ASL
Electrical emergencies do not wait for business hours. When you smell burning, see sparks, lose power to part of the house or hear buzzing from the panel, you need a licensed electrician on the way, not a voicemail. ASL Electric's emergency dispatch line is answered 24/7, and for urgent calls across Orange County we typically arrive in about 90 minutes.
Our office is open Monday to Saturday, 7 AM to 6 PM, but the emergency line never closes. A real person answers, helps you get safe, and sends one of our licensed electricians from our fleet of 13 trucks. We find the cause, make the situation safe, and complete the repair on the spot whenever possible, with the price explained before we start. We provide a solution no matter what, and we finish the job.
Electrical emergencies we respond to
⚡Burning smell or smoke from an outlet, switch or panel
Heat and odor mean something is overheating or arcing. Turn off the affected breaker or the main if you can safely reach it, keep people away, and call us. If you see flames or heavy smoke, call 911 first.
⚡Sparking outlets and switches
Sparks when you plug something in or flip a switch usually mean a loose or damaged connection. We isolate the circuit and repair or replace the device and wiring.
⚡Partial or total power loss
When half the house is dark or nothing works, the cause may be a failed main breaker, a problem on one leg of the service, a damaged meter socket or a utility side issue. We test and repair what is ours, and coordinate with SCE or SDG&E when the fault is theirs.
⚡Breakers that will not reset
A breaker that trips instantly when reset points to a short circuit or ground fault. We trace it and repair the cause rather than forcing the breaker back on.
⚡Water and electricity
Leaks into ceilings, walls or the panel, and flooded outlets or fixtures, are dangerous. We make the area safe and repair damaged wiring once it is dry. Our sister company, ASL Plumbing, can handle the leak.
⚡Damaged service lines and panels
Storm, vehicle or construction damage to the service mast, meter or panel. We make it safe, repair our side and coordinate the utility reconnect.
When to call the emergency line
Do not wait until morning if you notice any of these:
- A burning or hot plastic smell from an outlet, switch or panel
- Sparks, smoke or scorch marks
- Buzzing or crackling from the panel
- Lights flickering throughout the house at once
- Power lost to part of the home
- A breaker that trips again immediately
- Warm or hot outlets, switches or cords
- Water near outlets, fixtures or the panel
- Shocks from appliances, fixtures or faucets
- A damaged service line or meter after a storm or accident
What to do while you wait
Your safety comes first. If you see fire or heavy smoke, leave the home and call 911. If you smell burning but see no fire, turn off the affected breaker, or the main breaker if you can do so without touching wet surfaces or damaged equipment. Unplug sensitive electronics on affected circuits, keep children and pets away from the area, and never touch downed wires or anything wet near electrical equipment. If the outage affects your whole street, check your utility's outage map before calling. Then call us and we will take it from there.
How our emergency service works
A real person answers
Call (949) 337-3177 any time. We ask a few quick questions to understand what is happening and help you make the area safe while an electrician is dispatched.
Fast dispatch
With 13 trucks across Orange County and our shop in Lake Forest, we typically reach urgent calls in about 90 minutes, depending on location and time of day.
Make safe, then diagnose
Our electrician first makes the situation safe, then finds the cause with proper testing instead of guessing.
Repair with the price upfront
We explain what we found and what it will take to fix, give you the price, and complete the repair on the spot whenever parts and conditions allow.
Typical emergency outcomes
Repaired on the spot
Most emergencies, such as failed devices, damaged connections or a bad breaker, are repaired during the first visit.
Made safe, then scheduled
When parts or permits are needed, such as a panel replacement, we make the system safe and restore what power we safely can, then schedule the permanent repair.
Utility coordination
If the fault is on the utility side or the service must be disconnected, we coordinate with SCE or SDG&E for the reconnect.
Follow-up recommendations
If the emergency revealed a larger issue, like an FPE panel or aluminum wiring, we explain options so it does not happen again.
Is it an emergency or can it wait?
If there is heat, smoke, sparking, burning smells, water near electrical equipment or a total loss of power you cannot explain, treat it as an emergency and call right away. These situations can get worse quickly.
A single dead outlet, a light that will not turn on, or a breaker that trips once and resets and stays on can usually wait for a scheduled visit during office hours. When in doubt, call: we will tell you honestly whether it needs someone tonight or can be handled in the morning.
Utility outage or a problem in your home?
If your neighbors are also without power, the problem is likely on the utility side. Most of Orange County is served by Southern California Edison, while San Clemente, San Juan Capistrano, Dana Point, Ladera Ranch and Rancho Mission Viejo are served by SDG&E, and some cities have both. Check your utility's outage map or call them first.
If only your home, or only part of it, is affected, the problem is likely in your panel, meter socket or wiring. That is when you need an electrician.
“I had an emergency and ASL Electric sent Walter out within 3 hours. He identified and resolved the problem immediately. We were under construction and he patiently waited while others completed their assignment and when the time was right he worked quickly and cleanly.”
“Upon a quick inquiry I received a response within minutes with a quick estimate but with a caveat to changes if, after inspection additional work might be needed. Appt made to my convenience and "Walter" arrived ready to work. Walter was courteous, clean, friendly and knowledgeable. Work completed with care and expertise that only a qualified electrician would do.”
What affects the cost of an emergency call
Emergency pricing depends on the time of day and day of the week, the cause of the problem and how long it takes to find, the parts needed, and whether the repair can be completed on the first visit or needs a permit and follow-up. We always explain the price before we begin the repair, and we offer senior and military discounts.
How it works with ASL Electric
A real person answers 24/7, helps you make the area safe and dispatches an electrician.
Typically in about 90 minutes for urgent calls. We make it safe, find the cause and give you the price.
We complete the repair, restore power, test the system and explain what happened and how to prevent it.
24/7 Emergency Electrician across Orange County
Our shop is in Lake Forest, which puts us in the middle of South and Central Orange County. That central location, and a fleet of 13 trucks, is why we can typically reach emergency calls in Lake Forest, Mission Viejo, Laguna Hills, Irvine, Aliso Viejo and the surrounding cities in about 90 minutes. We also respond to emergencies in San Clemente, San Juan Capistrano, Dana Point, Newport Beach, Costa Mesa, Huntington Beach and Tustin.
Many emergency calls come from homes built in the 1960s and 1970s, where original panels, aging connections or aluminum branch wiring finally fail. Customers have called us when half of an older Irvine rental lost power, and when an emergency hit in the middle of a construction project; in both cases our electrician found the problem and resolved it. In Laguna Woods Village and other senior communities, we know how important a fast, calm response is.