Advice
Signs your home’s electrics need attention
Tripping, flickering, warm sockets and an old fuse box are not things to live with. Here is what each sign can mean and the sensible first step.
Written by DualCurrent Ltd · Published
Most electrical problems give some warning before they become serious. These are the signs worth acting on, roughly in order of urgency.
Act straight away
- A burning smell, scorch marks or crackling from a socket, switch, light or the consumer unit. Switch off at the main switch if it is safe to do so, and get it looked at urgently.
- Sockets, plugs or switches that feel hot. Some warmth from a heavily loaded plug can be normal; anything hot to the touch is not.
- Damaged accessories or exposed wires, including cracked sockets and fittings pulled away from the wall.
- Water near electrics, for example a leak through a light fitting.
If you are worried about immediate danger, call an electrician rather than waiting for an appointment.
Get it checked soon
- Trip switches that keep going off. An RCD or circuit breaker tripping is a sign of a problem, not the problem itself. If it trips repeatedly and you cannot trace it to one appliance, get it investigated.
- Lights that flicker or dim when other things are switched on.
- Buzzing from switches, sockets or the consumer unit.
- Electric shocks, however mild, from appliances, taps or metalwork.
Signs of an ageing installation
- An old fuse box with rewireable fuses, or a mix of old and new equipment.
- No RCD protection — the test button marked "T" or "Test" on modern consumer units.
- Old cable types, such as rubber-insulated, fabric-covered or lead-sheathed cable.
- Old-style round-pin sockets or brown Bakelite switches.
- Not enough sockets, so extension leads are plugged into other extension leads.
An older installation is not automatically unsafe, but it may not have the protection a modern installation has, and it is more likely to have deteriorated.
The sensible first step: an inspection
Before committing to a rewire or a new consumer unit, have the installation inspected and tested. The resulting Electrical Installation Condition Report tells you what is dangerous, what needs attention soon and what is simply not up to current standards — so you can prioritise and budget.
Leave it to a registered electrician
Some electrical work in homes is notifiable under Part P of the Building Regulations, and all of it needs testing to confirm it is safe. Avoid DIY repairs to wiring and the consumer unit.
Next step
Request a quote for an inspection or repair, or call us if something needs attention urgently.