Electrical emergency FAQ: what to do first.

Emergency questions & answers

Electrical emergency FAQ

I can smell burning from a socket, switch or the fuse board — what should I do?

Turn the circuit off at the consumer unit straight away if it is safe to reach. Do not use the socket or switch. Unplug anything connected to it. If the smell is coming from the fuse board, turn off the main switch. Call a qualified electrician. If you see smoke or flames, get everyone out and call 999 — do not try to put it out yourself unless it is safe.

There is a strange fishy or urine-like smell in the house — could it be electrical?

Yes. A fishy or ammonia-like smell is often overheating plastic, socket outlets, switches or cabling. It can happen before any visible damage appears. Turn off the affected circuit at the consumer unit if you know which one it is, or turn off the main switch if you are unsure. Do not ignore it — overheating can lead to fire. Call an electrician to investigate.

A single MCB has tripped — what does that mean and what should I do?

An MCB is a Miniature Circuit Breaker. It protects one circuit — for example your sockets or lights — from overload or a short circuit. Unplug everything on that circuit, then flip the MCB back to ON. Plug items back in one at a time. If it trips again as you plug a specific item in, that appliance is probably faulty. If it trips with nothing plugged in, the circuit itself needs testing.

The RCD has tripped and will not reset — what should I check?

An RCD is a Residual Current Device. It protects against electric shock by detecting leakage current, often from water, damaged cables or a faulty appliance. Turn off all the individual circuit breakers, reset the RCD, then turn each circuit back on one by one. If one circuit makes it trip, that circuit has the fault. If it trips immediately with all circuits off, the RCD itself or the wiring may be faulty. Do not bypass it — call an electrician.

An RCBO has tripped — is that different from an RCD?

An RCBO is a Residual Current Circuit Breaker with Overcurrent protection. It does both jobs in one device: it protects against electric shock like an RCD, and against overload and short circuit like an MCB. If one has tripped, treat it like a combined MCB and RCD fault. Unplug everything on that circuit, reset it, and reconnect items one by one. If it will not stay reset, the circuit or an appliance needs testing.

The AFDD has tripped — what is it telling me?

An AFDD is an Arc Fault Detection Device. It is an MCB, RCBO and arc-fault detector in one. It trips when it detects dangerous arcing inside cables, terminals or appliances — arcing can reach around 6,000 °C and is a common cause of electrical fires. If the AFDD will not reset, unplug everything on that circuit and try again. Persistent tripping means an electrician needs to find the source of the arcing.

My lights have gone out but the rest of the house has power — what is the cause?

This usually means the lighting circuit breaker or RCBO has tripped, or a bulb has blown and taken a fuse with it. Check the consumer unit first. If the lighting breaker has tripped, try resetting it once. If it trips again, there may be a fault in a light fitting, switch or cable. Do not keep resetting it repeatedly — that can make the fault worse.

All the power in my house has gone off — is it just my property?

Check whether your neighbours have power and whether your consumer unit has tripped. If the street is off, it is a UK Power Networks issue — call 105 free from any phone or check ukpowernetworks.co.uk. If only your home is off and resetting the main switch does not work, call an electrician. If you have a prepayment meter, check that it has credit first.

There is water near a socket, light or the fuse board — what should I do?

Water and electricity are a dangerous mix. Do not touch the wet area or any switches while standing in water. Turn off the main switch at the consumer unit if you can reach it safely without standing in water. Do not use the affected circuit until it has been inspected and dried out by a qualified electrician.

I saw a spark from a socket — is it serious?

A small blue spark when plugging something in can be normal static discharge. A large spark, crackling noise, scorch marks or a spark with no plug being inserted is not normal. Turn the circuit off at the consumer unit, stop using the socket, and have it checked. Scorch marks mean the terminals are overheating and could lead to fire.

Someone has had an electric shock — what do I do?

If the person is still in contact with the electrical source, do not touch them — switch the power off at the main consumer unit first. Call 999 if they are unconscious, having difficulty breathing, have burns, or you are unsure how serious it is. Even a minor shock should be reported to a doctor because of the risk of heart rhythm problems.

My electric shower keeps tripping — what is likely wrong?

Electric showers pull a lot of power. If the shower circuit breaker or RCD/RCBO trips, it could be a faulty shower unit, a damaged cable, loose connections in the pull cord or shower switch, or the breaker itself being worn. Showers should only be repaired or replaced by a qualified electrician — do not open the unit yourself.

When should I call 105 instead of an electrician?

Call 105 for power cuts, damaged overhead lines, fallen electricity cables, or problems with the main supply into your property. Call an electrician like Paul for faults inside your home: tripping circuits, burning smells, faulty sockets, consumer unit problems and anything after the main fuse.