When your power starts tripping, or going on and off without you flicking a switch, there are a few steps you can take before calling a trusted electrician. We urge you to exercise caution whilst doing the following steps.

1. Locate EXACTLY what is on the bad circuit.

Have a think about all the possible places you could have either light fittings (if it’s a dodgy light circuit) or appliances plugged in. This includes outside, under the floor or in the roof space – you’ll be surprised what gets forgotten about when a fault occurs!

2. Turn off or remove all the appliances from the wall sockets. If there are things like underfloor fans that can’t be disconnected by you, simply make a note of it.

3. Once everything has been isolated, try turning the bad circuit back on (at the switchboard).

4a. If the power stays on: this indicates one of your appliances is the issue. To isolate the appliance in question, you will need to turn them on, (recommended for about 10-15 seconds) individually to find the faulty appliance.

4b. If the power does NOT turn back on: After establishing that all appliances have been removed from the circuit, the only thing remaining is the wiring. In which case, this will need fault-finding equipment and experience to locate the dodgy part of the circuit.

When it comes to electrical faults, logic usually prevails.

Two big cause of electrical faults are water leaks or animals chewing wiring. If you think about the likelihood of where these two scenarios could occur, this can often lead to a quicker solution.

Following these steps can also assist your electrician get a better grasp on what is occuring when you chat on the phone.