Two heaters failed - But the real problem was hidden in the meter box
I recently attended a job where a customer had lost power to two panel heaters and an immersion heater.
After investigating, I found the problem wasn't with any of the appliances.
The neutral connection in the RCD main switch in the meter box had overheated and burnt out, eventually causing the neutral to disconnect completely.
What was interesting was that the customer had experienced intermittent problems for several weeks beforehand.
That can be an important warning sign.
A loose or deteriorating electrical connection can develop high resistance, causing heat to build up. The connection can then deteriorate further until it eventually fails.
Warning Signs not to ignore include:
- Appliances intermittently switching off
- Several items losing power at the same time
- Flickering or unusual electrical behaviour
- Buzzing or crackling
- Burning or overheated plastic smells
- Discolouration or scorching around electrical equipment
An electrical fault doesn't always fail dramatically straight away. Sometimes it gives you weeks of warning.
If your electrics are behaving strangely or a fault keeps coming and going, don't just wait for it to fail completely.
Get it checked before a small problem becomes a serious one.
If you need a fault finding electrician in High Wycombe, contact Plugs Electrical by filling in our contact form – NICEIC Approved Contractor
Serving High Wycombe and the surrounding areas.
