Safety guidance
Reduce the risk. Then get it measured.
This page is general guidance, not instructions for carrying out electrical work. It exists so that the first few minutes after something goes wrong are spent well.
Immediate danger
Fire, smoke or injury is not a contractor call.
If there is fire, smoke, a smell of burning with heat, or anyone has received an electric shock, contact your local emergency services number first. Leave the area if it is unsafe. Do not attempt to fight an electrical fire with water, and do not attempt to isolate equipment that is already burning.
An enquiry form is not a route to emergency assistance. Electrical faults that are contained — a dead circuit, a tripping device, a failed fitting — are contractor work. Anything involving fire, smoke or injury is not.
Reasonable to do
- Stop using the affected circuit, appliance or fitting.
- Unplug appliances you can reach without contact with damaged equipment.
- Switch off the affected circuit at the board, provided the board itself is undamaged and dry.
- Keep people and pets away from damaged accessories, exposed conductors or water near electrical equipment.
- Write down what was running, what tripped, and whether the fault repeats.
Never attempt
- Working on, probing or opening equipment that is energised.
- Removing covers from a board, accessory or fitting to investigate a fault.
- Repeatedly resetting a protective device that keeps tripping.
- Touching electrical equipment that is wet, scorched or heat-damaged.
- Bypassing, bridging or replacing a protective device with a higher rating.
- Using an extension lead as a permanent substitute for a fixed circuit.
Common questions
Straight answers, without instructions we should not be giving.
- A breaker keeps tripping. Should I keep resetting it?
- No. A protective device that trips is doing its job — it has detected a fault or an overload. Resetting it repeatedly can expose you and the installation to the condition it was protecting you from. Switch off or unplug appliances on that circuit, leave the device off, and have the circuit tested.
- There is a burning smell near a socket or the board. What now?
- Stop using that circuit. If there is smoke, visible fire, or heat you can feel through the cover, leave the area and contact your local emergency number. Do not open covers, do not use water, and do not attempt to isolate equipment that is burning. If there is no fire and the board itself is undamaged, switching off the affected circuit at the board reduces risk while you arrange an attendance.
- Someone has received an electric shock. What is the priority?
- Medical assessment. An electric shock can cause injury that is not visible, including effects on the heart. Contact emergency medical services. Do not touch a person who is still in contact with a live source. Once the situation is safe, the installation should not be used again until the cause has been investigated.
- Water has reached electrical equipment. Is it safe once it dries?
- Do not assume so. Water ingress can leave conductive residue and damage insulation inside equipment where you cannot see it. Affected circuits and accessories should be inspected and tested before being returned to use, and the source of the ingress addressed.
- Can I replace a light fitting or socket front myself?
- That depends on where you are, what the work involves and the rules that apply to you. This site does not provide instructions for working on electrical installations. Anything involving the board, the supply, concealed cabling, or a circuit whose condition is unknown should be assessed by a qualified electrician.
- How urgent is a flickering light or a warm switch?
- Warmth, discolouration, buzzing or arcing sounds indicate a connection problem and should be treated as a priority rather than a nuisance. Flickering under load can indicate a loose termination or a supply issue. Both are measurable, and both are worth reporting rather than living with.
Report a fault for assessment
Once the situation is safe, describe what happened and where. Detail about when the fault occurs is often the difference between a short diagnosis and a long one.