Whether you live in an older property or a new build, electrics can deteriorate or suffer a fault. Any diagnostics and electrical fault finding should be conducted by a qualified electrical contractor, but there are some signs you can spot that indicates there’s an issue.
Here are some of the top signs of an electrical fault at your property.
Power Outages
The first sign of a problem with electrics is often a loss of power. This can be highly inconvenient, leaving homes without any electricity and businesses facing major disruptions to the working day.
However, power outages are often one of the ways your electrical system keeps you safe if there’s a fault, especially if you have a modern consumer unit installed. That’s due to the presence of an RCD (residual current device) tripping the system if it’s become overloaded, switching off the power if there’s a fault detected.
Flickering Lights
If your property has flickering lights or ones which don’t work at all, there could be an issue with your electrics. Sometimes it’s down to a simple solution such as a bulb change, but if you’ve ruled this out, contact an electrician to take a closer look.
Flickering or dimming lights often indicate that the circuit has been overloaded, so an electrician will need to confirm what’s causing it. It may be that the wiring or circuit breaker needs replacing.
Blown Fuses
If your property is experiencing regularly blown fuses, it’s time to ask a NICEIC approved contractor to look at what’s causing this common issue.
Sometimes, the problem is caused by too many high-amp appliances plugged into a single circuit, especially if there’s a tendency of the property owner to use extension leads with multiple sockets. However, there could also be other issues occurring, such as faulty wiring.
Never attempt to replace the fuse or circuit breaker with a unit that allows more amps to be used without expert advice. Your electrician should assess the circuit to see what’s going wrong.
Plug Socket Issues
Plug sockets are highly useful for using appliances and equipment at your property, but they’re also a common site you can spot the signs of a problem brewing with your electrics. Look out for anything unusual such as burning smells near appliances, discolouration and scorch marks around sockets or switches that no longer work.
If you’ve noticed anything suspicious, contact an electrician straight away as there could be an electrical fire risk. The fault can sometimes be isolated to individual sockets (e.g. there’s a property leak affecting the fitting), or it’s sometimes an indication of a wider issue within the property’s electrics.
Contact an Electrical Contractor
If you need a reliable electrical contractor offering fault finding services in London and Surrey, contact DTEEC now. We work across the area, offering professional electrical services and periodic testing in Mitcham, Banstead, Cheam and Clapham. For expert advice, call now on 020 8395 5990 or 07957 964 088.
