I think I have an electrical fault?
Many electrical faults are caused by loose wiring, faulty cables, aging electrical sockets and switches and other factors. These faults often appear as a tripping switch in the consumer unit or a blown fuse. It is common to mistake an electrical fault for a broken consumer unit switch, many customers contact us asking for a price to replace an electrical switch in their fuse board or consumer unit when actually they need an ELECTRICAL FAULTS fixed.
Occasionally there is actually a faulty trip switch or some faulty wiring inside the consumer unit but more often than not, what appears to be a faulty switch can be:
- A faulty electrical appliance
- Water ingress into something electrical outdoors
- Trapped or pinched wires
- Damaged insulation on a cable
Or a whole host of other things. That’s why its important to have a specialist investigate your problem for you to make sure that it is correctly diagnosed and repaired. If you have a tripping switch then it is a good idea to read our help sheet so you can take the first steps to correcting the problem yourself without the need for us to come and visit. The help sheet will help you narrow down the problem and restore some power in your home. This may also save some time and cost.
https://www.electricalfaultsfixed.co.uk/helpsheet/help-my-house-electrics-are-tripping
Are Electrical Faults Dangerous?
Yes in a lot of cases they are dangerous. It all depends on what is happening as to the level of potential danger. One thing is for sure though, if you have a switch tripping in the consumer unit it may be tempting to keep resetting it time after time but this can be a problem.
These switches are a safety device that protects us and the electrical installation from harm and if they detect potential harm then they will turn off. In a lot of cases these switches are turning off large fault currents that could otherwise cause a fire in your home and they only have the ability to dissipate the fault currents so many times before they eventually fail. Resetting a switch like this over and over again will see it eventually break and this can mean that other problems can occur.
- Switches are sometimes difficult to come by as many manufacturers change their style of switch or go out of business meaning replacements are difficult to find. This will possibly leave you without electricity.
- Constantly turning switches back on when there is a fault could harm your wiring in the walls and floors meaning that other problems then need finding and fixing.
- The reason for the switch tripping needs to be found quickly as there could be other switches or wiring inside the consumer unit that are also affected.
Can I fix it myself?
In some cases there are steps you can take to find the issue yourself and tackle the problem however these are limited cases and beyond the information contained in our help sheet you should not attempt and electrical repairs yourself as only an electrician competent in the wiring regulations and safety electrical testing is able to ensure that any repair is safe and that an electrical fault is correctly found and dealt with.
We have many years of training and expertise in the use of and the understanding of test equipment, its results and the interpretation of those results. We compare this with the IET wiring regulations and this allows us to find faults and complete repairs safely. We always recommend hiring a professional when it comes to dangerous works such as electrical installation and maintenance. 😊
How much does it cost?
The costs for repairing an electrical fault can vary and are sometimes split into two parts. The cost for investigation and testing then the cost for the repair. We firstly need to ascertain the type of fault that we are looking for and then we test to see where it is. Sometimes its straightforward and can be fixed immediately at no additional cost but sometimes there are further issues and a quote is required to put things right.
An example would be the following:
- Case A
A trip switch was tripping and we spent an hour investigating the problem and found that it was the socket circuit. The fault was cleared when we unscrewed a socket where some cables had become trapped over time. No additional costs beyond the fault finding, no quote necessary and all sorted on the same day.
- Case B
A trip switch was tripping and we spent nearly an hour investigating the problem and found there to be a damaged section of cable in the loft due to rodents.
We had to quote to lift all the loft boarding and cut out and repair the section of damaged cable as it wasn’t possible to repair it there and then due to many belongings cluttering up the loft.
Will you keep us updated on the problem?
Whatever happens, when we are finding and repairing a fault for you we will keep you updated all the way and explain to you in plain English what needs to be done as and when we uncover the problems.
Where we have to provide a quote to carry out the repair after fault finding, it will be a no obligation written quote and an approximate date given for the works. For more information, contact us today; your local electrician in Liverpool.
