Fast, methodical diagnosis and repair of electrical faults across Norwich, Wymondham, Attleborough and the wider South Norfolk area. Tripping fuse boards, flickering lights, dead sockets, warm plugs, burning smells: we find the cause, explain what is going on in plain English, and put it right to current standards.
A small number of electrical symptoms are genuinely dangerous and should never be investigated by anyone who is not a qualified electrician. If you have any of the following, stop using the circuit or appliance, turn off the relevant breaker at the consumer unit if it is safe to do so, and call us on 07769 201050:
A burning or fish-like smell from a socket, switch, plug or consumer unit
Visible scorch marks, melted plastic or discolouration on any accessory
A socket, plug or switch that is warm, hot or buzzing
Sparks or arcing from a socket, plug or switch
Smoke from any electrical accessory or the consumer unit
Repeated RCD tripping within seconds of the board being reset
An electric shock from any appliance, switch or socket
If the room smells of burning and you cannot identify the source, turn the main switch off at the consumer unit, leave the property, and call us from outside on 07769 201050. None of the above should ever be left until the weekend.
How we work
Electrical fault finding is a methodical diagnostic process, not guesswork. Every call-out follows the same sequence, whether it is a tripping consumer unit in Norwich, a flickering lighting circuit in Wymondham or a dead socket in Attleborough. At the end of the visit you receive a plain-English summary of what the fault was, what we did about it, and whether any follow-up work is recommended.
Where a repair is completed on the day, a Minor Electrical Installation Works Certificate is issued before we leave. Where follow-on work is recommended, such as a consumer unit upgrade or partial rewire, you receive a separate written quote. We never start work you have not agreed, and we never pretend a twenty-minute fix needs a three-hour visit.
What the symptom is, when it started, what changed just before, what has already been tried.
Physical damage, overheating signs, DIY alteration, water ingress, rodent damage.
Locking off the breaker with a proving unit, so nothing is accidentally re-energised mid-test.
A calibrated 500V test between live conductors and earth. The single most useful diagnostic.
Confirms every conductor is intact and correctly connected.
Measures trip current and trip time to confirm the RCD itself is healthy.
Isolate each appliance in turn to separate fixed-wiring faults from appliance faults.
For commercial jobs and recurring faults, to find hot spots at a glance.
Symptom 1
The single most common call-out we attend. Reset once, reset twice, call on the third trip.
A tripping RCD is a protective device doing its job: it has detected current flowing where it should not, and it has cut the power to prevent a shock, a fire or worse. The good news is that it caught the fault. The bad news is that there are several possible reasons, and finding the right one takes methodical testing.
A faulty appliance
Ovens, tumble dryers, dishwashers, washing machines, kettles, boilers and electric showers are the most frequent culprits. This is why a fuse box that keeps tripping with nothing plugged in is a different problem from one that only trips when the tumble dryer runs.
Water ingress
An outdoor socket filled with rainwater, a light fitting where water has tracked in, a garden office circuit with a compromised junction. Classic pattern: RCD trips in the morning, fine by lunchtime.
Damaged cable insulation
Older PVC cable embrittles with age, particularly where it has been overheated (a cooker cable close to a hob, downlight cables touching loft insulation). Insulation resistance testing shows this up cleanly.
A worn RCD
The RCD itself can be at the end of its useful life, particularly on boards from the late 1990s and early 2000s. We test trip current and trip time to confirm whether the RCD is faulty or correctly responding to a real fault elsewhere.
Shared-RCD circuit fault
Common on boards with a single RCD covering multiple circuits: a fault on any one circuit takes out the whole side of the board. Often resolved permanently with an RCBO-per-circuit consumer unit upgrade.
An oven, boiler, tumble dryer, cooker or washing machine that trips the RCD every time it is used is almost always the appliance itself, not the wiring. The quickest way to prove this on-site is to isolate the appliance, reset the board, and retest: if the board holds, the fault is in the appliance; if it trips again, the fault is elsewhere. We do this diagnostic on-site during the call-out and can advise whether the appliance is worth repairing or replacing, though appliance repair itself is outside our scope.
Symptom 2
Most people in Norwich and Norfolk still call the consumer unit a “fuse box”. This section is about what to do before you pick up the phone.
Resetting the board once is fine. Resetting a second time is usually also fine, provided nothing smells of burning and nothing is visibly damaged. Resetting a third time without understanding why it tripped in the first two attempts is a bad idea, because the fault is either persistent or intermittent, and repeatedly re-energising it carries risk.
If the board has tripped three times in a row, stop resetting and call us on 07769 201050. We will walk you through the basic diagnostics on the phone: is anything plugged in, does the trip happen instantly or after a delay, which breaker is the one that has tripped. In many cases we can book a same-day visit.
If the breaker will not reset at all, that is also a signal to stop. A breaker that will not reset usually means the fault is still present on the circuit, and forcing the lever with a screwdriver or similar is an injury risk. Leave it alone and call.
One of the most searched questions on the subject, and it deserves a direct answer. If the board trips with nothing obviously drawing power, the fault is either in the fixed wiring (damaged cable, water ingress, a failed accessory, a loose connection), in the consumer unit itself (a failed RCD, a failed RCBO, an internal fault on the busbar), or in an appliance permanently hard-wired into the circuit (a boiler, an immersion heater, an outdoor lighting circuit, an extractor fan). A standard fault-finding visit identifies the cause within the first hour in most domestic cases.
Symptom 3
Some flickering is harmless. Some is a warning sign of a loose connection that could, over time, lead to a fire. Here is how to tell the difference.
Flickering lights are one of the most commonly searched electrical symptoms in the UK, and the cause varies widely. We find three patterns on Norfolk call-outs.
Dimmer incompatibility with LED lamps (usually harmless)
A dimmer sold for incandescent or halogen bulbs will often flicker noticeably when used with LED replacements. The symptom is consistent, predictable, and is a compatibility issue rather than a fault. Fix: a compatible LED-rated dimmer, or a different LED lamp specification.
A loose connection (a genuine safety issue)
Typically at a switch, light fitting, junction box or the consumer unit. Classic pattern: flickering affecting only some lights, or a single light that flickers intermittently and more so when another appliance on the same circuit is switched on. The heat at a loose joint can damage insulation over time, so if multiple lights are flickering, or a single light is flickering increasingly often, it should be investigated promptly.
An issue with the incoming supply
If every light in the house flickers simultaneously, particularly in a pattern that corresponds to a neighbour's heat pump, a nearby industrial site or a car charger on the street, the fault may be with the incoming supply from UK Power Networks rather than the house wiring. We can rule this in or out during the visit and give you the right contact at UK Power Networks to raise it with.
LED-specific flickering in recessed downlights and strip lighting is frequently driver-related rather than a wiring issue. We check the lamp type, driver type and dimmer compatibility before looking deeper.
Pricing
Fault-finding is priced differently from other electrical work because the scope is unknown at the start. We use a fixed call-out fee that covers the first hour on site, with an honest hourly rate after that. Nothing is added to the bill that you have not been warned about first.
| Visit type | What is included | Price range |
|---|---|---|
| Standard call-out (weekdays) | First hour on site: travel, diagnosis, simple repair, Minor Works certificate where applicable | From £TBC |
| Additional time | Hourly rate after the first hour, billed in 30-minute increments | £TBC/hour |
| Out-of-hours call-out | Evenings and weekends, as above with an out-of-hours uplift | From £TBC |
| Commercial call-out | Shops, offices, salons, cafes, workshops. Typically higher than domestic for equivalent scope. | Quoted individually |
| Follow-up repair work | New accessories, cable runs, consumer unit work that needs a separate visit | Quoted after diagnosis |
We will not quote an all-in “fault finding price” on the phone because the scope is genuinely unknown until we arrive. What we will do is tell you the call-out fee, what it includes, and an honest estimate of likely scope based on your description. Most domestic faults are resolved inside the first visit. Where they are not, the reason is usually that the fault has turned into a bigger job (an old consumer unit that should be replaced, a circuit that should be rewired) and the next step is a written quote for that work. There is no incentive on our side to stretch a diagnostic visit into something longer.
Call Scott on 07769 201050 for a written call-out quote before we leave.
Response times
Most enquiries from Norwich, Wymondham, Attleborough and the surrounding villages can be attended on the same working day. If we cannot get to you today, we will tell you on the first call.
Standard response
Most fault-finding enquiries from Norwich, Wymondham, Attleborough and the surrounding villages can be attended on the same working day, depending on where the team is already committed that morning. If same-day is not possible we will tell you on the first phone call rather than leave you waiting, and we will book the next available slot.
Best way to reach us: phone on 07769 201050. The line goes direct to Scott.
Emergency response
For genuinely urgent cases (no power to the property, a landlord responding to a tenant without heat, a commercial premises with refrigeration or trading at risk, or any of the safety symptoms above) we prioritise the call-out. Scott covers out-of-hours calls personally: there is no answer service or call handler between you and the person who will turn up to the job.
After hours: leave a clear voicemail or send a WhatsApp to 07769 201050. Urgent messages are returned personally.
Our process
Six steps from phone call to resolution, with a clear path if the fault turns out to be a bigger job.
Call 07769 201050 and tell us what is happening: what the symptom is, when it started, what has been tried. We give you an honest indication of urgency, a likely attendance window, and the call-out fee.
We arrive at the agreed time, introduce ourselves, and start with the conversation and visual inspection described above. Any short power-off windows are agreed in advance so nothing critical is disrupted.
Where testing requires the supply off, we isolate safely using a proving unit, lock off the breaker, and carry out the relevant tests. This is where the fault is identified in almost every case.
Most domestic faults are repaired on the same visit: replacing a faulty accessory, tightening a loose connection, replacing a damaged cable section, replacing a failed MCB, RCBO or RCD. Any parts supplied are itemised on the invoice.
Where we carry out notifiable work, a Minor Electrical Installation Works Certificate is issued on the day. Where the fault was diagnosed but needs a separate visit to fully repair, you receive a written summary of findings and a separate written quote.
If the diagnosis uncovers a bigger issue, such as a consumer unit at the end of its useful life, or circuits that should be rewired, we explain the options, provide a written quote, and let you decide in your own time. No pressure to commit on the day.
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FAQs
The questions we are asked most often on the phone when someone calls about a tripping board, a flickering light or a dead socket.
An RCD trips when it detects current leaking to earth. The cause is usually one of a handful of things: a faulty appliance, water ingress, damaged cable insulation, a loose connection, or an RCD that has worn out. On a board where one RCD covers several circuits, a fault on any one of them trips the whole side. Finding which it is takes methodical testing — insulation resistance, appliance isolation and RCD trip-time tests — which is exactly what a fault-finding visit does.
If the board trips with nothing obviously drawing power, the fault is in the fixed wiring (damaged cable, water ingress, a failed accessory or a loose connection), in the consumer unit itself (a failed RCD or RCBO), or in an appliance that is permanently hard-wired in, such as a boiler, immersion heater, extractor or outdoor lighting circuit. A standard fault-finding visit identifies the cause within the first hour in most domestic cases.
We charge a fixed call-out fee that covers the first hour on site — travel, diagnosis, and a simple repair where possible — with an honest hourly rate after that, billed in 30-minute increments. We tell you the fee and what it includes before we leave, and most domestic faults are resolved inside the first visit. Where a fault turns into a larger job, the next step is a separate written quote rather than an open-ended bill.
Often, yes. Most fault-finding enquiries from Norwich, Wymondham, Attleborough and the surrounding villages can be attended on the same working day, depending on where the team is already committed that morning. If we cannot get to you today we will tell you on the first phone call rather than leave you waiting, and book the next available slot. For genuinely urgent cases we prioritise the call-out.
Sometimes. Flickering caused by LED-dimmer incompatibility is harmless and easily fixed. Flickering caused by a loose connection is a genuine safety issue, because the heat at a loose joint can damage insulation over time. As a rule, if multiple lights flicker, or a single light flickers increasingly often, it should be investigated promptly. If every light in the house flickers at once the cause may be the incoming supply rather than your wiring, which we can confirm during the visit.
Treat it as urgent. Stop using the circuit, turn off the relevant breaker at the consumer unit if it is safe to do so, and call us on 07769 201050. If the room smells of burning and you cannot identify the source, turn off the main switch, leave the property, and call us from outside. A burning or fish-like smell, scorch marks or melted plastic should never be left until the weekend.
Almost always the appliance. A specific appliance that trips the board every time it runs points to a fault inside that appliance rather than the fixed wiring. We prove it on-site by isolating the appliance, resetting the board and retesting: if the board holds, the fault is in the appliance; if it trips again, it is elsewhere. We can advise whether the appliance is worth repairing or replacing, though appliance repair itself is outside our scope.
Yes, where the work is notifiable. A Minor Electrical Installation Works Certificate is issued on the day for repairs we complete. Where a fault is diagnosed but needs a separate visit to fully repair, you receive a written summary of findings and a separate written quote instead.
Yes. We carry out fault finding and repairs for shops, offices, salons, cafes, workshops and other commercial premises across Norwich and South Norfolk, and can schedule around trading hours where needed. Commercial call-outs are quoted individually, and for recurring faults we can bring thermal imaging to locate hot spots quickly.
Honesty first: sometimes a fault-finding visit uncovers a larger issue, such as a consumer unit at the end of its useful life or a circuit that has failed insulation resistance and should be rewired. In that case we complete the diagnosis, make the installation safe on the day where possible, and provide a separate written quote for the follow-on work. You are never obliged to have the follow-on work done by us, but most customers do because the diagnostic knowledge sits with the same electrician. A consumer unit that needs replacing leads to our consumer unit upgrades service; a circuit that needs rewiring leads to our house rewires service.
Service area
We carry out electrical fault finding and repairs throughout Norwich, Wymondham, Attleborough, Hethersett, Thetford, Dereham and the surrounding villages including Cringleford, Costessey, Long Stratton, Mulbarton, Diss and Watton. If you are unsure whether we cover your postcode, call 07769 201050 and we will confirm straight away.
For fast, honest electrical fault finding and repairs anywhere in Norwich, Wymondham, Attleborough and the wider South Norfolk area, call Hethersett Electrical. Same-day response where possible. Standard call-out fee agreed upfront before we leave.
Call us on 07769 201050 Request a free quote
