HomeWiring safety check
Does your wiring need a look?
Ten quick questions about the signs electricians look for. You'll get a plain answer and what to do next. It takes about two minutes.
A guide, not an inspection. Only a qualified electrician testing your installation can tell you it's safe. If you can smell burning or see scorch marks, get emergency help.
What we look for, and why.
Cable
Rubber and fabric insulation
Used until the 1960s. It goes brittle and crumbles, leaving live conductors exposed inside walls and floors.
Protection
No RCD
An RCD cuts the power in a fraction of a second if current leaks to earth, through a person for example. Many older boards don't have one.
Heat
Scorching and buzzing
Brown marks, warm faceplates and buzzing mean a loose or overloaded connection is getting hot. That one shouldn't wait.