An electrical emergency in the home can be extremely dangerous, so it’s important to act fast.
In the same way that faulty gas appliances can be incredibly unsafe, problems with electrical appliances can lead to significant damage to property and even danger to life. Incidents can range from severe electrical shocks to large scale electrical fires.
Before it gets to that point, it’s important to be aware of the problems which can cause these dangerous situations to occur and get the experts in to fix your electrical emergency as soon as possible.
Signs of electrical emergencies can include the following:
- Buzzing or humming from the fuse box or appliances
- Burn marks or smoke coming from sockets
- Burning smells coming from anything electrical
- Sudden power outage confined to your property
If you notice any of these signs, it’s important to switch off your electricity supply and contact an emergency electrician straight away. Depending on your circumstances, a regional power cut can also be considered to be an emergency – for example, where electrical devices are used to preserve life.
What to do in an electrical emergency
Once you are aware that there is a problem with your electrical appliances or supply, ensure you keep anyone in the household away from the problem. Do not touch any electrical appliances and ensure that young children and pets are properly supervised. It may even be necessary to leave the premises, depending on the severity of the electrical issue.
In the first event of an electrical emergency, stay calm and shut off the power at your main breaker if you can. This is located in your fuse box and should prevent any further damage from occurring while you wait for the emergency electrician to arrive. Always ensure that everyone in your household is aware of where the fuse box is located.
In case of an electricity fire, which can’t be controlled by a suitable fire extinguisher, it is always better to evacuate the building, call the emergency services and wait for help. An electrical fire can be caused either by a faulty appliance, overloaded circuits, frayed wiring, or problems with the electrical system itself.
Never attempt to put out an electrical fire using anything other than a suitable extinguisher and call 999. Once the fire has been properly put out, an emergency electrician can then attend to check your wiring and make any necessary repairs.
24-hour electrical emergency assistance
When there’s an electrical emergency in your home or property, then help is often at the end of a phone, no matter what time of day or year it is.
Our 24-hour, 365-day a year emergency electrician callout service is available across West Sussex, in areas such as Worthing, Chichester, Littlehampton, Bognor Regis and as further afield as Horsham, Pulborough and Billingshurst.
Our team of expert electricians are regularly spotted all over the county and can be there quickly for those instances which crop up when you’re least expecting them.
- If you find yourself faced with an electrical emergency, don’t panic. Please dial 01903 237522 and press option 2 for electrical assistance.