Electrical Fault Finding & Repairs

Common Faults We Diagnose

Tripping circuits. A breaker or RCD that keeps tripping usually indicates a genuine fault on the circuit rather than a simple overload. Common causes include damaged cable, a failing appliance drawing excess current, a loose connection, or moisture ingress in an outdoor fitting.

Power loss to part of the property. When specific rooms or areas lose power without the consumer unit tripping, the fault is usually a broken connection somewhere in the circuit, a loose junction box, a damaged socket, or a failed connection at the consumer unit itself.

Flickering or intermittent lights. Often caused by a loose connection at the fitting, switch or junction box, or a failing lamp driver in LED lighting. Persistent flickering across multiple rooms can also indicate a voltage regulation issue rather than a single faulty fitting.

Burning smell or warm sockets. These indicate a connection running above its rated temperature, caused by a loose terminal, an undersized cable or an overloaded circuit. This should always be investigated promptly rather than left.

RCD testing failure. If a routine RCD test shows the device isn't operating within its specified trip time, it needs replacing before it can be relied on as a safety device.

Outdoor and garden electrical faults. Garden sockets, outbuilding supplies and outdoor lighting circuits exposed to the weather are more prone to faults than indoor wiring. Water ingress, cable damage from gardening activity and corrosion at connections are the most common causes.

Why Total Blackouts Happen

Most people assume a total loss of power is a simple blown fuse. When the whole property goes dark, it's usually one of three things: a faulty RCD doing exactly what it's designed to do and protecting you from a serious fire risk, degraded wiring where insulation has cracked over time (common in older properties across Surrey), or water ingress into an outdoor socket or light fitting tripping the whole board.

How Electrical Fault Finding Works

Fault finding is a systematic process of elimination, not guesswork. We begin with a visual inspection of the consumer unit and any accessible wiring, then use a multifunction tester to carry out insulation resistance, continuity and earth fault loop impedance tests to identify exactly where the fault lies. Once the cause is confirmed, we carry out the repair, retest to confirm the circuit is operating correctly, and issue documentation confirming the work. If a fault reveals a wider issue across multiple circuits, such as deteriorated wiring in an older property, we'll advise honestly on the extent of the problem and the options for remediation, rather than just patching the one symptom you called about.

Fault Patterns by Property Age

Horley and the surrounding area has a varied housing stock, and each era tends to bring its own characteristic faults. Victorian and Edwardian terraces around town centres often have deteriorated wiring or connections that have worked loose over decades. Post-war semis and 1970s and 80s estates frequently have undersized circuits struggling with modern appliance loads, and properties with older rewireable fuse boards are particularly prone to nuisance faults that a modern consumer unit would handle automatically. Newer developments toward Gatwick can experience faults from workmanship issues during construction, overloaded circuits from extensions, or modern appliances interacting poorly with the electrical supply.

Recent Fault Finding Work

The Horley "Ghost" Fault. A property in Horley lost power completely, and the RCD wouldn't reset no matter what was unplugged. After a full diagnostic process, we traced it to a legacy DIY wiring fix behind a wall that had finally failed, causing a dead short. We carried out a targeted partial rewire of the affected circuit, bypassing the old cabling and restoring power to the whole house.

The Banstead Blackout. A similar total loss of power in Banstead turned out to be a cascading failure caused by a series of degraded connections. Using diagnostic equipment, we traced the cause to an overheating junction box tucked away in a ceiling void. The feed was stripped back and rewired to modern safety standards.

What It Costs

Our standard hourly rate for fault finding is £75 per hour, with a minimum one-hour charge. Emergency daytime call-outs are £140, including the first hour of fault finding. Out-of-hours and weekend rates are £120 per hour. For most straightforward faults, diagnosis and repair are completed in a single visit.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why does my circuit keep tripping? A circuit breaker or RCD that keeps tripping usually indicates a fault on the circuit rather than a simple overload. Common causes include a damaged cable, a failing appliance drawing excess current, a loose connection or moisture ingress in an outdoor fitting. A qualified electrician can identify the exact cause using proper testing equipment.

How much does electrical fault finding cost? Our standard hourly rate is £75 per hour with a minimum one-hour charge. Emergency daytime call-outs are £140, including the first hour of fault finding. Out-of-hours and weekend rates are £120 per hour. Most straightforward faults are diagnosed and repaired in a single visit.

Is a burning smell from a socket dangerous? Yes. A burning smell near a socket or switch indicates a connection running above its rated temperature, which can result from a loose terminal, undersized cable or overloaded circuit. This requires prompt investigation and should not be ignored.

Can you fix electrical faults in older properties? Yes. We have experience diagnosing and repairing faults across all property types, from older wiring in Victorian and Edwardian terraces to modern developments. Older properties often need more systematic investigation due to deteriorated wiring, and we'll advise honestly on the extent of any wider issue found.

Do you cover emergency electrical faults? Yes. We respond to electrical faults and emergencies across Horley, Crawley, Reigate, Redhill, Banstead and the surrounding areas of Surrey and Sussex, including evenings and weekends, and aim to respond to all enquiries the same day.