St denys avenue

You may have heard these terms used before and wondered in amazement about the glamorous lifestyle of a qualified electrician in Sleaford! But what actually is electrical earthing and bonding?

Before we start, the first thing to mention is the huge importance of the electrical and bonding arrangements. They are a highly essential safety element in your home. If you are having any additions or alterations made to an electrical installation, they are one of the things that your electrician must check, as the safety of the work carried out depends on them.

Earthing is essentially used to protect you from an electric shock. If there is a fault with an electrical installation or appliance, it could become live. If you then touch a live metal part (for example the metal case on a washing machine, cooker or fridge/freezer), you could get a nasty shock. This is because the electricity is using your body as a path from the live part to the earth part.

This is a question we get asked a lot in and around Sleaford. It’s completely understandable that clients might question this when their fusebox has been quietly working away in the background, not causing them any issues for years.

However, just because something has been working, it doesn’t mean it’s safe. What was considered the best twenty years ago may now be obsolete and in a few cases actually unsafe. Take the use of asbestos for instance.

Replacing your fusebox will improve the standard of safety in your home, and therefore protect you and your family.

In 2008 the electrical wiring standards and regulations changed meaning all circuits required a Residual Circuit Device (RCD) protection by law. AN RCD is a life saving device which is designed to prevent you from getting a fatal electric shock if you touch something live. Having a modern consumer unit (fusebox) fitted with RCDs gives you the best protection because they usually cover all the wiring, sockets and appliances in your home.

As we approach the time where the evenings are drawing in, many of us start to pay more attention to the lighting in our homes.

Downlights are a popular and attractive way to brighten up your home. However, poorly installed downlights are also the cause of a substantial number of fires in homes every year.

Also known as “recessed luminaries”, "spotlights" or Recessed Lighting" they are essentially light fixtures installed in hollow openings, usually ceilings. By installing them into these recesses, the light looks as if it is part of the ceiling instead of hanging down as a separate entity.

When a hole is cut into a ceiling to mount a recessed downlight, a potential fire hazard is created. This is why it is recommended that you always use a registered electrician to install any downlights.

So, can you get different types of downlights?

Yes you can.

Downlights operate at mains voltage (230 Volts) or are powered by a transformer at extra-low voltage (12 Volts).

Extra-low voltage (ELV) downlights are often described as "low voltage" or “safety extra low voltage” (SELV).

More than half of all accidental house fires start in the kitchen. Last year, nearly 5,500 electrical fires were reported in British domestic kitchens – that’s 15 every single day.

Even more worrying is the fact that over 70 casualties and fatalities per month were reported as a result. Most of these were due to people misusing electrical appliances, so it’s important that you take extra special care when using them.

Here are our top 14 tips to ensure you keep safe in the kitchen:

If so, are you aware of the recent legislation that came into effect in June 2020?

It states that all rental properties need to have the electrical installations in their properties checked at least every 5 years.

There are currently over 4 million households in the private rented sector so this is an important step in improving electrical safety.

These periodic inspections will highlight any problems or defects that need to be fixed in order to make the installation safe.  They will need to be carried out by a qualified electrician.

Checks will include identifying any potential fire risks and hazards including overloaded circuits or equipment, and finding any defective electrical work.

The electrician will then issue an Electrical Installation Condition Report (EICR) that includes details of the inspection and any recommendations for action.

It is a Landlord’s responsibility to ensure the following: 

Power cuts can occur for a variety of reasons such as a storm or a cut power line. Not only do they cause us inconvenience, they can also be highly dangerous. Here are a few tips to keep you safe:

• Check if your neighbours still have power. If their power has gone too, it could be a sign that there has been a local power cut. If this is the case, contact your network distributor. If your neighbours do have power but you still don’t, it’s likely there is a problem with the fuses or trip switches in your home.
• Check your trip switch and fuses - Your trip switch should be on or near your fuse box/consumer unit. If the trip switch is off, try switching it back on. If it switches off again, this could indicate that one of your appliances may be faulty, so unplug all appliances and reset the trip switch. The best thing to do in this situation is to call an approved electrician. They will be able to inspect your system and repair any faults straight away, giving you peace of mind.

The importance of your Fusebox

Unfortunately this scenario crops up quite often when I go out to visit clients.

I hear often that electricians turn up hours after they had arranged, or in some cases not at all. This understandably leads to much frustration on the customers part and a general distrust of electricians in general.

I have to say that this kind of 'problem' is very common within the trade. Marshall Sadler Ltd however pride ourselves on a professional service and we understand that time is very valuable.

We offer full flexibility with our appointments – there is no need for you to take time off work and wait in for us.