What do electricians fix?

1) WHAT DO ELECTRICIANS FIX? Well, there are a number of electrical problems that electricians can tackle.

These problems range from simple repairs to more technical repairs and rewiring installations. We outline some of the types of repair or fixes that electricians regularly carry out below.

2) Trip Switch Problems

The most common issue that we are called for is usually a trip switch that is causing problems. The customer usually believes that the trip switch is somehow faulty or causing problems and this should be replaced. The opposite however, is usually true. The trip switch is designed to detect electrical problems in the wiring installation and then disconnect the circuit to protect the wiring, electrical equipment and the people using the installation from any harm. 

When a trip switch goes off there is normally a cause for this. If we look at the photograph, we can see that the wiring was burnt out, this was causing one of the trip switches in the consumer unit to trip off and no matter how many times it was reset it would not turn back on. There are many other reasons that trip switches will trip such as water ingress into cables, electrical plug sockets or switches, rodent damage and failing electrical appliances or electrical accessories. 

3) Flickering Lights

Another regular issue that customers call with is the issue of flickering lights. When this happens there can be a variety of causes. Lights in general should not flicker and if they do then all is not right with the electrical installation. Some old-fashioned tube lights will flicker if the tube is on the way out, the starter ballast is on the blink (pun intended) or if the wiring is not quite right. Flickering lights is most commonly caused be loose wiring somewhere in the electrical installation. There will also be other symptoms in the rest of the electrical installation if there are loose connections but the lights tend to manifest the problem in a very visible was and can alert the homeowner to the fact that there are problems. The warning sign of flickering lights should not be ignored because it can be a symptom of other electrical issues.

4) Faulty appliances

Some electricians will repair fault appliances as well as tackling any electrical repairs. This is not something that we tend to do ourselves as appliance repair is a specialist area and once you repair an appliance once, you tend to own it so we leave this to appliance repair specialists to tackle. The other issue with repairing appliances these days is the cost. To look at an appliance and figure out the issues costs a business time and money and they normally have to charge for this.  Then there is the cost of parts and installing them, re-testing the appliance, and servicing any warranty for the repair, that is taking the risk of the repair lasting and repairing for free if the appliance were to go wrong again within the warranty period. When we combine this with the relatively low cost of new (particularly budget end) appliances, it often makes more sense for the customer to purchase a new appliance. 

5) Damaged plug sockets

Plug sockets can become damaged regularly in our homes. This is particularly likely in olde electrical installations where the plug sockets may be mounted on the skirting board very close to the floor. When these sockets are mounted in this position then they not only damage the plug cables of appliances but are at a high risk for a good bash with a vacuum cleaner. The vacuum cleaner is a great destructor of plug sockets, a relatively heavy appliance being shoved at speed around the room often wipes out plug sockets in its way. 😊 Rather than repair a plug socket, it is best to replace them. The relatively low material cost of a new plug socket means that replacement is more sensible and far safer than attempting to put an old one back together somehow. WHAT DO ELECTRICIANS FIX? Nearly everything can be fixed or replaced. 

6) Repairing electrical cables

Cable damage is a fairly common occurrence in our homes. There are many hazards in life if you are an electrical cable. The constant fear of a drill, a nail, a screw, being trodden on in the attic or loft, a spade being put through you in the garden or a rodent chewing on you. Life is not pleasant for electrical cables. There is also the risk of overload on electrical cables as well. This is particularly prevalent in older electrical installations where; the system was not designed to cope with modern demands and extension leads are regularly used to provide more plug socket outlets for example. Repairing electrical cables should be carefully considered. Some electrical cables should not be considered for repair. This is the case where old rubber or lead sheathed cables are installed. These cables are now very old and more than likely brittle or dangerous. 

For a very short period, the UK used aluminium electrical cables and generally these should be replaced rather than repaired. Aluminium cables do not cope well with most types of electrical termination that we employ to secure connections. Aluminium will typically crush under screw termination leading to a situation where instead of the cable forming a tight connection it becomes loose again, thinner and stress fractured. This can lead to overheating and fires. 

7) Electrical panel / consumer unit repairs

The consumer unit / electrical panel is the control centre of our wiring systems. The components in here can fail and require replacing. Occasionally burnt-out connections can lead to damage in the consumer unit meaning that repairs are required or in serious cases, consumer unit replacement. Sometimes a trip switch can fail and will no longer turn back on. When this happens, it is common to replace the faulty switch, carry out any necessary testing and the reinstate the electrical circuit. Occasionally, due to the age of the equipment, it is not possible to source replacement parts. When this happens the consumer unit should be replaced. 

Where heat damage occurs and switches or wiring is damaged, your electrician will need to open up the panel and assess the damage. If the damage is deemed repairable then your electrician will source the replacement parts and carry out the repair along with stripping back any affected wiring and extending where necessary. Where the damage is beyond economical repair, the repair would not be safe or the replacement parts are no longer available then your electrician will recommend the full replacement of the consumer unit. 

8) Electrical Faults

There are also a whole range of electrical faults that an electrician will fix. These can be any number of things but the most common are below:

• No power to plug sockets
• No power to lights
• Tripping circuits or blowing fuses
• Buzzing noises
• Burning Smells
• Intermittent power cuts
• Bare wires showing

Every electrical problem can be fixed by your electrician. Sometimes the fix will be inexpensive and straightforward and other times it may be necessary to rewire the affected section of cable or circuit. Occasionally an electrical fault can be like opening a can of worms and lead to other issues being uncovered. When asking WHAT DO ELECTRICIANS FIX? There are an awful lot or problems that electricians can fix and those who specialise in doing so often prefer to fix rather than replace where possible. 😊 Need a fault finding electrician? We can help! Get in touch now.