Looking for a Faulty Socket Electrician?

Our homes contain many electrical devices that require connection to the electrical installations in order to receive power. The connection is generally made through plug sockets that receive the appliance plug and send power through the cord to the appliance. 

Most electrical outlets work absolutely fine but over time a FAULTY SOCKET can occur. Electrical problems like this can mean that your double socket, usb sockets or other power socket fails to work correctly. It is common for one side of the double socket to fail first resulting in potential danger. 

1) Is the Socket really faulty?

Where a socket is know to be faulty, the issue may lie deeper than just that particular socket. There may be faulty wiring on the electrical circuit, loose connections behind the socket or indeed, the appliance may be faulty. 

The first thing to check if you believe a socket to be faulty is to check with another socket. The appliance that you usually plug in to the socket, try it in one of the other plug socket outlets in the room. 

If the appliance works in another socket, then you do indeed have a faulty plug socket, however, if the appliance does not work in the other electrical sockets, then you know there is an issue with the appliance or the plug fuse of the appliance. 

2) Can a faulty plug socket be left?

The best way of ensuring electrical safety is to have the affected sockets checked by a professional electrician. Potential hazards can be hidden behind the socket face that could result in an electrical emergency if the problem is not investigated. 

Whilst a visual inspection of the socket may result in the conclusion that it is ok, there could be a burnt plug socket or melted plug socket situation behind the scenes, damp can also enter electrics especially in the kitchen area and cause corrosion on the rear of the socket face. 

3) Will replacing the socket work?

In most cases, a faulty socket is just that, an isolated electrical accessory that has failed. Occasionally there is further damage to the electrical wiring behind that requires repair. Where a socket has failed, we will check to see if there are circumstances that have caused its failure. 

Too much electricity demanded from the socket where excessive current flow is occurring can lead to socket failure. These types of electrical issues are more common where a high-powered electrical appliance is used frequently in the plug socket. 

Where two power hungry appliances are used in the same double socket outlet, the failure can occur more quickly. 

Single socket outlets used with power adaptor blocks or extension leads are also particularly susceptible to premature failure. 

4) How much power is safe on one socket?

Most UK plug sockets are rated at 13 amps. This means that the whole socket, Single, Double or USB outlets sockets must not exceed 13 amps. 

For reference, a washing machine will draw between 10 and 13 amps of electrical current, a dishwasher the same, tumble dryer the same and many other electrical appliances around the home. 

It is mostly the kitchen where the electrical system has to do most of the work in the home and this is also where most sockets fail. If there are not enough sockets in the kitchen, extension leads are sometimes dangerously used and this can cause overheating and electrical fires. 

Its always best to have additional sockets added to the circuit rather than use extension leads. An extension lead can easily be overloaded with electrical appliances and in many cases the fuse will not blow, the circuit breaker box will not shut the circuit off and instead the heat will build up and cause the situation below.

This situation is extreme but overheating can lead to internal plug socket failure without any outward signs of damage. 

Before connecting multiple pieces of electrical equipment to one socket, it’s important to check the power rating of the equipment so as not to overload the socket. There is an extension lead overload calculator which can also be used for calculating the safe load on a plug socket. 

This will allow you to make an informed decision about the equipment that you are using and will minimise the chance of a burning smell, melted plug sockets and potential fires. 

5) New plug socket outdoors?

When considering a new external socket, your electrician will need to check the existing power supply, electrical circuit, and earthing of your electrical supply. Any pre-existing faults on the circuit will require electrical fault finding to be carried out prior to the new plug socket being installed. 

Electrical jobs where extra sockets need to be installed require the electrician to carry out some testing prior to extending the circuit to prevent existing dangers and new electrical hazards from occurring or getting worse. 

A qualified electrician will be able to carry out the required checks once the work starts and will ensure that the consumer unit can handle the additional load. Where a fuse box is installed, this and other parts of the electrical system may require upgrading before any new work can be carried out. 

Many areas of Liverpool have old properties with old wiring installations that need to be brought up to current standards before they can be modified safely and legally. 

6) Is there a risk of electrical shock?

Where a plug socket has gone faulty, there could be a risk of electrical shock. A loose outlet can also contribute to this risk where there are gaps or an unsecured socket face. If wiring slips out of the back of a faulty socket, metalwork can become live. 

In many cases the electrical system should detect this issue and may trip the power off. If there is a faulty circuit breaker, problems with earthing or other hidden electrical problems, the system may not shut off. 

If you are worried about the age of your electrical system, the fuse box, the wiring, or any other matters then get in touch. You may wish to have an electrical inspection carried out in order to ascertain the condition of the installation and its suitability for continued use. 

7) Local Liverpool Electrician

Its important that you get the right electrician for your project no matter how big or small that might be. We are always happy to offer a free quote where you want installation works carrying out. Where electrical fault-finding works are required, we can carry out investigations on an hourly or half hourly basis using the correct test equipment to diagnose and pinpoint electrical faults for you. If you believe you have an issue with a FAULTY SOCKET IN LIVERPOOL then call us on 0151 351 4011 or WhatsApp 07858 136 955 and we will get the problems sorted out for you.