SAFETY TIPS

The advice given here will show you how to check a plug and give you some tips on what to do if a part of your electrical system is not working.

How to check a plug All modern appliances in the UK use the familiar square pin plug. These plugs are used for lights, hand held appliances such as hairdryers and vacuum cleaners, and larger appliances like dishwashers. The plug and the cable can suffer damage, particularly where they connect to portable appliances. Checking a plug and its cable does not require detailed electrical knowledge and these tips will help. Check the cable from end to end and ask the following questions: • Is the cable securely attached to the appliance? • Is the cable cut, nicked or damaged in any way? There should preferably be no joints in the cable and certainly no repairs with insulating tape. Check the plug: • Remove it from the socket-outlet and check the plug is not physically damaged. • Look for signs of overheating such as discolouration. • Check the plug conforms to British Standard BS 1363 - it should be stamped on the back of the plug. • Check the plug is securely attached to the cable. Some appliances are sold with a non-rewireable moulded plug. You will not be able to open this plug, but you can still check whether the plug is damaged and whether it has the correctly rated BS 1362 fuse. If the plug is damaged and you are not certain you can replace it, contact an NICEIC Approved Contractor. • Check the cable is connected according to the correct wiring code: Brown to live (L) Blue to neutral (N) Green-and-yellow to earth (E) • Check that the cord grip holds the cable securely and that both of the screws are tight. • Check that the screws holding the three conductors are tight. • Check that the fuse conforms to BS 1362 and is of the correct rating - refer to the manufacturer's instructions. The fuse should clip securely into its holder. It should not be loose and there should be no signs of overheating. • If you are in any doubt, call an NICEIC Approved Contractor. • Replace the cover and securely tighten the screw.

Is part of your electrical system not working? Have the ceiling lights gone out? Are some of the socket-outlets or appliances not working?

- Ceiling lights not working Try to establish if it is just a bulb that has blown or whether it is a problem with the circuit. If it is a blown bulb, simply replace it after switching the light off. If it is the circuit, the ceiling lights in one or more rooms will not be working - most houses have two lighting circuits, one for upstairs and one for downstairs. Once you have established that the circuit is at fault, check your fusebox (consumer unit). Open the cover and check whether one of the circuit-breakers has tripped. If it has, switch it back on and the lights should now work. Note that modern circuit-breakers are sensitive devices and a bulb blowing can result in the circuit-breaker for that circuit tripping. - Socket-outlets not working Establish that it is definitely the socket-outlet not working by plugging in a different appliance. Try other socket-outlets to establish if the problem is with one or, as will probably be the case, several socket-outlets. Once again, check the consumer unit. This time it will be necessary to check the circuit-breaker for the particular socket-outlet circuit and the residual current device (RCD) that will probably have been installed to provide additional protection for socket-outlet circuits. The circuit-breaker and/or the RCD may have tripped due to a faulty appliance being plugged into a socket-outlet. It will not be possible to reset either or both of the devices until the faulty item has been disconnected from the circuit. If you are unsure which appliance on the circuit is causing the problem, unplug all appliances, reset the circuit-breaker and/or RCD and then plug the appliances back in one by one until the faulty item which trips the circuit is found. If you cannot reset the circuit-breaker and/or RCD even with everything disconnected, call an NICEIC Approved Contractor. If a particular appliance such as the cooker or immersion heater is not working, check the consumer unit and, if a circuit-breaker has tripped - try resetting it. If this is not successful, call an NICEIC Approved Contractor.