Residential / General electrical
Fault finding & repairs
Get to the cause of an electrical problem. We investigate tripping circuits, failed outlets and lighting faults, then explain the repair needed.
Local electricians · Clear advice · Ongoing support
Symptoms worth calling about
- A breaker or safety switch that trips repeatedly, or that will not reset at all.
- Lights that flicker, dim when an appliance starts, or vary in brightness across the house.
- A circuit that has gone completely dead while the rest of the house is fine.
- Switches, outlets or the switchboard itself feeling warm, or showing scorch marks or discolouration.
- A buzzing, crackling or humming sound from a switch, fitting or the board.
- A burning or fishy plastic smell near an outlet or the switchboard.
- Mild tingles from taps, appliances or the shower. Treat this as urgent.
Stop and call. Burning smells, scorch marks, buzzing from the switchboard or any tingle from a tap or appliance are not things to monitor. Turn the circuit off at the board if you can do so safely, and call us on 0485 021 253.
How we diagnose it
- Talk through the symptomWhen it happens, what is running at the time, and whether anything changed recently. This narrows the search more than any instrument does.
- Isolate the circuitWe work out which circuit is involved and split it down, disconnecting sections until the fault either disappears or follows us.
- Test properlyInsulation resistance, earth continuity, polarity and loop impedance testing tells us whether we are looking at a cable fault, an appliance, a connection or a device.
- Fix and verifyWe repair the cause, then retest to confirm the circuit is sound rather than just quiet at that moment.
What usually turns out to be wrong
Most faults come down to a handful of causes. Loose terminations, which heat up and eventually arc. Water ingress into outdoor outlets, fittings or a roof-space junction, which is common after storm season on the coast. Failed appliances leaking to earth and tripping the RCD. Rodent damage to cabling in the roof. And ageing accessories where the contacts have simply worn out.
If the board itself is the problem, or it has no RCD protection to begin with, we will talk to you about a switchboard upgrade rather than patching a board that is at the end of its life. If your safety switch is the thing tripping, that is usually a real fault, not a faulty switch.
Good to know
Your questions, answered.
How do I work out which appliance is tripping the safety switch?
Unplug everything on that circuit, reset the switch, then plug items back in one at a time. If it trips with nothing plugged in, the fault is in the wiring and you need us.
Can you find a fault without cutting into walls?
Usually. Splitting circuits at accessible points, plus insulation testing, locates most faults without opening anything up. Occasionally access is unavoidable and we will discuss it before we start.
How long does fault finding take?
Many faults are found within the first hour. Intermittent ones, which only appear in the rain or when a particular appliance runs, take longer because they have to be reproduced.
Is it worth repairing or should I rewire?
If we are finding repeated faults on the same ageing circuits, rewiring that section is usually better value than a run of individual repairs. See rewires and renovations.
Let’s talk about your project.
Tell us your suburb, priorities and the work you have in mind. We’ll help you take the next step.