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Electrical Problems

No need to panic - find out what the problem is when your home suffers a power loss.

Electrical troubles can be difficult to solve because the problem could be with your circuitry. Simply put, electrical work can be dangerous, so when tackling repairs make sure you're careful.

Bear in mind - loss of electricity to certain areas of your home may be caused by other issues, such as Gas Central Heating Problems.

If you need to call in the professionals, booking a job with us is easy - see Electricians. Our tradesmen are NICEIC qualified, so you can be sure about a safe repair.

To protect your home against sudden problems that can hit the pocket hard, you might like to choose Electrical Emergency & Breakdown Cover.

Choose from the following list to find the advice you're looking for:

Loss of Electricity

  1. When working on an appliance or light fitting, unplug it first from the mains supply.
  2. Check that your electrical meter is turned on and functional. If you have a credit meter, make sure the money hasn't run out. If it's late in the evening and this happens, most electric keys have an emergency allowance to tide you over until the next day when you can top-up your credit.
  3. Check whether the fuse box trip switch has tripped - this sometimes happens automatically when there's a power surge.
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Power Failure

See our Instant Emergency Help section for contact details of your electrical suppliers and what to do.

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Electrical Fitting Problem

  1. Before you start any repairs, switch off the power at the mains supply.
  2. When working on an appliance or light fitting, unplug it first from the mains supply.
  3. Make sure there are no liquids near the electrical work you're doing.
  4. Never fit a circuit breaker or fuse that is rated higher than what the circuit can protect.
  5. Watch out for any exposed wiring such as wear and tear on plugs.
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Electrical Wiring Fault

Since electrical wiring, such as problems with your circuitry, can be dangerous to tackle, it's best to call in a professional for these types of repairs.

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Light Switch Problem

  1. Before you start any repairs, switch off the power at the mains supply.
  2. A cracked light switch could allow damp to reach the conductors - this will cause more serious problems so replace it as soon as possible.
  3. Check for loose connections - these cause most light switch problems. Make sure wires are securely attached to the switch by tightening the screws.
  4. Wires that are frayed, bent or nicked may not provide a decent connection. Trim the wire ends and strip the plastic sheath until 1in of wire is exposed. Reattach the wires.
  5. Bare wires touching the electrical box will trip the circuit breaker or blow a fuse -check the wires have enough plastic sheathing to protect them.
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Power Socket Problem

  1. To check for faulty sockets throughout your house, plug an appliance into each of them to see if it has power.
  2. Before you start any repairs, switch off the power at the mains supply.
  3. Remove plugs from the socket outlet carefully. Pulling out a plug by the cable could damage the contact between the plug and socket outlet. This would result in the plug overheating, its wires becoming loose or even an electric shock (if the earth wire is disconnected).
  4. Check the plug and socket outlet for burn marks, buzzing or crackling or excessive heat - if any of these things happen we advise you to call in an electrician as soon as possible.
  5. Use plugs with the British Standard Safety Stamp - they're guaranteed to have live and neutral pins with insulating sleeves that enable safer insertion and withdrawal.
  6. Check the shutter mechanism in the socket outlet closes when removing a plug. This is an important safety precaution if you have young children who like to poke their fingers where they shouldn't!
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Changing a light Bulb

It may sound silly, but while most of us can use a computer to browse the internet, a UK survey in 2007 by HomeServe and the Daily Mail found that 25% of people under 35 aren't sure how to change a light bulb*.

  1. First, make sure the electricity is turned off at the light switch. The safest way is to switch it off at the mains supply.
  2. Allow the bulb you're replacing to cool before touching it.
  3. Check the wattage on the used bulb and make sure the new bulb matches it.
  4. Safely remove the old bulb and fit the new one by using a stepladder.
  5. If the bulb is a Bayonet Mount (most common in the UK), hold it lightly but firmly and turn counter clockwise until it's released from the socket. To fit a new one, turn clockwise.
  6. If the bulb is a Screw Fitting (common in Europe), keep gently twisting counter clockwise till the bulb comes loose from the socket. To fit a new one, keep gently twisting clockwise till it won't go any further.
  7. Once the bulb is in, turn the power and light switch back on.
  8. Use the packaging of the new bulb to dispose of the old one as a safety precaution - the glass is fragile and can cause harm to children and pets.

* Source: The Week, 22/12/2007, p.17, Staff

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