Safety First
Nothing to Try at Home
Leave it alone and call. A technician reaches out within 1 business hour, and real emergencies go first.
5 Stars
Rated Crew · 2,500+ Homes
A hot-plastic or fishy smell, or black marks on the face: the connection has already overheated. Breaker off, call now.
Three causes cover almost every call we get for this.
A loose wire or worn contact that has been arcing for weeks. The smell is the insulation.
A heater or appliance drawing more than the outlet and wire were made for.
1965–75 homes: loosened aluminum connections overheat and discolor the plate.
Leave it alone and call. A technician reaches out within 1 business hour, and real emergencies go first.
There is nothing to try here.
Online or by phone. A technician reaches out within 1 business hour.
Traced to the box or device it lives in. Exact price before any work, you approve it first.
Right parts, tested under load, next connection checked so it does not come back.
A burning smell at an outlet or switch — often described as hot plastic or fish — or brown and black scorch marks on the cover mean a connection has already overheated enough to cook the plastic. The outlet may still work. It is not safe. Turn off the breaker for that circuit, leave it off, and call; if there is smoke or flame, leave the house and call 911 first.
Smoke, flame, or a hot wall: 911 first, then us. A smell or scorch marks with no smoke: breaker off and call us now.
Same-day priority. Call (206) 486-6373 and tell us it is a burning smell.
Exact price when we see the damage, before any work starts.
Possibly — a failing charger or appliance can smell too. We check both; the outlet gets opened either way.
Licensed electricians across South King and Pierce County. Exact price before any work starts.