Socket repair

A socket that sparks, gets warm, is coming out of the wall or has stopped working needs fixing straight away. The cause may be a loose wire, a burnt contact, a broken mechanism or a back box that no longer holds the socket. Repair starts with a diagnosis, because sometimes the fault is in the circuit rather than the socket itself.

The price is per socket. A new socket front, if needed, is charged separately as material.

What the repair covers

• switching off the circuit and testing it is dead;
• diagnosis of the wires, contacts, mechanism and back box;
• tightening or remaking the wire connections;
• resetting the socket in its box or replacing the box;
• replacing a burnt mechanism and testing afterwards.

When to stop using the socket

Scorch marks, a burning smell, a warm faceplate or sparks when a plug goes in mean switch off the circuit and stop using the socket until it is repaired. It is a fire risk. Wiring work is always done with the power off.

What to prepare

Describe what the socket is doing and since when, and add a photo. Say whether a breaker or the RCD trips. If the socket is behind furniture, move it before the visit.

Common questions