Faulty electrics in your Liverpool home?

1) These are the 6 most common signs that you may have faulty electrics in your Liverpool home.

• Flickering or dimming lights.
• Buzzing noises from consumer unit, switches and sockets.
• Burning smell from anything electrical.
• Discoloration on any electrical accessories or components.
• Electrical shocks when touching things around the home.
• Intermittent blackouts or operation of electrical circuits.

We will look at each of these and explain what might be causing the problems, where the danger might be and what can be done about it. 

2) Flickering or dimming lights

When lights flicker it is because momentarily there are power supply problems to that particular light or the lighting circuit in general. When lights dim it indicates that there are power supply problems that are more permanent.  The flickering or dimming can indicate that there are loose connections somewhere in the electrical installation. You may notice that the dimming or flickering effect is more severe when you turn on heavy power using appliances like a Kettle, Toaster, Oven or electric shower. Loose connections can occur over time and become a very dangerous issue. 

3) Buzzing noises from consumer unit, switches and sockets

Loose connections can cause microscopic gaps to develop between two electrical surfaces such as the cable and an electric plug socket terminal. When there is a gap and an electrical current waiting it can jump or “arc” across. This can create a buzzing, crackling or humming noise. Sometimes these noises are ok and nothing to worry about but other times they can indicate that there are problems in your electrical system. It is important not to ignore these problems, if you are in any doubt then get them checked out, get the peace of mind you need and then you can relax!

There are some devices such as doorbell transformers that will buzz during normal operation. They will also become warm during normal operation.

4) Burning smell from anything electrical

I would hope that most of you would think this is serious. It IS SERIOUS. If you smell electrical burning from anywhere in your home then please turn the electric supply off at your fuse box / consumer unit and get us to come and investigate for you. An electrical burning smell indicates that there is likely to be a smouldering cable, small electrical fire or other serious issue in your homes electrical system. Most commonly this can occur where high powered electrical appliances are used such as electric showers, cookers and immersion elements for heating water. Please do not ignore these smells.

5) Discoloration on any electrical accessories or components

If you notice any discoloration on your electrical switches, plug sockets, plug tops or other electrical accessories in your home then please call us to come and investigate the problem for you. On white electrical accessories the normal discolouration would be light brown through to very dark brown or black. This would indicate plastic that has become hot, melted and even burnt. Whilst the situation may appear minor on the front surface of the electrical accessory please be aware that the situation at the terminals on the rear of the electrical accessory could be total destruction! Look at the slight discoloration on the front then the destruction on the back! 

6) Electric shocks when touching things around the home

If you notice that you are receiving shocks from things in and around the house then it is likely there are FAULTY ELECTRICS IN THE HOUSE. The most common problem we find when we are called out to emergencies is that there are earthing issues.  Missing earths, loose wiring, faulty appliances or crossed connections somewhere. 

We are happy to come and investigate for you to see where the problem is coming from, do not let the situation get any worse, today's minor shocks could be tomorrow dangerous major shocks!

7) Intermittent blackouts or operation of electrical circuits:

• Sockets go off occasionally?
• Shower works then stops?
• Lights go off completely sometimes?

If any of these things are an issue then let us know. These problems can indicate loose wiring, burnt connections, fire risk and other serious problems. 

8) Do I need to get an intermittent electrical problem checked?

Absolutely yes! An intermittent electrical issue is often an early warning sign that things are wrong and about to get worse. An early warning sign can mean a much cheaper repair than leaving the problem to progress. 

Let say for example there were loose connections inside the consumer unit / fuse box. This may cause intermittent power cuts in your property. This NEEDS to be investigated. It is much safer to have it checked immediately and the problem fixed before a FIRE starts. It is also much cheaper to have a single component and some cabling replaced than it is to replace a consumer unit that has caught fire or been badly heat damaged from loose cabling, connections or faulty equipment. 

It is often tempting to leave the problem if you think it has resolved itself, but all too often problems will come back and present a more serious issue at a more inconvenient time than before. 

9) Why does the power go off then come back on?

This can be a result of loose wiring. When we have loose cables there is a high resistance to electrical current flowing. This causes heat to develop and possible burning or melting. Now, heat ALSO CAUSES a high resistance so eventually not enough current can flow through the circuit and the power goes off! 

That is a simplified version of what happens. The important thing to note is the HEAT. This situation very quickly can develop into a fire.

If you notice that you have these type of power problems then you really need to get this investigated immediately!

10) There is black goo leaking out from some equipment what’s that?

If you notice black goo leaking out from any electrical equipment then its best to call us straight away. We will ask for a photograph or two or perhaps a video call with you to ascertain where it is coming from. Sometimes the Electricity Network equipment can produce this substance and if we establish that it is their equipment then we will advise you to contact 105 to have it checked. If you are at all unsure of any electrical issues in your home then please do get in touch, we are often able to offer free advice without visiting site. 😊 

If you suspect that you have FAULTY ELECTRICS IN THE HOUSE then we are able to carry out fault finding for you to pinpoint the problems. We are also able to carry out a comprehensive electrical survey for you to ascertain the condition of your homes electrical system and alert you to any dangers or potential dangers.