, or half of it?

If the whole house is dark, look at the neighbors and check PSO's outage map before you call an electrician. If only part of the house is out, notice which things work. When the air conditioner, dryer, range or water heater stopped but some lights still work, the house may have lost one leg of its power. That is often a utility-side problem. [Here is what to do when part of the house lost power](https://hotshotelectrical.com/answers/partial-power-after-pso-outage/).

## What to tell us when you call

- What stopped working, and when it started
- Whether you smell or see anything unusual
- Whether it happens with a certain appliance running
- Which of the four checks you already tried
- Your city, so we can tell you when a journeyman can be there

That information helps us send the right journeyman with the right parts, and it tells us whether the problem is urgent. Urgent problems are worked the same day during business hours, Monday to Friday, 8:00 to 4:30.

## What not to do

- Do not keep resetting a breaker that trips right away.
- Do not open the panel cover or replace a breaker yourself.
- Do not run an extension cord from a working outlet to cover a dead circuit for days.
- Do not plug a portable generator into a household outlet (it can back-feed onto the power lines).

If the checks do not fix it, we come out. Troubleshooting visits carry a [diagnostic fee](https://hotshotelectrical.com/answers/what-the-diagnostic-fee-covers/) that includes a roughly 20-point safety inspection, and you get the price for the repair before any work starts.

## Frequently asked questions

### Will you really walk me through these checks on the phone?

Yes. We answer the phone ourselves and ask the same questions every time: what stopped, when, and what you have tried. If a reset fixes it, you saved a service call.

### How do I know which breaker tripped?

A tripped breaker usually sits in the middle, out of line with the others, and may show a colored window. Push it fully off, then on. If you cannot tell, do not guess with the main breaker; call us.

### Is a GFCI that will not reset a problem?

It can mean there is still a fault on that circuit, the GFCI itself has failed, or the power is off upstream. Leave it off and call so a journeyman can test it.

## Related services

- [Electrical Troubleshooting and Repair in Tulsa, OK](https://hotshotelectrical.com/services/electrical-troubleshooting-repair.md)
- [Electrical Outlet Installation and Repair in Tulsa, OK](https://hotshotelectrical.com/outlet-installation-repair.md)
- [Circuit Breaker Installation and Repair in Tulsa, OK](https://hotshotelectrical.com/circuit-breaker-replacement-and-repairs.md)

## Contact

- Hot Shot Electric Service Co., 9203 S 241st E Ave, Broken Arrow, OK 74014
- Phone: (918) 261-8024
- Email: johnbrown@hotshotelectrical.com
- Hours: Monday to Friday, 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM. Closed Saturday and Sunday.
- Request service: https://hotshotelectrical.com/contact-us/