When the power keeps tripping or part of the house goes dead, here's what you can safely check first, and Benoni electricians who list emergency call-outs.
Check first (safely)
- Is it load-shedding or a municipal outage? Check whether neighbours have power.
- Look at your distribution board. Is the main switch, the earth leakage unit or a single breaker down?
- If the earth leakage trips straight away, switch all individual breakers off, reset the earth leakage, then switch the breakers on one at a time. The one that trips it points to the faulty circuit.
- Unplug appliances on that circuit. A faulty kettle, geyser element or outdoor light is a common cause.
Call an electrician straight away if
- you smell burning or see scorch marks at a plug or the DB board
- a breaker won't reset
- water has got into plugs, lights or the DB board
- you get a shock from an appliance, tap or metal surface
Never work inside the distribution board yourself.
Questions to ask
- What's the call-out fee after hours?
- Are you a registered electrician?
- Will you issue a CoC if work on the installation is needed?
Frequently asked questions
My whole street has no power. Do I need an electrician?
Probably not. If neighbours are also off, it's a supply fault or a scheduled outage, so report it to the municipality or check for outage notices. Call an electrician when only your house (or part of it) is off.
Why does my earth leakage keep tripping?
Usually a faulty appliance, water in an outside plug or light, or damaged wiring. Unplug appliances and test circuit by circuit. See earth leakage keeps tripping.
How much does an after-hours call-out cost?
After-hours, weekend and public-holiday call-outs cost more than normal hours. Ask for the call-out fee and the hourly rate on the phone. See electrician prices in Benoni.
Is a burning smell from the DB board an emergency?
Yes. Switch off at the main switch if it's safe to do so, keep people away, and call an electrician immediately. If there's smoke or fire, call the fire department.