Two months ago my neighbor woke up at 2am to the smell of burning plastic. Tracked it down to her switchboard which was getting really hot and making a buzzing noise. She called an emergency electrician who was at her place in Burwood within 40 minutes.
Turned out one of the main connections had come loose and was arcing. The sparky killed the power, made it safe, and got her sorted with a temporary supply till he could come back in daylight to fix it properly. She reckons if she'd waited till morning her house might of burnt down.
Thats what 24/7 emergency service is for. When your having an electrical problem that cant wait and needs fixing right now no matter what time it is.
What Actually Counts As An Emergency
Real electrical emergencys are situations that are dangerous or could become dangerous if you dont get help immediately. Were talking about stuff that could hurt someone or start a fire.
Sparks coming from outlets, switches, or your switchboard - thats an emergency. Call right away and turn off power if you can do it safely.
Burning smells from anything electrical means somethings overheating badly. Could already be smoldering in your walls. Get help now.
Power lines down on your property or touching your house are serious emergencys. Call the power company first then an electrician to make your place safe once the lines dealt with.
Electric shocks from appliances or fittings arent normal and mean theres a dangerous fault. Unplug or turn off whatever shocked you and call an emergency electrician.
My mate in Linwood touched his stove and got a decent shock. Called an emergency sparky at 10pm who found the element had developed a short to the frame. If his kid had touched it they would of got badly hurt.
Things That Feel Like Emergencys But Arent
Total power loss sucks but if its just your place and theres no sparks or burning smells you can probably wait till morning. Turn off your main switch and call a regular electrician when its light.
One room without power isnt an emergency unless that rooms on fire or somethings smoking. Its annoying but not dangerous. Use torches and sort it out in business hours.
Tripped breakers that reset and stay on arent emergencys. Something caused the trip but if its holding now you can investigate properly during the day.
Hot water not working at midnight is frustrating but not an emergency. Have a cold shower or wait till morning. Save yourself the after hours call out fee.
The difference is risk. If theres actual danger to people or property thats an emergency. If its just inconvenient thats not.
How Fast Emergency Electricians Actually Come
Good 24/7 emergency electricians aim to get to you within an hour in Christchurch. Sometimes faster if your close and they're available, sometimes a bit longer if they're dealing with another emergency or your out in the wops.
When you call they ask where you are and whats happening. If its genuinely dangerous they prioritize it and come straight away. If its less urgent they might finish what they're doing first.
During big storms or power outages emergency electricians get swamped. Everyone rings at once and they cant be everywhere. You might wait longer than usual but they'll get to you.
My sister called an emergency sparky during that big wind storm last year. Took three hours for someone to arrive cause half of Christchurch had electrical problems. But they did come and they sorted it.
Be ready to describe exactly whats wrong when you call. The more information the electrician has the better they can prepare and the faster they can fix it when they arrive.
What Emergency Electricians Bring With Them
Emergency sparkies carry way more gear than normal cause they dont know what they're walking into. Their vans are basically mobile workshops with all the common parts and tools.
They got testing equipment to diagnose faults safely. Circuit breakers, cable, connectors, all the stuff needed for common emergency repairs. Torches and work lights cause they're often working in the dark.
Safety gear is big too. Insulated tools, protective equipment, stuff to isolate dangerous areas. They take safety seriously cause emergency work is risky.
Good emergency electricians can fix most problems on the spot or at least make things safe till a proper repair can be done. They dont want to leave you in danger or without power if they can help it.
Sometimes they need parts they dont carry. They'll do a temporary fix to get you safe and functioning then come back later with the right parts to do it properly.
Making Temporary Repairs Safe
If your emergency cant be fully fixed at 3am the electrician will make it safe and give you temporary power where possible. Maybe they isolate the faulty circuit and get the rest of your house working.
They'll explain whats temporary and what needs proper fixing. Follow their advice cause temporary repairs arent meant to last forever.
My uncle had an emergency call out where the sparky had to disconnect his garage circuit completely cause it had a major fault. Rest of the house worked fine. Got it properly repaired two days later during normal hours.
Temporary fixes should be followed up quickly. Dont just leave them for months thinking she'll be right. They're called temporary for a reason.
What Emergency Call Outs Cost
Emergency electrical work costs more than regular work. Your paying for someone to be available 24/7 and to drop everything and help you right now. Thats worth money.
Round Christchurch expect to pay a call out fee of 150 to 300 dollars just for them to come, plus hourly rates that are higher than daytime rates. Night work, weekend work, public holidays all cost more.
Hourly rates for emergency work might be 150 to 250 dollars an hour compared to 80 to 150 for normal work. Parts cost the same but you pay more for labor.
Most emergency electricians will tell you rough costs over the phone. They cant give exact quotes without seeing the problem but they can give you an idea.
My opinion is emergency rates are fair. These electricians have to be on call, miss sleep, work in dangerous conditions. They deserve to be paid properly for that.
When Its Worth Paying Emergency Rates
If theres genuine danger - sparks, smoke, shocks, fire risk - pay the emergency rates. Your safety and your houses safety are worth way more than saving a few hundred bucks.
For businesses losing money every hour without power emergency rates make sense. A shop losing thousands in sales can afford to pay emergency rates to get fixed fast.
If you got vulnerable people in the house like babies or elderly folk and its freezing cold with no heating, paying emergency rates to get sorted quickly is reasonable.
But if its just annoying and can safely wait till morning, wait. Save yourself the extra cost and book regular hours.
What To Do Before The Electrician Arrives
If its safe to do so turn off power to the problem area at your switchboard. Dont touch anything thats sparking or smoking - just kill the main switch if you can reach it safely.
Get everyone away from the dangerous area. If its in a bedroom move people to another room. If its the whole house get everyone outside till the electrician arrives.
If theres actual fire call 111 first before calling the electrician. Fire service needs to deal with flames before anyone can work on the electrical side.
Clear access to your switchboard. The electrician needs to get to it quickly without climbing over junk or moving furniture.
Have your phone charged and ready. The electrician might call for directions or to let you know they're close.
Safety While You Wait
Dont try to fix electrical emergencys yourself. I know your stressed and want it sorted but poking around with live electricity in an emergency situation is how people die.
Keep kids and pets away from problem areas. Tape off doorways if you have to. Better to be over-cautious.
If you smell gas as well as electrical burning get out and call 111. Could be wires heating up gas pipes or appliances. Not worth the risk.
Dont use water near electrical faults. I shouldnt have to say this but people panic and do dumb things. Water and electricity together kill people.
Different Types Of Electrical Emergencys
Power outages affecting just your house usually mean a problem with your switchboard or main connection. If the whole streets out its the power companys problem not yours.
Check if your neighbors have power. If they do and you dont thats when you need an electrician. If nobodys got power ring the power company and wait.
Switchboard problems are common emergencys. Main switches failing, breakers melting, connections coming loose. These need urgent attention cause they affect your whole house and can start fires.
Someone in Halswell had their main switch actually catch fire inside the switchboard. Emergency electrician had to kill power from outside and rebuild the whole board. Scary stuff but they got it sorted safely.
Storm Damage And Power Lines
Christchurch gets some pretty good winds and trees come down on power lines regularly. If a lines down near your property call Orion first on 0800 363 9898 then call an electrician to check your house wasnt damaged.
Never go near downed power lines. Treat every wire like its live cause it probably is. Keep everyone well back till the power company deals with it.
After the power companys made it safe you might still need an electrician to check your switchboard and wiring. Storm damage can loosen connections or damage cables even if theres no visible problems.
Lightning strikes near houses can surge through electrical systems and fry stuff. If you had a close lightning strike get your system checked even if everything seems to work. Damage might not show up till later.
Commercial Emergency Work
Businesses cant afford to be without power for long. Every hour closed is money lost. Emergency electricians know this and prioritize commercial emergencys.
A restaurant losing refrigeration needs emergency help or they'll lose thousands in spoiled food. Shops without power cant trade. Offices without computers cant work.
Commercial emergency work is often more complex cause business electrical systems are bigger. Three phase power, commercial switchboards, heavy machinery. Takes longer to diagnose and fix.
I know a guy who runs a bakery in town. His ovens stopped working at 4am when he was supposed to start baking. Emergency electrician got there by 5am and had him running again by 6am. Saved the days production.
After Hours Access For Businesses
Emergency electricians need to be able to get into business premises at night. Make sure someones got keys and can meet them there or set up access codes.
Security systems complicate things. The electrician might need to kill power which sets off alarms. Have your security company details ready and warn them someones coming.
Business emergencys often need follow up work. The emergency fix gets you running but proper repairs might need to wait till your closed or quiet.
Finding A Good 24/7 Electrician
Not all electricians do 24/7 emergency work. Many work normal hours only. You need to find sparkies who specifically offer round the clock service.
Look for companies that advertise 24/7 availability. Check they actually answer the phone at night - some say 24/7 but really just have an answering service.
Read reviews about emergency response times. Did they actually come when needed or did people wait for hours?
Save the number in your phone before you need it. When theres an emergency at 2am you dont want to be googling electricians while your house is sparking.
My recommendation is find a good emergency electrician now while everythings fine. Then if something goes wrong you already know who to call.
What Happens During The Emergency Visit
When the electrician arrives they assess the situation first. Is it actually safe to work on or do they need to take extra precautions? Wheres the danger coming from?
They'll ask you questions about what happened. When did it start? What were you doing? Any recent changes? This helps them figure out the problem faster.
Then they start testing and investigating. They work methodically even though its an emergency cause rushing leads to mistakes and more danger.
Once they find the fault they explain it to you. What went wrong, why its dangerous, what needs doing. Good emergency electricians communicate clearly even at weird hours.
They fix what they can fix right then. If parts are needed or its too complex for night work they make it safe and schedule proper repairs.
Getting Certificates And Paperwork
Emergency work still needs proper paperwork. The electrician should give you an invoice showing what they did and what they charged.
For work that requires it they'll issue certificates of compliance. Might not happen on the night but should come through in the following days.
Keep all paperwork from emergency work. If problems come back under warranty youll need proof of what was done.
Preventing Electrical Emergencys
Most emergencys can be prevented with proper maintenance. Get your electrical system checked every few years and fix small problems before they become big ones.
Dont ignore warning signs. Flickering lights, hot switches, burning smells, breakers tripping regularly - these are your electrical system telling you somethings wrong. Fix them during business hours before they become 2am emergencys.
Upgrade old switchboards and wiring. If your houses electrical system is 30 years old its probably due for work. Do it as planned maintenance not emergency repairs.
Dont overload circuits. Running too many things on one circuit stresses connections and causes failures. If you trip breakers often you need more circuits.
My parents finally upgraded their 1970s switchboard after years of me nagging them. Cost two grand but they havent had any electrical problems since. Way better than waiting for an emergency.
Knowing When To Call Early
If somethings not right but not quite an emergency yet, call during business hours. Dont wait till it gets worse and becomes a middle of the night crisis.
That weird smell that comes and goes? Get it checked now. The outlet thats a bit warm? Fix it this week. The lights that flicker occasionally? Sort it before it becomes constant.
Early intervention stops emergencys and costs way less than emergency call outs.
What About Public Holidays
Public holidays are the most expensive time for emergency electricians. Christmas Day, New Years, Easter - expect to pay premium rates cause your asking someone to work when they should be with family.
Rates on public holidays can be double or triple normal emergency rates. But if you got a genuine emergency you dont have much choice.
Try extra hard to prevent problems around holidays. Get maintenance done before Christmas so your less likely to need emergency help during the break.
Regional Coverage In Christchurch
Most 24/7 emergency electricians cover all of Christchurch and surrounding areas. But response times vary depending where you are.
If your in the central city or suburbs like Riccarton, Fendalton, Merivale you'll probably get someone quick. Out in Rolleston or Rangiora might take a bit longer.
Ask about coverage when you call. Some electricians only do certain areas for emergency work. Better to know upfront than wait for someone whos not coming.
Banks Peninsula and really rural areas can be tricky for emergency service. Might need to call sparkies based closer to you rather than Christchurch central.