Safety & protection

These symptoms mean stop using that circuit immediately

• Burning plastic smell from an outlet or panel — turn off the breaker and call a licensed electrician today.
• Visible scorch marks or blackening around an outlet, switch, or breaker — a fire has already started somewhere.
• Sparks when plugging in a device — loose connection or damaged outlet. Don't use it again until inspected.
• Breaker trips immediately on reset — there is a fault on the circuit. Do not keep resetting; call for diagnosis.
• Buzzing or humming from inside walls or a panel — arcing is one of the most common causes of electrical house fires.
• Hot panel door or hot outlet/cover plate — overload or loose connection; the insulation may already be degrading.

The trend: assume you need one

Under current code, arc-fault (AFCI) protection applies to most branch circuits in a home. These days it's less "do I need one" and more "where don't I." GFCI protection is required anywhere near water — within 5' of a sink, in bathrooms, in garages, outdoors, and near pools or spas.

• Bathroom: GFCI-protected outlet required; switches must be out of reach from the tub or shower.
• Kitchen: Any receptacle within 5' of a sink requires GFCI protection.
• Garage and outdoors: All receptacles require GFCI protection.
• Basement, bedrooms, living rooms: Typically require AFCI breakers for new circuits.

• Countertop receptacles: minimum two dedicated 20A circuits, spaced no more than 4' apart, with one within 2' of a counter edge or basin.
• The fridge always gets its own circuit, so other tripped devices don't take it down too — microwaves get a dedicated circuit as well due to their draw.
• Split receptacles: don't forget to break the tab between the two hot-side screws — leaving it in place ties two live wires together and causes hard breaker trips.
• Any plug within 5' of a sink must be GFCI-protected.
• Bathroom switch location must be unreachable from inside a tub or shower enclosure.

Placement, interconnection & the lighting-circuit rule

• Smoke alarms are required on every level of a dwelling, inside and outside each sleeping area.
• CO alarms are required adjacent to each sleeping area.
• All alarms must be interconnected — if one sounds, they all sound.
• Alarms must be wired to a lighting circuit so the light acts as a visual power-status indicator.
• Do not install on a circuit controlled by a switch, or on a small-appliance circuit.

• Tamper-resistant receptacles — recommended throughout the home rather than tracking exactly where they're required, especially with kids around.
• Testing a circuit is live — always verify dead with a non-contact voltage tester before touching wires, even if the breaker is labeled and switched off.
• Extension cords — never use as permanent wiring. Never run under rugs or through walls. Match the cord's ampacity to the connected load.
• Surge protection — whole-home surge protectors installed at the panel protect against external surges from the grid; plug-in strips are a secondary layer only.
• Overloaded circuits — if a circuit regularly trips, adding a second circuit is the fix — not a larger breaker.

When older wiring becomes a hazard

• Knob-and-tube wiring — no ground conductor, often brittle insulation, and not rated for modern loads. Inspect and document with a licensed electrician.
• Aluminum wiring (pre-1970s) — expands and contracts differently than copper, which loosens connections over time. Requires special terminals or copalum crimping.
• 60A fuse panels — sized for a 1950s home, not modern appliances. Usually the first thing to upgrade.
• No ground wire on outlets — safe to use, but should not be used with equipment that requires ground. GFCI protection is an accepted alternative in many cases.

Call a pro when any of these show up:

• Wiring needs to be added or altered
• Breakers trip repeatedly
• Outlets are warm or buzzing
• You smell burning plastic
• You're installing high-draw equipment (EV charger, hot tub, heat pump)
• You're unsure about ESA permit requirements
• Any work involving the main service entrance or grounding system