As a nation, we love to roll up our sleeves and get stuck in, but when it comes to electrical work, you could cause serious harm to you and your property. If you’re in any doubt, it’s best to give Mister Sparky a call.

Q: My hot water is broken. Who should I call first?

A: If it’s visibly leaking, shut off the water and call a plumber. If hot water isn’t coming out of the tap, you can try leaving it overnight before calling an electrician. We were once called to a house where the hot tap was only running cold water. It turned out a hot tap hadn’t been turned off properly, and the hot water cylinder was being emptied as fast as it was heating. You can check all the taps are off in your house and test the hot water again the next day before calling us.

Q: My lights are flickering, what should I do?

A: This might be a simple fix, or it could be an underlying symptom of a bigger problem.

• Is it a lamp plugged in at the wall? First, try turning off a few devices and see if that makes a difference. The circuit may be overloaded, in which case you should spread your appliances out, so they aren’t all plugged in at the same power point.
• Is the bulb in properly? It may be flickering just because it’s loose and doesn’t have a good connection. Switch the light off, make sure the bulb is sitting snugly in the socket and turn it on again. If it’s still flickering, try replacing the defective bulb.
• If the lights are still flickering it’s time to call an electrician. There may be a problem with the switch,the wiring in the lamp, or in your house. It’s easy enough for us to diagnose.

Q: Can you install heat pumps?

A: We’re not accredited heat pump installers, but we know trustworthy people who are. We work closely with installers, and often finish and sign off the electrical work on heat pump installs. We recommend the heat pump installers we work with, and if you want a heat pump installed to Mister Sparky’s high standards we can help. Just let us know.

Q: My appliance isn’t working. Can you help?

A: Two things first: Check the power point, and make sure it and the appliance are switched on. Try plugging a different appliance into the same socket and turning it on. If the second appliance works but the first doesn’t, the problem is with the appliance. If the appliance is new, check the warranty, and call the manufacturer. They’ll be able to advise you if the appliance can be fixed or if it needs to be replaced.

If both appliances don’t work at that power point, try plugging them into other sockets in your house. If your appliances work at other power points, give Mister Sparky a call. Our Master Electricians can find the fault, and fix your broken electrical socket.

Q: How many electricians does it take to change a lightbulb?

A: None. You don’t need an electrician to change a lightbulb, but we’re happy to help. If the bulb blows, switch the light off at the wall before screwing in the new lightbulb. Doesn’t work? Try a lightbulb from a different part of the house that you know works. If the bulb won’t turn on, or your lightbulbs are blowing with alarming regularity, call Mister Sparky. We can find and fix faulty wiring to help keep your lights on.

Q: What do I do if my stove’s not working?

A: It helps if you describe the problem to us before we arrive so we know what to bring. Does the element work, or not at all? If it never turns on, it might be the controller or it could possibly be the element itself that’s broken. Call Mister Sparky and we’ll come out and fix it.

If the element turns on but will only go on high, then the problem is definitely the controller. Knowing this information can help make sure we have the right parts before our electricians come out so we can fix your problem.

Q: My Insinkerator or garbage disposal unit isn’t working. What do I do?

A: Often the Insinkerator gets jammed and triggers an overload button which turns off the appliance. Unplug the appliance, clear the blockage, plug it back in and push the overload button on the bottom of the unit. If you’re unsure on how to do any of this, give Mister Sparky a call. If after unjamming it and resetting the overload button it still doesn’t work, check the warranty and call the manufacturer.

Q: The electrical sockets on the side of my oven aren’t working. Why?

A: Oven fuses aren’t made to handle high current. They’re fine if you want to run your electric jug or your toaster, but be wary about running more than one appliance at once. They’ll fry the fuse.

Mister Sparky can change your oven’s fuses, no worries. Just give us a call.

Q: Are there any electrical problems you can’t handle?

A: We like to think not. Whether your electrical needs are commercial, domestic, or industrial.