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Fix it yourself

Electrician repairs you can do yourself

Resetting breakers, replacing batteries and testing outlets are safe. Anything behind a faceplate or inside the panel is where licensed work begins in most markets — the guides say exactly where.

You can do
3
Pro-only
1
Typical time
10–45 min
  1. 01

    Burning smell from outlet

    Unplug whatever is in the outlet if the plug is cool enough to touch; otherwise leave it.

    Don't do this yourself

  2. 02

    Dead outlet

    Test the outlet with a lamp that works elsewhere; test the other outlets in the room to see how far the outage extends.

    easy 10–30 min· $0–10 for a tester

  3. 03

    GFCI outlet keeps tripping

    Unplug everything on the GFCI and on the outlets downstream of it, press RESET, and see whether it holds.

    easy 15–40 min· $0 — a replacement GFCI is $15–25 if you are comfortable with outlet replacement where allowed

  4. 04

    Tripping circuit breaker

    Unplug or switch off everything on the circuit that tripped, then reset the breaker: push it fully to OFF, then to ON.

    easy 15–45 min· $0

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What it costs

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These are the calls an electrician takes every week. Licensing, training and where the work is short of people.

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