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[Top]Back to topWhere does my electricity come from –

According to my 6 year old daughter it comes from the plug…simple…wouldn’t it be great if life was that basic?  Although she was right, it does have to get there, so how does it happen?  

 

Electricity is the flow of electrical power or charge. It is a secondary energy source.  This means that we get it from the converting other sources of energy, like coal, natural gas, oil, nuclear power and other natural sources, which are called primary sources.  The energy sources we use to make electricity can be renewable or non-renewable.   

 

Electricity is a basic part of nature and it is one of our most widely used forms of energy.  In years gone by, cities and towns were built alongside rivers and waterfalls.  The water is the primary source which then turns water wheels to perform the energy, this is then the secondary source.   Before electricity, houses were lit with kerosene lamps and rooms were warmed by wood or coal burning stoves.

 

Electricity is a controllable and convenient form of energy used in the applications of heat, light and power. 


[Top]Back to topElectrical Safety Tips….read more –

• Don't remove a plug from a power point by pulling on the cord; pull the plug instead.
• Use socket covers on sockets accessible to young children.
• Never plug adaptors into adaptors and avoid using adaptors filled with plugs where possible.
• Switch off electrical items that are not in regular use at the plug and ensure that when we are away from the house for any length of time that you unplug and switch off electrical items as items left plugged in can be a fire risk and waste energy if left on standby.
• Do not use any electrical items in the bathroom unless specifically designed for use there, eg. Shavers and electric toothbrushes. Even with these items however, take care not to get wet and avoid plugging and unplugging with wet hands.
• Do not use items with damaged cords so that the wires are exposed. Either repair or replace. Check items regularly.
• Do not use damaged sockets, replace with care when necessary.
• Always turn the electrics off at the mains if carrying out any electrical repairs and only attempt repairs if you know what you are doing.
• Ensure any electrical items are approved standard when purchasing and keep them correctly maintained where necessary. Look for the BEAB seal of approval.
• Do not use electrical equipment outside if it's raining.
• Use the correct wattage light bulb for all light fittings.
• Circuit breakers and fuses should be the correct size current rating for their circuit.


 
 

[Top]Back to topFixing Electrical Problems – Power Shortage

You can lose power to your home for several reasons from a planned interruption from your supplier through to a switch tripping or a fault with your wiring or an electrical appliance.

 

If you lose power but you are not aware of a planned interruption and your neighbours / the rest of the street still seem to have power then you may well have tripped the system. You will usually not lose power throughout the whole house if this happens, it will usually be only one circuit which has gone; check whether perhaps the lights still work if an electrical item has gone out or vice versa.

 

You will need to locate your trip switch and fuse box, this will usually be close to your electricity meter - you should always make yourself aware of its location when you move into a new property.

 

On the box, each of the switches will relate to a certain section of the electrics, for example there will be one for the lights, one for the sockets in each area of the house etc. If one of the switches is flicked off (the opposite direction to the others), you will need to flick it back up to restore the power supply to this area.  After restoring the power, you should plug electrical items back in one by one so you can find out where the fault appliance is if there is one.  If when you plug something back in, the switch trips again, then you will know that particular item is faulty. 

 

As with handling any electrical equipment, do not attempt to fix something if you are not confident of how it works of exactly what action you need to take.


[Top]Back to topChanging a Fuse in a Plug -

If an electrical appliance stops working then the first thing you can check is whether the fuse has blown in the plug.

 

Unplug the item and carefully unscrew the back of the plug using a screwdriver.  You will see three different coloured wires coming into the plug and the fuse. You simply need to unscrew the screw holding in the fuse, take it out and replace it with a new one.  Ensure you replace it with the same type of fuse that was there, e.g, replace a 3A with a 3A.

 

Screw the fuse back in, ensuring the wires are all secured in the correct position and screw the back onto the plug.   If it was the fuse that has blown then when you plug the appliance in, it should now work.

 

However, if there is still a problem, then there may be a more serious problem and you may need to contact a professional. Here link to the bottom section on Contacting a Professional

 

Remember….

 

The live wire is Brown

The Neutral wire is Blue

The Earth wire is Green and Yellow stripes

 

In a plug the fuse is there for protection. It contains a piece of wire that melts easily. If the current though a fuse is too large then the wire will melt and break the circuit. Fuses come in standard ratings, 3A, 5A and 13A and the fuse used should be a higher current than needed for the appliance. So a 10A device would have a 13A fuse.

 

Information sourced from www.electricity-guide.org.uk 

[Top]Back to topIf problems can’t be solved – contact the professionals –

Please don’t forget that electricity is very dangerous and if you have tried one or two basic tests and your problem cannot be solved, you may need to contact a professional.  Professionals have the necessary knowledge, skill and experience to enable them to avoid dangers to themselves and others that electricity can create. Decision2Day strongly recommends that you use an electrician registered with one of the government approved schemes to carry out any electrical installation work may require.  Simply use our tradesman search to find a qualified electrician in your area.  Use a link here to home page.