Fixing a Burnt Smell, Fast
Smelling something like hot plastic or an electrical burn near a switch, power point or the switchboard? Don't wait this one out.
Switch off the circuit if you can safely reach it, then call (02) 9538 7444 now.
Burning Smell, Explained in Plain English
A burning electrical smell tells you something is overheating, and heat is exactly what turns a fault into a fire.
It can come from a loose connection arcing quietly inside a switch or point, insulation breaking down around ageing wiring, or an appliance drawing more current than its cord or plug is built to carry.
A visual fault waits for you to spot it. Smell doesn't.
That's precisely why it's one of the earliest and most reliable warnings a fault gives off, well before scorch marks or sparking ever show themselves.
It's also easy to dismiss the first time it happens. A faint whiff that clears in a minute still deserves a proper check, because whatever caused it hasn't necessarily gone away just because the smell has.
Should You Worry? An Honest Answer
Yes, treat a burning smell as urgent every time, even if you can't immediately see or hear anything else wrong.
Faint or occasional smells that fade quickly are still worth a call, just less frantically than an odour that's getting stronger or paired with heat, smoke or sparking.
Any of the following mean switching off and calling now: the smell is getting worse, a switch or power point feels warm to touch, there's visible smoke or scorching, or the smell traces back to the switchboard itself.
A burning smell is never something to wait out overnight.
What Usually Causes It
- A loose connection inside a switch, point or the switchboard, arcing quietly and generating heat
- Overloaded wiring carrying more current than it's rated for over a sustained period
- A failing appliance with worn insulation or a damaged cord drawing an abnormal current
- Old or perished wiring insulation, common in properties that haven't been rewired in decades
- A power point or switch mechanism wearing out internally after years of use
- Dust or debris built up inside a fitting, which can smoulder under normal operation
Any of these can escalate quickly if left alone.
Do This First
- Flick off the circuit at the board, or the main switch if you're unsure which one is involved.
- Steer clear of the fitting itself. Don't touch a warm switch or point, even to check it.
- Open a window if smoke is visible and get everyone out of that room.
- Ring (02) 9538 7444 straight away and tell us roughly where the smell is strongest.
Never try to inspect or open a switch or point yourself. That's exactly the kind of job licensed electricians exist for.
How We Fix and Certify the Repair
We isolate the affected circuit first, then work through it methodically to find exactly where the heat is coming from.
Thermal imaging usually flags the overheating point well before it's visible to the naked eye, which cuts out the guesswork of finding the actual source.
Once found, the faulty connection, fitting or section of wiring gets repaired or replaced to AS/NZS 3000, with a Certificate of Compliance issued for any notifiable work. We won't reconnect anything until we're confident it's safe.
The Ashfield Pattern We Keep Seeing
Ashfield's older housing stock, including the pre-war cottages and the walk-up flats built through the interwar and post-war years, still carries a share of original wiring that's never been touched since installation.
Insulation on that vintage of cabling degrades with age even without any obvious damage, and a burning smell is frequently the first real sign it's finally failing. Renovating one of these properties often uncovers exactly this kind of wiring the moment a wall or ceiling opens up.
Units carved out of converted heritage buildings raise their own version of the problem. A single circuit sometimes serves more than one dwelling, so a smell in your flat can just as easily start in a neighbour's wiring or a shared common-property run.
How to Stop It Happening Again
- Have any older wiring assessed if the property hasn't been checked in years
- Replace power points and switches that feel loose or show any discolouration
- Avoid overloading double adaptors and power boards, especially on older circuits
- Book a periodic switchboard and circuit check, particularly on a property with unknown wiring history
Catching a failing connection before it burns is always the better outcome, both for safety and for cost.
None of this needs to be a guessing game on your end. If something smells off, that's reason enough to call, whether or not you can point to a specific cause.
Related Faults and Surrounding Areas
A burning smell sometimes traces back to a burnt outlet that's already visibly damaged, or turns up alongside a breaker box making unusual noise as a connection degrades. If the smell comes with lights dimming, our flickering lights page covers that pattern too.
We handle this fault across Ashfield and the surrounding streets of Summer Hill, Croydon, Haberfield, Dulwich Hill, Lewisham and Petersham.
Get in Touch Today Before It Gets Worse
Smelling something burning near your wiring? Ring (02) 9538 7444 now.
This one jumps the queue. We'll get someone assessing it as fast as we safely can.
Common questions
Your Burnt Smell FAQs
Should I panic if I smell burning near a switch?
No need to panic, but do act. Kill power to that circuit and get us on the phone rather than hoping the smell settles on its own.
What does an electrical burning smell resemble?
A lot of people compare it to a hairdryer left running too long, melted plastic, or a faint scorched or chemical note in the air.
Is it okay to keep the power on in that room until you arrive?
Turn off the circuit involved and steer clear of it. The rest of the house can keep running as normal.
Does having a safety switch mean I'm covered?
Only for shock risk. Overheating that never trips an earth fault won't set the switch off, which is why the smell itself is the warning to act on.
What's your process for tracking down the source?
Circuits get isolated one at a time, and thermal imaging often flags a hot connection long before it would show any visible damage.
How soon can someone reach an Ashfield property for this?
This jumps the queue ahead of standard work. Call (02) 9538 7444 and describe what you're smelling so we can prioritise properly.