What to Check Before You Call an Electrician for Power Loss
Simple Checks You Can Do Yourself to Save Time, Stress, and Money
Hi, I'm Anthony O'Brien, founder of AJOB Electrical Ltd. With over 20 years of hands-on experience serving homeowners and businesses across Leeds and Wakefield, I know how frustrating sudden power loss can be. The good news is, not every electrical fault requires an emergency callout! Often, a few simple checks can save you time, stress, and money.
Today, I'm sharing expert advice based on real-world experience to help you safely troubleshoot before picking up the phone.
1. Is It a Full Power Cut or a Localised Issue?
The first step is to determine whether the outage affects your entire home or just specific areas.
- Whole property without power? Check if your neighbours are also in darkness. If they are, it’s likely a supply issue. Call your energy provider to report the outage.
- Only certain sockets, lights, or areas? Then the issue is internal and most likely linked to a tripped RCD or MCB.
Anthony’s Tip: I once attended a job where a customer thought they had a full outage. It turned out only their upstairs sockets had tripped after plugging in a faulty hairdryer. A quick check could have avoided the callout!
2. Inspect Your Consumer Unit (Fuse Box)
Modern consumer units are designed with safety in mind and typically contain:
- RCDs (Residual Current Devices): Protect against electric shocks by cutting power if a fault is detected.
- MCBs (Miniature Circuit Breakers): Protect specific circuits, like sockets or lights.
What to do:
- Open your fuse box panel.
- Look for any switches in the 'OFF' position.
- If a breaker has tripped, that circuit has detected an issue.
Anthony’s Tip: Keep a small battery torch near your fuse box. In many cases, I've found customers struggling in the dark with just a mobile phone light!
3. Unplug Appliances to Isolate Faults
Faulty appliances are one of the most common causes of trips.
Here’s what to do:
- Unplug everything connected to the affected circuit.
- Reset the RCD or MCB.
- Reconnect appliances one at a time, leaving a few seconds between each.
- If the power trips again, you’ve found the faulty device.
Real Story: In one Leeds home, a persistent kitchen socket fault ended up being traced back to a leaking fridge causing short-circuiting behind the scenes. Unplugging it instantly solved the issue.
4. The Right Way to Reset an RCD
An RCD that won’t reset often signals a persistent fault. You can narrow it down safely:
Steps:
- Switch off all individual MCBs.
- Reset the RCD first.
- Switch MCBs back on one at a time.
- Watch closely: the faulty circuit will cause an immediate trip.
Anthony’s Tip: Take note of which circuit causes the trip. Telling your electrician this can dramatically speed up fault finding and may lower the cost of repairs.
5. When to Call a Qualified Electrician
If after completing these steps your RCD still refuses to reset, or if a circuit keeps tripping, it’s time to call a professional.
Serious issues could include:
- Damaged wiring hidden in walls.
- Moisture ingress from leaks.
- Overloaded circuits.
- Aging or faulty consumer units.
At AJOB Electrical Ltd, we’re NICEIC Approved Contractors, NICEIC Domestic Installers, fully insured, Trustmark Approved and Which? Trusted Traders. We offer honest advice, clear pricing, and rapid response to keep your home safe and your power restored quickly.
Extra Tips to Prevent Future Power Loss
- Regularly PAT test appliances, especially in kitchens and garages.
- Replace old or suspicious-looking extension leads.
- Never overload sockets with high-powered devices.
- Schedule a periodic electrical inspection (EICR), recommended every 10 years for private homes & every 5 years for rented homes.
Final Thoughts
I hope these tips help you feel more confident if the lights go out unexpectedly! Sometimes it's a simple fix — but if not, you know that AJOB Electrical Ltd is here to help with friendly, expert service.
Stay safe,
Anthony O'Brien
AJOB Electrical Ltd
Your Local Trusted Electrician in Leeds and Wakefield
Need expert help? Click here to contact AJOB Electrical Ltd today!
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