What to Do When Your Power Goes Out (And When to Call an Electrician)
Oklahoma weather doesn’t mess around. Between ice storms, tornadoes, and summer heat waves pushing the grid to its limits, power outages are a regular part of life in the OKC metro. But not every outage means you need to wait for OG&E — sometimes the problem is inside your house, and a licensed electrician can fix it faster than you think.
Here’s how to tell the difference and what to do in each scenario.
Step 1: Check if It’s a Grid Outage or a House Problem
Before you do anything else, look outside. Are your neighbors’ lights on? Check the OG&E outage map on your phone. If the whole neighborhood is dark, it’s a grid-level outage — OG&E is already aware and working on it.
But if your neighbors have power and you don’t, the problem is likely in your home’s electrical system. That’s when you need an electrician, not the utility company.
Step 2: Check Your Main Breaker
Go to your electrical panel (usually in the garage, utility room, or on an exterior wall). Look for the large breaker at the top labeled “Main.” If it’s tripped to the middle position or fully off, try resetting it — push it all the way off, then back on.
Important: If the main breaker trips again immediately after you reset it, do not keep resetting it. This means there’s a fault somewhere in your system, and repeatedly forcing it can cause damage or fire. Call a licensed electrician.
Step 3: Check Individual Breakers
If the main breaker is fine, look for individual breakers that have tripped. A tripped breaker will be in the middle position — not fully on, not fully off. Reset it the same way: off, then on.
If a specific breaker keeps tripping, it’s usually one of three things:
- Overloaded circuit — too many appliances on one circuit. Unplug some and try again.
- Short circuit — damaged wiring or a faulty appliance is creating a direct short. Unplug everything on that circuit and reset. If it holds, plug items back in one at a time to find the culprit.
- Ground fault — moisture or damaged insulation is allowing current to leak to ground. Common in bathrooms, kitchens, and outdoor circuits.
When to Call an Electrician
Call a licensed electrician if:
- Your main breaker trips and won’t stay reset
- You smell burning or see scorch marks near the panel
- Only part of your house has power (one phase may be down)
- Your lights flicker constantly, even when nothing is tripped
- Breakers trip repeatedly with no obvious cause
- You’ve lost power after a lightning strike or severe storm
Should You Get a Whole-Home Generator?
If you’re tired of losing power during Oklahoma storms, a whole-home generator is worth considering. Modern generators kick on automatically within seconds of a power outage and run on natural gas, so you never have to worry about fuel. They keep your AC, refrigerator, lights, and medical equipment running while everyone else is in the dark.
We install Generac and other major generator brands across the OKC metro. Contact us for a free estimate.
Need Help Now?
Spark Shark Electric provides 24/7 emergency electrical service across Moore, Oklahoma City, Norman, Edmond, and the surrounding metro. If your power’s out and it’s not the grid, call 405-436-4776 — we’ll get there fast.
