A bang, a dark circuit and sometimes a smell: if you suspect a short circuit, you quickly know what is safe and what requires a professional.
Briefly describe what is happening. Call for an urgent callout or leave your number and we will call you back as soon as possible.
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A short circuit often makes itself heard or smelt: a brief bang, a device that cuts out and a circuit breaker that trips immediately. Behind that moment lies an electrical problem that you must take seriously.
Below we explain exactly what a short circuit is, which causes occur most often and why you should not keep fixing the fault yourself but have a professional inspect the circuit.
In a short circuit, two conductors that normally remain separated make unwanted contact, for example the live and the neutral. As a result, a very high current flows through the circuit in a fraction of a second.
The circuit breaker is made precisely for this: it interrupts the circuit almost immediately to prevent overheating and fire. If a breaker trips the moment you switch on an appliance, a short circuit is a likely explanation.
The most common cause is a faulty appliance: a charger, a kitchen appliance or a lamp with something burnt out inside. A damaged cable, a crushed or pinched conduit, or an incorrectly connected socket can also cause the fault.
Moisture also plays a role. Water that penetrates a socket, a junction box or an outdoor connection can create a link between conductors and so trigger a short circuit. Moisture problems almost always require an on site inspection.
Continually resetting a circuit breaker blindly solves nothing and keeps the risk in place. If the breaker trips again immediately, the fault is still present in the circuit, and repeated switching on can cause further damage to the wiring.
A professional tests the circuit, traces the fault and assesses whether it concerns an appliance, a connection or the wiring. In case of sparks, a burning smell, soot marks or visible damage, do not touch anything and call immediately for an urgent intervention.
The circuit breaker trips the moment you switch on an appliance.
An audible noise when switching on points to a sudden high current.
A sharp smell or black marks near a socket call for immediate action.
Water at a socket or junction box can be the cause of the fault.
Do you smell burning, see sparks or does a breaker keep tripping? Call us for an urgent callout. We test the circuit and trace the fault safely.
