Electrical emergencies dont wait for business hours. Power goes out at midnight, switchboard starts smoking on Sunday, outlet sparks while your cooking dinner. When electrical problems are dangerous or leaving you without power you need electrician fast.
We provide 24/7 emergency electrical service across Christchurch. Licensed electricians available day and night, weekends and public holidays. When you got genuine emergency we respond quickly and fix it properly.
What Counts As Electrical Emergency
Not every electrical problem is emergency. Some things can wait til normal business hours. But certain situations need urgent attention cause theyre dangerous or critical.
Complete power loss is emergency specially if its just your place not whole street. Means problem is in your switchboard or wiring. Needs checking cause could be dangerous fault.
Smoke or burning smell from switchboard is serious emergency. Turn power off at main switch, get everyone out, call us immediately. This is fire hazard that needs urgent response.
Sparking or arcing from outlets, switches, or fixtures is dangerous. Shows serious fault that could cause fire or electrocution. Dont use the outlet and call for emergency service.
Exposed live wires are immediate danger. If storm damage, animal damage, or accident exposes live electrical wires this is critical safety issue.
Water entering switchboard or electrical equipment is emergency. Water and electricity together is deadly combination. Switch power off and get electrician out urgently.
RCD that keeps tripping and wont stay on indicates dangerous fault. RCD protects you from electrocution so if it wont reset theres problem that needs fixing now.
Got called to Papanui house at 2am. Switchboard was smoking and making crackling noise. Tennants smelled burning plastic. We arrived within 30 minutes, isolated the fault, made safe. Was loose connection that was arcing and could've started fire. Fixed properly next day but immediate response prevented potential disaster.
What Can Wait Until Normal Hours
Some electrical problems are annoying but not actually emergencies. These can wait for normal callout during business hours.
Single light or outlet not working isnt emergency. Inconvenient but not dangerous. Can wait til morning or next business day.
Tripped breaker that resets successfully dosnt need emergency callout. Reset it and call during business hours to investigate why it tripped.
Light switches or dimmers not working properly are maintenance issues not emergencies. Get them fixed but doesnt require after hours callout.
Planned work like installing new outlets or lights should be scheduled during business hours. Emergency rates are for actual emergencies not convenience.
Minor flickering lights might indicate problem but unless theres burning smell or sparking it can wait for normal appointment.
Our Emergency Response Process
When you call with emergency we follow clear process to get you help fast.
Take your call 24/7. Real person answers not answering machine. We assess situation over phone to confirm its genuine emergency.
Safety first advice if needed. If situation is immediately dangerous we give instructions to stay safe while electrician is on way.
Dispatch electrician to your location. We aim to respond within 60 minutes depending on where you are and what else is happening.
Electrician calls when 10 minutes away so your ready. Specially important for after hours when people might be sleeping.
Assess situation and make safe. First priority is eliminating immediate danger even if full repair takes longer.
Explain whats wrong and what needs doing. We dont just fix it without telling you whats happening.
Fix problem properly if possible right then. We carry good range of common parts on truck so most issues can be fixed immediately.
If cant fix completely on spot we make it safe and arrange proper repair. Your not left with dangerous situation.
Common Emergency Call Outs
Some types of emergencies come up more than others. Heres what we typically respond to.
Storm damage to electrical systems is common in Christchurch. Wind bringing down power lines, water getting into equipment, tree branches damaging overhead wiring.
Switchboard failures happen specially in older houses. Loose connections, worn breakers, overheating components. Often shows as burning smell or breakers that wont stay on.
Hot water cylinder element failures leave people without hot water. Not always emergency but is if youve got young kids or elderly people who need hot water.
Appliance faults causing power problems. Fridge or washing machine with electrical fault trips power repeatedly. Need to isolate faulty appliance and restore power to rest of house.
Animal damage to wiring. Rats, possums getting into roof spaces and chewing through cables. Can cause shorts and fire risk.
DIY disasters where someone tried electrical work themselves and created dangerous situation. We fix their mistakes and make it safe.
Saturday evening got called to restaurant in Riccarton. All power out during busy dinner service. Found main breaker had failed. Installed temporary bypass to get critical circuits working, arranged proper repair for Sunday. Restaurant was able to finish service without major loss.
Seasonal Emergency Patterns
Certain times of year see more emergencies than others.
Winter brings more heating related issues. Heat pump breakdowns, heater overloads tripping breakers, extension cords overheating from heaters.
Summer storms cause electrical damage. Lightning strikes, wind damage, flooding affecting electrical equipment.
Christmas period sees surge in problems. People using way more lights and electrical decorations than usual. Overloaded circuits, faulty decorations causing trips.
Easter weekend seems to bring DIY disasters. People have long weekend and decide to do electrical work themselves then realize they messed up.
Safety While Waiting For Electrician
If youve called for emergency electrician heres what to do while waiting.
Turn off power at main switch if theres burning smell, smoke, or sparking. Safety is more important than having power.
Stay away from affected area. Dont touch electrical equipment that might be faulty.
Keep kids and pets away from problem area. They dont understand danger.
Have torch or phone light ready. If power is off youll need light to show electrician the problem.
Dont try to fix it yourself. Electrical work when your stressed and in hurry is when accidents happen.
Have easy access to switchboard. Electrician will need to work on it so clear any stuff blocking it.
If switchboard is outdoors make sure gate is unlocked and path is clear. Specially important at night.
After Hours Callout Costs
Emergency electrical service costs more than normal business hours work. This is industry standard everywhere not just us.
After hours callout rates apply outside normal business hours. This covers being available 24/7, traveling at night or weekends, disruption to electricians life.
Typical emergency callout might be 200-300 just to attend plus hourly rate for work. Weekend and public holiday rates are higher than weeknight rates.
Work that can be done immediately gets charged at emergency rate. If fix requires parts we dont have or extensive work we make safe and schedule proper repair at normal rates.
Emergency rates are for genuine emergencies. We dont charge emergency rates if your problem could've waited til morning.
Most people are fine paying emergency rates when its real emergency. Power out with young kids in winter, smoking switchboard, dangerous fault - these justify emergency callout.
We give quote before starting work where possible. For emergencies we explain costs upfront so theres no surprises.
Preventing Electrical Emergencies
Many electrical emergencies can be prevented with proper maintenance and sensible use of electrical system.
Regular electrical inspections catch problems before they become emergencies. Every few years get electrician to check your switchboard and wiring.
Dont overload circuits. If breaker keeps tripping your drawing too much power. Spread load across different circuits or upgrade circuit capacity.
Replace old electrical equipment. Switchboards, wiring, outlets dont last forever. If your house is 30+ years old without electrical upgrades your at higher risk.
Fix minor problems promptly. Flickering light or loose outlet seems minor but could indicate bigger issue developing.
Use licensed electrician for all electrical work. DIY electrical is illegal and dangerous. Saves money short term but costs heaps when it goes wrong.
Dont ignore warning signs. Burning smells, warm outlets, breakers that trip - all indicate problems that need attention before they become emergencies.
Commercial Emergency Service
Commercial electrical emergencies are different from residential. Business cant operate without power so response is critical.
We prioritize commercial emergencies cause business losses add up fast. Restaurant without power during service, retail store that cant open, office building with no lights.
Commercial systems are more complex than residential. Three phase power, commercial switchboards, complex circuits. Need commercial experience to diagnose fast.
Temporary solutions often needed. Get business operating on temporary fix then come back for proper repair when business is closed.
After hours work sometimes needed. For some businesses only way to do repairs is outside trading hours. We work nights and weekends to accommodate.
Sunday morning got called to supermarket in Hornby. Main switchboard fault knocked out whole refrigeration system. Got critical circuits working within hour. Full repair done overnight when store was closed. Prevented thousands in spoiled food.
What We Carry For Emergencies
Emergency truck is stocked with common parts and tools so we can fix most problems on first visit.
Range of breakers in common sizes. Can swap out faulty breaker without waiting for parts.
Outlets, switches, light fittings. Basic replacements for failed components.
Cable in common sizes. Can run temporary circuits or replace damaged sections.
Cable joins and connectors. Fix damaged cables properly and safely.
RCDs and safety switches. Critical safety components we stock in multiple types.
Testing equipment to diagnose faults. Multimeters, insulation testers, circuit tracers.
Basic hand tools and power tools. Cut, strip, terminate cables properly in field.
Temporary power solutions. Extension leads, distribution boards for temporary supply.
Cant carry everything but stock covers probably 80% of emergency situations. Unusual parts we source quickly.
Areas We Cover For Emergency Service
We provide emergency electrical service throughout Christchurch and surrounding areas.
Central Christchurch gets fastest response cause we're based centrally. Riccarton, Merivale, CBD, Fendalton typically 30-45 minute response.
Outer suburbs like Halswell, Belfast, Sumner, New Brighton are 45-60 minutes depending on traffic and time of day.
Satellite towns like Rolleston, Rangiora, Kaiapoi we service but response time is longer. Usually 60-90 minutes depending on where your calling from.
For genuine emergencies we get there as fast as safely possible. For less urgent issues we schedule within few hours.
If your outside our normal service area we can still help with emergency. Might take bit longer to arrive but we wont leave you stuck.
Why Choose WeDo For Emergency Service
When you got electrical emergency you want reliable response. Heres what we provide.
Actually available 24/7. Real person answers phone anytime. We dont use answering service that takes messages.
Fast response times. We aim for 60 minutes or less to genuine emergencies. Usually faster than that.
Licensed electricians attending all callouts. Legal, safe, compliant work even under emergency conditions.
Fully stocked trucks. Can fix most problems immediately without needing to source parts.
Fair pricing for emergency work. We charge emergency rates cause we maintain 24/7 availability but we dont rip people off.
Safety first approach. We make situation safe first even if full repair takes longer.
Clear communication about whats wrong and what needs doing. No surprises or hidden costs.
Follow up service. If temporary fix is done overnight we schedule proper repair quickly.
If you got electrical emergency give us a call. Well assess situation, respond quickly, and fix problem properly. Available anytime day or night cause electrical emergencies dont stick to business hours.