Electrical problems can be annoying, leading to blown fuses or tripped circuit breakers. But at their worst they can also be dangerous, with the potential risk of fire or personal injury. You may think that getting your electrics checked will be expensive; fortunately there are some simple checks that you can carry out yourself before calling an electrician.

Check your consumer unit

First of all have a look at your consumer unit or ‘fuse box.’ Older properties will have physical fuses whilst modern properties will have miniature circuit breakers which are easier to reset in the event of a problem. If you have an old style fuse box, it may be worth getting an electrical contractor to change it for a modern unit which is safer and more convenient.

Make sure that all of the circuits are properly labelled and have fuses/breakers of the correct rating. Modern consumer units should also have a residual current device (RCD). This is a safety device which will cut the power in the event of an incident, for example if you cut through your lawnmower cable.

Checking for problems

If you have any sockets or light switches that are cracked or broken you should get them changed as soon as possible. The same goes for all of your appliances; check periodically that the wires are in good condition; that there is no cracked insulation or frayed flex; and that the plug is properly attached.

If you have a problem such as a fuse blowing repeatedly or a particular circuit ‘tripping’, it may be down to a faulty appliance or light fitting. Turn off all of the items on that circuit then switch them on one at a time until you discover which one is causing the problem. You may still need to call an electrician but at least you’ll have isolated the cause of the problem!