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Testing Electrics in Your Home

Testing electrics in your home

Testing electrics is very important and shouldn’t be under estimated. And the good news is it can be a quick and simple job.

Whether you rent or own your home, chances are you take it for granted that your electrics are all safe and sound.

Whilst it’s most likely that you have nothing to worry about, it is important to know if any of your electrics are faulty. If they are, this can be incredibly dangerous. Although only proper testing can give you the most accurate answer, below are a few warning signs you can look out for to ensure the safety of you and your family:

Are there any obvious signs of damage to socket-outlets, switches and lights?

If so, it’s advisable to call an electrician and get it checked out.

Are there signs of overheating at socket-outlets and switches?

This can include a discolouring of the front plate which will normally turn a yellowish-brown colour.

Check your fuse box.

Even if the fuse box looks new, it’s important to check the condition of the cables entering it because it may have had just a fuse box change. Check the rest of the installation for signs of ageing and if something doesn’t look right, get it looked at straight away.

Even if there are no obvious signs there is anything wrong with the electrics in your home, if they are very old it may be time to rewire your house to prevent any future costly incidents. A few ways you can tell if the electrics are old is to check how many socket-outlets there are in each room. If there are only one or two, or they are single sockets, this is usually an indication the installation is pretty old. If the socket-outlets are the round pin type, this is a clear indication they are very old and you should get this checked out as soon as possible.

Other signs of old electrics include re-wirable fuses – these have not been used in new installations for many years now. If your fuse box has a wooden back, cast iron switches or a haphazard mixture of fuses, it’s likely it dates back to the 1960s and will need to be replaced.

It’s not just age that can result in you needing to replace your electrics; bad workmanship can also be incredibly dangerous. Even if you have recently had work carried out, there are a few things you can look out for to ensure the job has been carried out safely and correctly:

  • If switches and plugs are not flushed in properly and have live parts showing
  • Cables are protruding above plaster
  • Holes have been left in accessories or the fuse box
  • Floorboards have smashed and split
  • Your fuse box has not been marked up to identify circuits

Call a qualified and experienced electrician you can rely on to complete the work properly. The expense may seem painful considering you have just paid someone else to do it, but it’s well worth the peace of mind and safety it provides you and your family.

If you think your house may need rewiring or you have any concerns about the safety of your electrics, please don’t hesitate to contact Doctor Sparky and our qualified electricians will be more than happy to help and advise.


Why call Doctor Sparky?

  • NIC/EIC qualified and experienced electricians
  • 24 hour service to deal with any electrical emergency
  • No call out fee 
  • FREE estimates