Dangerous Socket

1) I have a socket that I am worried about can you help?

We are willing to come and look at all your electrical worries and problems in your Liverpool home. Many Liverpool homeowners are afraid to pick up the phone because it is just a small job and they don’t think that we will be interested. We have a minimum charge to cover small jobs and we can decide, normally over the phone, if your job is included in that. If you have a DANGEROUS SOCKET, please don’t leave it!

Typical small jobs that we regularly carry out are some of the following:

• Replace broken switch
• Replace broken socket
• Replace light fitting
• Repair consumer unit
• Replace a trip switch
• Find a fault
• Replace a pull cord switch

There are many more jobs that we carry out on a regular basis so please do not worry about getting in contact if you think your job is too small for us. We are happy to do the little bits and bobs that other electricians seem to decline.

2) How do I know if my socket is dangerous?

There can be a number of ways in which an electrical socket is dangerous. The photograph above shows a socket that is cracked right across the middle. At any point soon this could break apart leaving exposed live parts to the touch and risk of electric shock. Other ways that an electrical socket could be dangerous are:

• Loose socket that wobbles
• Burnt or discoloured socket
• Missing the screw(s)
• Making popping noises or crackling noises
• Not fitted correctly leaving gaps around the sides
• Pins from plugs left stuck in the socket even if the socket is not used

Should you have any of these issues with a socket, switch or electrical accessory in your home, please do not hold off any longer. Contact us today to have the problem repaired.

3) My socket doesn’t work, is this dangerous?

Yes potentially. It depends on the reason that the socket does not work, of course but there can be a number of issues that mean a socket is not working and this should be investigated by an electrician as soon as possible. It is not enough to simply “not use” the socket, just because danger is out of sight does not mean it is not there. Loose wiring can make a socket fail to work and can also cause fires.

If you have just moved into a house and you are finding that various electrical accessories do not work then please consider having a Periodic Electrical Inspection carried out following which you will be issued with a condition report. See more on our website by searching for EICR or by following this link https://www.electricalfaultsfixed.co.uk/helpsheet/eicr-what-expect.

4) I have a loose fuse box, is this something that you can help with?

Yes of course. The fuse box or consumer unit as it is known performs a very important set of functions within your home and must be properly secured to prevent danger and electric shock risk. If you have problems with your fuse box then please call us immediately. A missing cover, loose consumer unit or holes in the consumer unit can all be very serious and you should have these examined and dealt with immediately. If you think you have a DANGEROUS SOCKET then have a look around the rest of your home with a keen eye to see what else might be an issue. We are happy to repair or advise on all electrical issues and if you are at all concerned then contact us.

5) Half of my socket works but the other half doesn’t is this safe?

Potentially no. Again, we recommend that if something is not functioning properly that you have it checked out. A socket that doesn’t work on one side could be something simple like a switch rocker that has failed or it could indicate that there are other issues. A socket that will not turn on or off indicates that the switch has failed. This can happen due to wear and tear or can happen due to thermal damage meaning that something in the back has overheated and melted. This could lead to the discovery of burnt cabling or other issues.

6) What if I have burnt cables in the back of a switch?

Normally you would smell the problem although not always. Electrical burning smells in a domestic setting usually mean that something has overheated and that plastic has started to melt, smoulder has caught fire. If you have cables that have been burnt then there are various things that we may be able to do.

• Extend the wiring, if possible, safe to do so and compliant with wiring regulations
• Strip back the wiring and re attach the cables if possible
• Replace the electrical accessory if that is the only problem
• Re run the circuit in cases where damage has been too extensive

Many people will have sockets and switches that fail over time. Some of use will ignore this and just stop using that particular one. So many times, I have been to properties to test for faults and customers have said that sockets failed years ago but have just been ignored.

7) The cooker socket has failed, can you repair this one?

Yes, we can replace or repair almost anything electrical if needed. The cooker socket is no different. We will come and investigate the cause of failure and check that everything is safe. It is common for cooker and shower circuits to fail as they are high powered appliances and this puts more stress on the cables and connections than lower powered circuits like alarm or lighting circuits.

8) The trip switch has failed in the consumer unit can you look at this?

Of course. We will sometimes also have to investigate the reason why this has been tripping. A trip switch does not tend to trip for no reason. These switches are designed to trip to protect the users of the electrical installation and to protect the wiring within the walls and ceilings from being overloaded. If there is a DANGEROUS SOCKET the consumer unit will sometimes pick up on this and trip.

The reason for these switches tripping is often ignored and they are reset continually for days or weeks until they eventually fail themselves whilst a problem still exists on the circuit. We will come and investigate the issue, replace any parts that need replacing and get you back up and running.

Just give us a call or use our contact form on the website if it is less urgent.