Common electrical problems

Household electrical problems do occur from time to time. Ranging from a fuse constantly tripping, a circuit burning out, or part or all of your property needing rewiring.

The worrying thing about electricity – you can’t see it or smell it but when the switch is flicked it surges through every cable feeding that power-hungry gadget or appliance. Your electricity is supplied via the national grid through a local substation.

When does electricity in the property become the resident’s responsibility?

When the cables, from the meter, meet with the consumer unit.
Electrical problems encountered should always be repaired by a qualified electrician, for safety reasons.

I’m sure you wouldn’t let an unqualified individual ‘dabble’ with your electrics, but some do and have the scars to prove it! Before attempting any fuse repair, switch, or socket replacement always removes the circuit’s fuse so the circuit is isolated.

A safety label stuck to the consumer unit can prevent it from being switched back on whilst your working on the circuit.
One of the biggest causes of overheating or fuses constantly tripping is an overloaded plug bank.

Households are brimming with electrical appliances from TV’s, Hi Fi, DVD players, Playstations, hobs, freezers, ovens, microwaves, plus portable appliances – vacuum cleaners, hairdryers, toasters, blenders, mobile phone chargers the list is endless.

However, it’s rare to have an electrical installation upgraded to accommodate all the add-on electrical devices. 4 or 6 gang socket banks adorn many rooms in a typical household.

Occasionally we see an extension lead plugged into another extension lead, now that is pushing the boundaries regarding safety standards. Complete a quick visual check of your property are you guilty of any of the above? If so it could lead to overheating and worst-case scenario a fire!

Things to watch out for: Charred or scorch marks around a socket, a smell of burning plastic coming from an appliance or socket. These you cannot overlook and suggest you take the appropriate action to make them safe.

Frequent electrical surges or lightning-fast blinking of lights occurs when there’s a problem with a bulb, your wiring, or fuse board.

Also, avoid too many appliances running at the same time i.e. dishwasher, toaster, kettle, hob, etc, and don’t forget the fridge freezer is constantly running in the background adding to the power draw.

When used simultaneously they will certainly trip the fuse board. That’s not to say there is a problem with the fuse board, you’re just using too many appliances all at once. Electrical circuits can only manage a degree of electricity.

The more appliances or lights you use increases its load and out pops the fuse switch. You will probably need to move some appliances/devices to a different circuit/s.

However, if the above is not persistent and you’re managing the usage of the appliance wisely there shouldn’t be anything to worry about?

If it’s causing concern as to why your fuse switches keep dropping out and it’s happening more frequently, it could be a wiring issue in the fuse box.

For safety’s sake, we would recommend you engage a qualified professional electrician who will be able to pinpoint the fault and give recommendations as to the repairs needed to make it safe. These sorts of jobs are not for the ‘have a punt DIYer!’

This could be an unsafe/loose connection in the lamp holder causing the bulb to blow. With a loose connection, the circuit is not totally completed. Plus any movement the electricity can arc or jump across the loose connections instead of flowing through it.

This is just one reason, there could be others, therefore, it’s recommended to have a professional electrician diagnose the fault.

There could be a couple of reasons why the power goes out, it could be the circuit breaker or fuse has tripped, or it could be the power to your area has dropped out. Check to see if the street lights are on in the road, if not, it’s probably a power cut.

Wait until the power is restored and check to see if any fuses have dropped out, if so reset them and the lights should come back on.

If the power has just gone off in your property plus a few appliances not working but others are, it’s likely there’s a fault in your household electrics. In which case you will need to call a qualified electrician.

Experiencing any sort of electrical problems in your house then call serviceteam Ltd on 0203 925 6439 or visit our website by clicking this link https://serviceteam.co.uk and book electrical repair service.

We are a multi-service company operating within Greater London and surrounding areas providing repairs, replacement, refurbishment, installation, and maintenance services as well gas, plumbing, and handyman services.

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