Fire risk from overheating
Loose or damaged connections generate heat every time current flows through them, and that heat builds over repeated use.
Electrical fault findingin Locks Heath &Southampton
A tripping circuit or dead socket rarely fixes itself, and guessing at the cause wastes time and money. We use proper test equipment to trace the fault to its exact source, explain what we find in plain terms, and put it right the same visit wherever possible.
Rated 5.0 on Google · 12+ years in the trade · NAPIT registered
NAPIT registered
Work carried out and certified to current standards
5.0 on Google
Rated by local customers
£5m public liability
Plus £10m employer's liability cover
12+ years in the trade
Founded 2021 by Andrew Hardiman, Director
Overview
What electrical fault finding involves
Fault finding is the systematic process of tracing an electrical problem back to its actual cause, rather than replacing parts on a guess. It covers everything from a single socket that has stopped working to a consumer unit that trips repeatedly, lights that flicker under load, or a burning smell from an accessory. The symptom you notice is often some distance from the real fault, which is why testing rather than assumption is essential.
This service suits homeowners and businesses across Locks Heath, Warsash, Southampton, Fareham and the surrounding towns who have an intermittent or persistent electrical problem that hasn't resolved itself and shouldn't be left. It's also relevant when a socket or switch feels warm, when an RCD won't reset, or when an older installation starts showing its age. Some faults are a nuisance; others are a genuine fire or shock risk, so the two need to be told apart quickly.
A professional matters here because faults on a live electrical system can be dangerous to investigate without the right isolation procedure and test equipment, and because a wrong diagnosis means paying twice: once for the guess and again for the actual fix. Proper fault finding uses insulation resistance testing, continuity testing and polarity checks to pin down the cause with evidence, not assumption, and any work carried out is certified appropriately for the type of job.
Tripping breakers or RCDs
Repeated trips point to an overload, a wiring fault or a failing device somewhere on that circuit.
Dead or intermittent circuits
Sockets, lights or whole circuits that stop working, sometimes only in certain conditions.
Warm accessories or burning smells
A sign of a loose connection or overheating that should be checked without delay.
Flickering or dimming lights
Can indicate a loose neutral, a failing connection or a circuit under strain.
What happens if it is left
Why unresolved faults are worth taking seriously
Electrical faults tend to get worse, not better, if they're left. A connection that's loose today can arc and overheat next month, and a fault that trips a breaker once a week now may trip it every day soon. Understanding the risk helps decide how quickly to act.
Shock risk from damaged insulation
Cable insulation that has degraded or been damaged can expose live conductors, particularly in older properties or after DIY work.
Hidden faults behind a working symptom
A circuit can appear to work normally most of the time while a fault develops intermittently, making it easy to dismiss until it fails properly.
Faults spreading to other circuits
A fault on a shared neutral or a badly wired junction can affect circuits that seem unrelated, making self-diagnosis unreliable.
Common mistakes we are called out to fix
- Resetting a tripping breaker repeatedly without investigating why it trips
- Assuming a dead socket is isolated when it may share a circuit with something still live
- Replacing an accessory (socket, switch) without checking the wiring behind it
- Ignoring an intermittent fault because it 'sorts itself out' between occurrences
- Using a downloaded wiring diagram to troubleshoot a UK domestic installation, which is not the same as testing the actual circuit
Our process
How we approach fault finding
Every fault is different, but the method behind finding it stays consistent. Here's what a typical visit looks like from the phone call to the fix.
- 01
Understand the symptom
We ask what's happening, when it started, and whether it's constant or intermittent, since this narrows down where to start testing.
- 02
Safe isolation
The relevant circuit or installation is isolated before any physical investigation begins, protecting both the property and whoever is doing the work.
- 03
Testing
Insulation resistance, continuity and polarity tests are carried out on the suspect circuit to identify exactly where the fault sits, rather than guessing at components.
- 04
Diagnosis and explanation
Once the fault is located, we explain what it is and what's involved in putting it right, in terms that make sense without an electrical background.
- 05
Repair and certification
The fault is corrected and, where the work falls under Part P or requires it, an appropriate certificate is issued and building control is notified directly if the work is notifiable.
What you get
Why get fault finding done properly
Faster resolution
Testing finds the actual cause first time, avoiding a cycle of replacing parts that were never the problem.
Safer outcome
Faults that pose a fire or shock risk are identified and dealt with rather than left to develop further.
Longer-lasting fix
Correcting the root cause, not just the symptom, means the same fault is less likely to reappear.
Cost-effective diagnosis
Every job is priced individually once the scope is understood, so you get a written quote rather than an open-ended bill.
Reliable circuits
Once the fault is resolved and tested, the circuit is confirmed safe to use rather than assumed fixed.
Peace of mind
Knowing exactly what caused a fault, and that it's been properly corrected, removes the guesswork that comes with unexplained electrical problems.
In detail
Fault finding in more detail
Common fault types and how they present
Faults broadly fall into a handful of categories: overloads (too much load drawn from one circuit), earth faults (current leaking to earth, often tripping an RCD), open circuits (a break somewhere along the cable or a connection), and short circuits (live and neutral making unintended contact). Each presents differently: an overload tends to trip a breaker under heavy use, an earth fault trips an RCD intermittently or when a specific appliance is plugged in, and an open circuit simply leaves part of the installation dead.
Loose connections are one of the most frequent underlying causes across all these categories. Screw terminals in consumer units, socket backboxes and junction boxes can work loose over years of thermal expansion and contraction, especially where a connection was made under low torque originally. This is why testing at the point of the fault, rather than only replacing the visible accessory, matters.
Test equipment and method
Fault finding relies on calibrated test instruments rather than visual inspection alone. Insulation resistance testing checks that cable insulation is intact between conductors and to earth. Continuity testing confirms that a conductor runs unbroken from one end of a circuit to the other. Polarity testing confirms that live, neutral and earth are correctly connected throughout, which matters for both safety and how devices like RCDs and switches behave.
Where a fault is intermittent, testing may need to be combined with a period of monitoring or repeated testing under load, since some faults only appear when a cable is warm, when a specific appliance is running, or when there's movement or vibration disturbing a marginal connection.
Domestic and commercial fault finding
In a domestic property, fault finding usually centres on a single circuit or accessory, a socket that's stopped working, a lighting circuit that flickers, or a consumer unit that trips when a particular appliance is used. In a commercial setting, the same principles apply but the consequences of downtime are often more significant, so isolating only the affected circuit rather than the whole supply, where it's safe to do so, is usually the priority.
Older properties in and around Southampton and Fareham sometimes have a mix of cable types and past modifications from different eras, which can make tracing a fault more involved than in a modern, consistently wired installation. This is factored into how the job is scoped and quoted.
Recent work
Photographs from jobs we have completed
Scroll across to see more of our completed work.
Common questions
Answers before you get in touch
How much does fault finding cost?
Every job is priced individually once we understand the symptoms and have had a chance to assess the installation, and you'll receive a written quote before any repair work goes ahead.
How long does fault finding take?
A straightforward fault on a single circuit is often traced within a visit; more complex or intermittent faults can take longer, and we'll explain the likely timescale once we've had a look.
What does the process actually involve?
We isolate the affected circuit safely, use insulation resistance, continuity and polarity testing to locate the fault, then explain what we've found before carrying out the repair.
Will I get a certificate for the work?
Where the repair falls under Part P or otherwise requires certification, we issue the appropriate certificate, EIC or minor works, depending on the job, and notify building control directly where the work is notifiable.
Can a fault come back after it's fixed?
Once the actual cause is identified and corrected, rather than just the symptom, recurrence is far less likely, which is the reason for testing properly rather than swapping parts by guesswork.
Do you offer fault finding outside normal hours?
We work Monday to Friday, 8am to 5pm. Call 07730 498814 and we'll aim to get to you as soon as we can within those hours.
Do you cover my area?
Yes, we're based in Locks Heath and cover Warsash, Hedge End, Southampton, Fareham, Titchfield, Park Gate and Whiteley.
What if the fault turns out to be more serious than expected?
If testing uncovers a wider issue, such as a deteriorating consumer unit or damaged cabling elsewhere, we'll explain what we've found and quote for that work separately before proceeding.
Related services
Other work we take on
Next step
Got an electrical fault that needs tracing?
Call 07730 498814 or send details of what's happening and we'll reply with next steps and a written quote.
07730 498814
hardielectrical@outlook.com
Monday to Friday, 8am–5pm
NAPIT registered · £5m public liability · £10m employer’s liability