The smell of burning coming from a nearby electrical outlet is a frightening experience. Several factors can cause it, and there are steps you can take immediately to make sure your safety is taken care of. Before you do any troubleshooting, however, you should be aware of the potential causes and possible solutions.

Possible Causes of the Burning Smell  

One common cause of a burning smell around an electrical outlet could be an overloaded power strip or surge protector. You must make sure that the total wattage of all devices plugged into the same power strip does not exceed its rated load capacity. If it does, unplug some appliances and move them to another outlet. Additionally, if the power strip or surge protector appears damaged in any way, replace it immediately before plugging any other devices into it.

Another possible cause for a burning smell near an electrical outlet could be a wiring issue in your home's electrical system. Many older homes may still have aluminium wiring, which creates additional heat when current runs through it more quickly than intended. This can lead to overheating, sparking and even fire hazards over time. When this is the case with your home's wiring system, you should contact a professional electrician as soon as possible to assess the situation and provide necessary repairs or replacements.

What You Should Do When You Smell Burning 

If you notice or smell something burning near an electrical outlet in your home, immediately turn off the circuit breaker that powers that particular outlet before unplugging all devices from it. Once all devices are unplugged from the outlet, you should wait at least five minutes for everything to cool down before checking for any signs of damage on both the device and the actual wall socket itself. In addition to this visual inspection for damage, you may want to use an electrical tester just to double-check that all wires connected within this particular circuit are working properly and there are no voltage issues.

What to Remember at All Times

Above all else, never take chances, and if you are unsure what to do, turn off the power at the switchboard, and get in touch with an emergency electrician as soon as possible. If you can see any visible signs of burning (such as more than simply a wisp of smoke), you may also want to call the fire service as soon as possible.

Contact an electrician to learn more about emergency electric work.