Electrical

The consumer unit is the brains of our electrical system and contains a variety of parts that require upgrading and replacing over time. In the event of a fault, it is the job of the fuse box or consumer unit to turn the power off to prevent fatal electric shock, earth fault, risk of fire and much more.

There is an unmistakeable smell that electricians know well. The smell is a fishy, plastic, pungent odour. If you can smell anything like this from your airing cupboard, your electric box cupboard, or anywhere else in the home then it is an early indicator of a serious electrical problem. A FISHY SMELL IN CUPBOARD should not be ignored!

A trip switch is a device contained in an electrical panel, consumer unit or fuse box. Its purpose is to disconnect the flow of electricity the electrical circuits when there is an electrical fault present. There are many different kinds of trip switch and each has a purpose depending upon the type of electrical fault that occurs.

A MAIN SWITCH BURNT OUT will normally mean that you have a complete and total power loss to your home. The main switch or linked main switch as it is also known, is a key component to the consumer unit, electrical panel or fuse box. The main switch takes the incoming power supply from the mains and sends it to the various components inside the electrical panel. When the main switch is turned off or burnt out, none of the panel will have any power supply but could still be live!

There are a vast array of electrical regulations and building regulations surrounding work in our homes. The very idea of putting electricity so close to water equipment feels wrong, doesn’t it? Its true that water and electricity shouldn’t mix and to do so is likely to result in electric shock, damage to the electrical system and possible fire hazard. That being said, can we install a plug socket this close to a water source? The regulations are clear in some areas and murky in others but we can look at them in more detail.

What is an electrical back box, what do they do and what type do you need? There are a range of back boxes on the market and each has a slightly different purpose or can be modified to fit a particular environment. The back box is designed to contain electrical wiring AND to hold an electrical accessory in place.

WHAT IS EARTH SLEEVING? Well, Earth sleeving is a protective, flexible, PVC tube that slips over bare copper circuit protective conductors in wiring systems. Its purpose is to protect the copper conductor from interaction with any live conductor in electrical installations and to enable easy earth identification. The sleeving also offers some protection against corrosion from the elements.

An INTERMITTENT ELECTRICAL ISSUE can be incredibly frustrating. Whether you have an issue in your vehicle or in your home, it can be frustrating and costly to try and pin down the cause. An intermittent electrical problem is often a difficult one for an auto electrician or domestic electrician to pin down. The reason for this is that we need the electrical problem to show up on our testing equipment when we check things over.

Whilst it is common to find the consumer unit in all sorts of places in the home it does not necessarily mean that the installation location is safe, compliant with regulations or congruent with the longevity of the consumer unit.

An informative blog about electrical cables in the attic and whether they are safe by Electrical Faults Fixed