Electrical guide
What to check after the power comes back on in Grand Rapids
The lights come back on and most things work. A few minutes of checking tells you whether the house came through the outage cleanly or whether something needs attention.
- Outside first
- Panel and appliances
- When to call
By Zachary Keating, Electrical Guides Editor
Updated September 2026
Quick answer
After the power returns, look outside first for a damaged service mast, meter or line, then check the panel for tripped breakers, test GFCI outlets, and restart sensitive equipment one item at a time. Dim or flickering lights, half the house dead, or a burning smell after an outage point to a problem that needs an electrician, not a reset.
Look outside first
Storms that cause outages often damage the equipment where power enters the house. Look at the service mast, the pipe that carries the wires up to the roofline, and the meter on the wall. A mast bent by a falling limb, a meter pulled away from the house, or wires sagging lower than before all need attention. The utility owns the lines to the house; the mast, meter base and wiring on the house are usually the owner's responsibility.
Never touch or approach a downed line, and call the utility about any wire on the ground. For damage to the mast or meter base, our storm damage repair work gets the house ready for the utility to reconnect.
Then check the panel
Open the panel and look for breakers that are tripped, which sit in the middle or off position. Reset each one firmly to off and then on. A breaker that trips again immediately is telling you something on that circuit has a fault, and it should be left off until the cause is found. If the panel shows signs of water, scorching or a burning smell, leave it alone and call.
Whole-house surge protection at the panel, if you have it, often has an indicator light; check that it still shows protection, since a large surge can use it up.
Half the house dead or lights flickering
If some rooms work and others do not, or lights dim and brighten as appliances start, the problem may not be in the house at all. A damaged connection on one leg of the service, at the meter, mast or utility connection, can leave half the panel without power. That condition can damage appliances and should be reported to the utility and checked by an electrician quickly.
Our partial power outage repair page explains how that fault is traced.
Appliances, electronics and the sump pump
Restart sensitive electronics one at a time rather than all at once, and check that the furnace, refrigerator and freezer have restarted. The sump pump matters most after storms; make sure it is running and that its circuit did not trip during the outage. Reset clocks and check that garage doors, well pumps and security systems came back.
If an appliance does not restart, check its breaker and any GFCI outlet before assuming it failed. Many dead outlets after an outage are simply a tripped GFCI in another room.
If you ran a generator
If a portable generator ran during the outage, turn it off and disconnect it before or when utility power returns, following the transfer switch or interlock instructions. A generator connected without a transfer switch or interlock can backfeed the utility lines, which endangers line crews and can damage the generator when power returns.
If you used extension cords through a window this time, consider a generator inlet and interlock before the next storm.
When to call an electrician
Call if any breaker will not reset, if half the house is dead or lights dim and flicker, if you smell burning or see scorching, if the mast or meter is damaged, or if water reached the panel or outlets. Those are not problems to wait out. For everything else, a careful walk-through usually confirms the house came through fine.
Our line is answered 24 hours a day, and the most common after-outage calls are covered on our emergency electrician page.
Related services
Services this guide relates to
Straight answers
Questions about checking the house after an outage
Still unsure? Call (616) 699-4794 and ask a technician.
The mast and meter base are usually the owner's; an electrician repairs them for the utility to reconnect.
A damaged connection on one leg of the service is a common cause and needs checking.
Yes, once; a breaker that trips again should be left off until checked.
Often a tripped GFCI in another room; reset it before assuming damage.
No; disconnect it as the transfer switch or interlock instructions describe.
Yes, a large surge can use it up, so check its indicator light.
