Electrical Repairs

Your consumer unit has two kinds of protective device, and which one trips tells you a lot:

Common causes include a kettle, washing machine or immersion heater with a failing element, water getting into outdoor fittings after rain, a nail or screw through a cable, and older wiring whose insulation has broken down. Sometimes several small leakages on different circuits add up and trip a shared RCD. An RCD that trips for no reason can also be faulty itself.

Before you call us, these checks are safe and often find the culprit:

1. 1

   Unplug everything on the circuit that has tripped, and switch off appliances that are wired in, such as the oven or immersion heater.

2. 2

   Reset the switch at the consumer unit.

3. 3

   Plug appliances back in one at a time. If the power trips when one goes in or is switched on, that appliance is the likely cause. Stop using it and have it checked or replaced.

4. 4

   If it trips with everything unplugged, the fault is in the fixed wiring. Leave the switch off and call an electrician.

Do not hold a switch up or keep resetting it, and never remove the cover of the consumer unit or a socket.

Electrical fault finding is a process of elimination. We:

• Talk it through: When it happens, what was switched on, whether it follows rain or a particular appliance, and any recent building work.
• Test the circuits: Insulation resistance tests show where cables are leaking to earth or breaking down, and continuity tests show broken or loose connections, for example in a ring circuit.
• Split the circuit: Disconnecting sections, sockets and fittings one at a time until the fault is isolated.
• Inspect: Opening up the accessories and junction boxes on the faulty section to find the damaged cable, loose terminal or burnt connection.

Intermittent faults, which come and go, can take longer to trace. We tell you what we have found at each stage.

• Dead sockets and socket repair: Loose or burnt connections, broken faceplates, cracked sockets, and sockets that have pulled out of the wall.
• Flickering lights: Loose connections, failing lamps, dimmer switches that do not suit LED lamps, and faulty light fittings. If lights flicker throughout the house, and your neighbours have the same problem, it may be the supply: report it to your network operator on 105.
• Damaged cables: Cables hit by a nail or drill, chewed by rodents or damaged during building work, repaired with a suitable joint or replaced back to the next accessory.
• Faulty accessories: Switches, fused spurs, cooker switches, outside lights, extractor fans and light fittings replaced like for like.
• Partial power loss: Finding why one part of the house has no power, from a tripped device to a failed connection.

Every repair is tested before we leave. Where a repair alters a circuit, you receive a Minor Electrical Installation Works Certificate. If we find that the installation needs more than a repair, we will tell you: a domestic electrical installation such as a new consumer unit or a partial rewire may be the better answer, or an inspection through our electrical maintenance services to check the rest of the installation.

Yes. A loose or corroded connection behind a socket creates resistance and heat, which can melt insulation and start a fire behind the faceplate. Overloading a socket with adaptors and high-power appliances has a similar effect. Warning signs include a socket or plug that feels warm, buzzing or crackling, a plug that is loose in the socket, discolouration, and a faint burning smell. Stop using the socket and switch that circuit off. If there is visible scorching, smoke or a strong smell, treat it as an emergency.