Arizona’s monsoon season brings lightning, high winds, dust and sudden downpours, and every one of them tests your home’s electrical system. In communities like Queen Creek, Gilbert, San Tan Valley, Mesa and Chandler, a little preparation keeps your family safer when the storms roll in.
Short answer: To get your home monsoon-ready, test GFCI outlets, check that outdoor outlets have in-use covers, add whole-home surge protection at the panel, and know where your main breaker is. During outages, unplug electronics and stay far from downed lines. After a storm, never touch wet or damaged equipment. Call an electrician for any warning signs.
How do I prepare my home’s electrical system before monsoon season?
- Press TEST and then RESET on every GFCI outlet in the kitchen, bathrooms, garage and outdoors. If one won’t trip or reset, have it replaced.
- Make sure outdoor outlets have weather-resistant in-use covers that close over a plugged-in cord.
- Check outdoor fixtures, landscape lighting and pool equipment for cracked covers, loose conduit or exposed wiring. Look only, and don’t touch.
- Add whole-home surge protection at your panel.
- Label your breakers and make sure the panel is easy to reach.
- Put flashlights with fresh batteries where you can find them in the dark.
If your outdoor GFCI keeps tripping, especially when it rains or when holiday lights are plugged in, see our guide: Why does my outdoor GFCI keep tripping?
Do I need whole-home surge protection for monsoon storms?
It’s one of the best protections you can add. Lightning nearby and utility switching during storms can send surges through your wiring that damage appliances, HVAC controls and electronics. A whole-home surge protector at the panel limits those spikes, and quality surge strips at TVs and computers add a second layer. The current electrical code requires whole-home surge protection when a home’s electrical service is installed or replaced, so we include it on every job that touches the panel and recommend it for every home. Learn more in our post on surge protection and safety upgrades.
What warning signs should I watch for during storm season?
- Flickering or dimming lights, especially when the AC starts
- Outlets or switch plates that feel warm or look discolored
- Buzzing or crackling from the panel or an outlet
- Breakers that trip often, or one that won’t reset
- A burning smell with no clear source
- Outdoor outlets or fixtures that stop working after rain
These are signs of overloaded circuits, loose connections or water getting where it shouldn’t. Monsoon heat and moisture can make them worse. Our electrical troubleshooting and repair service finds the cause.
What should I do when the power goes out?
- Check whether neighbors are out too. If they are, it’s likely a utility outage. Check with SRP or APS for outage updates.
- If only your home is out, check your panel for a tripped main or branch breaker. Reset it once, only if the area is dry and safe.
- Unplug sensitive electronics so they aren’t hit by a surge when power returns.
- Leave one light switched on so you know when power is back.
- Keep refrigerator and freezer doors closed as much as possible.
If a breaker trips again right after you reset it, leave it off and call an electrician.
What should I do about downed power lines?
Always assume a downed line is live. Stay at least as far away as the utility advises, keep kids and pets away, and never touch anything the line is touching, including fences, cars or puddles. Report it to SRP or APS right away, and call 911 if anyone is in danger.
What should I check after a monsoon storm?
- Look for damaged outdoor fixtures, loose conduit, or meter and panel covers that blew open
- Note any outlets, lights or appliances that stopped working
- Watch for flickering lights or tripping breakers in the days after a storm
- Check that your surge protector’s indicator lights still show it’s working, from the outside only
If water reached outlets, the panel, pool equipment or any wiring, don’t touch it or try to dry it out. Keep everyone away and call an electrician to inspect it before anything is turned back on.
When should I get a professional electrical inspection?
A home electrical inspection is worth scheduling when your home is older, after additions or remodels, before you add big loads like an EV charger, and after any storm or water damage. During an inspection, a licensed electrician examines panel capacity, grounding and bonding, arc-fault and ground-fault protection, wiring condition (looking for aluminum, knob-and-tube or damaged insulation) and hardwired smoke and carbon monoxide alarms. In Arizona’s heat, panels and connections can wear faster, so an inspection catches issues before storms make them worse. If your panel is a Federal Pacific (Stab-Lok) or Zinsco, which electricians and inspectors have long flagged, have it evaluated.
Monsoon electrical safety checklist
- GFCI outlets tested and reset
- In-use covers on outdoor outlets
- Whole-home surge protection at the panel
- Breakers labeled and panel easy to reach
- Flashlights and fresh batteries ready
- SRP or APS outage contact saved in your phone
- Family plan with two ways out of every bedroom
When should I call an electrician?
Call right away if you smell burning, see sparks or smoke, or an outlet, switch or panel feels hot. Stay away from it, turn off the breaker only if you can reach it safely and the area is dry, and call 911 for any fire. Never touch wet electrical equipment or stand in water near outlets or the panel. Our emergency electrician line answers 24/7. For general home checks, see our home electrical safety checklist.
Serving Queen Creek and the East Valley
We help homeowners get monsoon-ready in Queen Creek, San Tan Valley, Gilbert, Mesa, Chandler, Florence, Scottsdale, Apache Junction and Gold Canyon, Sun Lakes, Tempe, Cactus Forest, Coolidge, Paradise Valley and Ahwatukee.
Frequently asked questions
How do I protect my home’s electrical system during monsoon season?
Test GFCI outlets, use in-use covers outdoors, add whole-home surge protection at the panel, keep your panel labeled and reachable, unplug electronics during outages, and call an electrician for warning signs like flickering lights or warm outlets.
Should I unplug electronics during a monsoon storm?
Unplugging sensitive electronics during an outage or a severe lightning storm protects them from surges. A whole-home surge protector and quality surge strips add protection for everything you can’t unplug.
What should I do if my power goes out in a storm?
Check whether neighbors are out and check with SRP or APS. If only your home is out, check the panel and reset a tripped breaker once if the area is dry. Unplug electronics, and call an electrician if the breaker trips again.
Is it safe to use outlets that got wet in a storm?
No. Don’t touch or use outlets, fixtures or equipment that got wet. Keep everyone away and have an electrician inspect them before they’re used again.
Why does my outdoor GFCI trip when it rains?
Moisture in an outdoor outlet, cover, extension cord or fixture can cause a ground fault, and the GFCI trips to protect you. Don’t keep resetting it. Have an electrician find the source.
Is surge protection required by code?
The current electrical code requires whole-home surge protection when a home’s electrical service is installed or replaced. We include it on every job that touches the panel and recommend it for every home.
Get monsoon-ready
Henderson’s Electric Solutions LLC is a family-owned electrical contractor in Queen Creek, owned by Randy and Tori Henderson. Randy is our licensed electrician (ROC CR-11 #341452), and we’re bonded, insured and BBB accredited. Our team, Randy, Mikal, Justin and Tori, treats every home like our own.
Call Randy at (480) 430-2775 or request an estimate online. Regular hours are Monday through Friday, 6 AM to 6 PM, and we answer emergency calls 24/7. Solutions Only - No Excuses.