What should you do about a burning smell from a socket?

What to do about a burning smell from a socket

1. Leave if there is smoke or fire. If you see smoke or flames, get everyone out and call 995. The Energy Market Authority (EMA) lists 995 or 999 for life-threatening emergencies.
2. Switch off and unplug. If it is safe, switch the appliance off first, then unplug it with dry hands. The Consumer Product Safety Office (CPSO) says to hold the plug, not the cord, when you disconnect.
3. Stop using the socket. Do not plug the same appliance or any other back in, even if the smell fades.
4. Switch off the breaker only if it is safe. If the smell continues, you can switch off that circuit's breaker, but only with dry hands and without opening any cover. If you are unsure, leave it to the electrician.
5. Call a Licensed Electrician. Ask for the socket to be inspected and replaced if it is damaged.

Why sockets scorch or overheat

HDB's guide to maintaining electrical accessories and wiring gives two causes of burnt marks at a socket: a plug that is not fully inserted, or an overloaded circuit. It lists overheated plugs, or plug fuses that blow often, as caused by loose connections, overloaded circuits or broken cables.

The plug itself can also be the problem. The CPSO says German Schuko plugs (10A/16A) are not suitable for use in Singapore: their pins stress the socket contacts, causing poor contact and overheating. It also says 13A and 15A plugs must carry the SAFETY Mark.

Overloaded adaptors and extension cords

EMA's electrical safety advice warns that overloading power points may lead to overheating and start a fire. It says not to "piggy-back" multiple plugs into one socket with double adaptors and to replace cords with broken or frayed insulation.

The Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) gives similar advice in its Fire Safety at Home leaflet: avoid overloading electrical outlets, do not use frayed wires and switch off appliances that are not in use.

If you often run short of sockets, the CPSO's tips on electrical hazards suggest considering additional socket outlets instead of overloading the ones you have. In an HDB flat, new wiring is not embedded in walls or plaster: it runs in surface trunking, above a false ceiling or behind carpentry. Our power strip overload guide covers adaptors and power strips in more detail.

Replacing the socket

Do not try to repair or reuse a scorched socket. EMA says not to use cracked or broken power points or extension sockets, and to have damaged ones replaced by an LEW. HDB's wiring guide says only a Licensed Electrician can replace socket outlets, and that a 13A plug should have a 13A fuse.

EMA says electrical work in an HDB flat needs a Licensed Electrician, the class of LEW approved for loads of up to 45kVA. Its guide to engaging Licensed Electrical Workers lists the replacement of power points such as socket-outlets as work an LEW should carry out or supervise. Check the LEW's licence card before any work starts, or search for the worker on EMA's ELISE portal.

To find someone for the job, see socket installation in the directory. For replacement prices, see the power point installation cost guide.

What a call-out costs

FROM THE HOMEZYPRO DIRECTORY

Published call-out rates

For the most common unit (per visit), the lowest published call-out rates from 4 companies run from S$32.70 to S$300 per visit (middle rate S$40), per visit, before any repair. The middle figure is a real published rate, not an average. Each figure is one company's own advertised rate with its conditions, not a quote.

See 4 published call-out rates and sources

Lowest matching advertised rate per company, in SGD as published. "From" marks a starting price and ranges are shown in full. Check the source for minimums, GST and inclusions.

Company	Service as listed	Rate	Source
Yeobuild HomeRepair	Call-Out Charges	S$32.70 per visit	yeobuild.com.sg
Fix My Heater	Transport & inspection fee (waived when repair proceeds)	S$40 per visit	fixmyheater.sg
Sin & Goh Electrical Engineering	Basic attendance / call-out fee	S$40 to S$80 per visit	wireman.com.sg
Mirza M&E Engineering Pte.Ltd.	Call-out	S$300 per visit	mirzaengineering.com.sg

In the directory, 4 companies publish an electrician call-out line, all per visit. Their published rates, as printed, are S$32.70 per visit; S$40 per visit, printed as a "Transport & inspection fee" that is waived when the repair proceeds; S$40 to S$80 per visit from one company; and S$300 per visit. Each covers the visit before any repair, and any repair is extra.

With only 4 companies, there are too few rates to describe a typical fee. Our electrician call-out fee guide explains call-out charges in more detail.

When to stop and call a professional

Always call a Licensed Electrician for scorch marks, signs of socket melting, buzzing, a hot faceplate, a plug fuse that blows repeatedly or a circuit that keeps tripping. Do not use the socket again until an LEW has checked it.

Old wiring is worth checking too. HDB gives the estimated average lifespan of a polyvinyl chloride (PVC) electrical cable as about 25 years and advises replacing wiring when its lifespan is over or it has deteriorated (HDB). An LEW can check the wiring and advise whether it needs replacing. If it does, see our HDB rewiring cost guide, and use the home electrical safety checklist for other checks around the home.

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