Socket Not Working - What to Check First in Andover

Published September 2026 | Socket not working what to check first

We asked our engineers the questions homeowners ask most. If you have a dead socket and you are not sure where to start, this guide covers exactly what our Electrician engineers tell Andover homeowners every week.

What Should I Check First When a Socket Stops Working?

The first thing to do is rule out the appliance before you blame the socket. Take something you know works - a phone charger or a small lamp - and plug it into the suspect socket. If it works, the original appliance is your problem. If it does not, the socket or the circuit behind it is at fault.

Next, test the same working appliance in a different nearby socket. If it works there, you have isolated the fault to that one socket or its immediate wiring. If nothing works across one whole side of the room, the problem is more likely a tripped breaker or RCD at the consumer unit rather than the socket itself.

Head to your fuse box and look for any switches that have flipped to the off position. In most modern UK homes, the consumer unit has MCBs - miniature circuit breakers - that trip automatically when a circuit is overloaded or develops a fault. Find the one that has tripped and flip it back on. If it trips again straight away, do not keep resetting it. That is a sign of an underlying fault, and a qualified electrician needs to investigate before you go any further.

Why Would a Socket Stop Working When the Consumer Unit Looks Fine?

This is something our engineers hear constantly. All the MCBs look normal, nothing obvious has tripped, but the socket is completely dead. There are a few reasons this happens.

The most common one is a tripped RCD. An RCD (Residual Current Device) is the wider switch on a modern consumer unit, often marked "RCD" or "Test". It is separate from the individual MCBs, and it can trip without any breaker appearing to be off. When it goes, every socket it covers loses power - even if all the individual breakers still look fine.

Another frequent cause is a fault on a spur. UK ring main circuits often have sockets wired as spurs - branches off the main ring. If the connection where a spur meets the ring develops a fault, every socket on that spur goes dead while the MCB sees nothing wrong, because the ring itself is intact.

Internal socket faults - a failed mechanism, a burnt terminal, or a loose wire inside the back box - can also kill a socket with no visible effect on the consumer unit at all. These need hands-on investigation to diagnose properly.

What Is an RCD and Why Does It Keep Tripping?

An RCD monitors the flow of current through a circuit and cuts power almost instantly if it detects that current is taking an unexpected path - through a fault, or through a person. It is one of the most important safety devices in a UK home and typically covers several circuits at once on a modern consumer unit.

If your RCD keeps tripping, something on that circuit is leaking current. Common causes include:

1. A faulty appliance - particularly those with heating elements like washing machines, dishwashers, or electric heaters
2. Water ingress into a socket or a light fitting
3. A damaged cable where the insulation has been nicked or has broken down with age
4. A faulty fixed fitting such as an extractor fan or towel rail on the same circuit

To narrow it down, unplug everything on the affected circuit, reset the RCD, then plug devices back in one at a time. When it trips again, you have found your culprit. If it trips with absolutely nothing plugged in, the fault is in the wiring or a fixed fitting - not an appliance - and an electrician needs to investigate. In Hampshire properties with older wiring, RCDs can also trip under load for reasons unrelated to a specific appliance, which is worth having properly assessed rather than just reset repeatedly.

Could the Fuse Inside the Plug Be Causing the Problem?

It is one of the first things to check, and one of the most commonly overlooked. UK plugs contain a small cartridge fuse, rated at either 3 amps or 13 amps. These blow from power surges, internal appliance faults, or simply old age - and when they do, the appliance goes dead in a way that can easily be mistaken for a socket fault.

To check it, unscrew the plug and inspect the fuse. It bridges two of the pins inside the plug body. You can test it with a multimeter on continuity mode, or look for a visible break in the wire inside the glass cartridge. Replacement fuses cost a few pence at any hardware shop and take seconds to swap in.

A key point: if the replacement fuse blows again quickly, do not fit a higher-rated fuse to work around it. The fuse rating must match the appliance. For low-wattage appliances under 700 watts - lamps, clocks, and chargers - use 3 amps. For heavier items like kettles, irons, and toasters, use 13 amps. Fitting the wrong rating removes a protection that is there for a real reason, and it will not stop the underlying fault from developing further.

How Do I Tell Whether the Fault Is in the Socket or the Wiring?

Once you have ruled out the appliance, the plug fuse, and the consumer unit, the question becomes whether the fault is at the socket itself or somewhere further back in the circuit wiring. Some signs point clearly to the socket.

Scorch marks or discolouration on the socket faceplate, a burning smell near the outlet, or a socket that feels warm to the touch are all indicators of arcing inside the back box. Arcing is electrical sparking at a loose or degraded connection, and it generates significant heat. Left unchecked, it can damage the socket, the back box, and the cable ends over time.

A socket that works intermittently - cutting out depending on how the plug is positioned - typically has a loose terminal connection inside. The wire has not completely backed out, but contact is unreliable enough to cause problems under load.

You can examine the outside of a socket without any safety concern. But if you want to open the back box and check inside, the circuit must be fully isolated at the consumer unit first. Our engineers use the Voltrade GoFIX diagnostic system to assess and log these faults before any covers come off, which helps pinpoint the issue efficiently and avoids unnecessary disruption to your home.

Are Older Andover Properties More Likely to Develop Socket Problems?

Yes - and the age of the wiring matters more than most homeowners realise. Andover has a varied housing mix, from older terraces near the town centre to postwar estates and newer developments on the outskirts. Older properties tend to have older wiring, and older wiring is more prone to socket faults.

Properties wired before the mid-1960s may have rubber-insulated cables that have become brittle and cracked over the decades. When the insulation fails, faults develop that can show up as dead sockets - but the root cause is a wider deterioration of the installation. Homes from the 1970s and 1980s typically have PVC wiring in better condition, though many still have older consumer units with ceramic fuses rather than modern MCBs, which makes circuit protection less reliable.

If you are in an older Andover home and experiencing repeated socket faults, the right move is to have an Electrical Installation Condition Report (EICR) carried out. An EICR is a thorough inspection and test of your entire electrical installation. It identifies faults, grades them by severity, and tells you what needs attention and how urgently. In Hampshire, landlords are legally required to have EICRs carried out every five years. For homeowners, it is not a legal requirement, but it is a sensible precaution in any property with wiring that has not been assessed in the last decade or more.

What Warning Signs Mean I Need to Call an Electrician Straight Away?

Some initial checks are safe to run yourself. Others are a clear signal to call a professional. Contact a qualified electrician promptly if you notice any of the following:

• A burning smell from a socket or nearby wall, even if the socket still appears to work
• Scorch marks or blackening around the faceplate or on the plug pins
• A socket that is warm or hot to the touch
• Sparking when inserting a plug
• A breaker or RCD that trips again the moment you reset it
• Multiple sockets across different circuits going dead at the same time
• Lights flickering on the same circuit as the dead socket

Bathroom electrics also require specific attention. UK wiring regulations (BS 7671) restrict what electrical installations are permitted within defined zones around baths and showers. Standard sockets are not allowed in these areas - only shaver sockets to the relevant British Standard are permitted within those zones. If you have a dead shaver socket in a bathroom, that is a job for a qualified electrician who understands the zoning requirements and can carry out compliant replacement work.

In general, any work involving fixed wiring in a UK home falls under Part P of the Building Regulations. Replacing a like-for-like socket faceplate is generally acceptable for a competent homeowner, but fault investigation, new wiring, and circuit changes must be done by a registered electrician who can certify the work and notify the relevant authority if required.

How Much Does Socket Repair or Replacement Typically Cost in the UK?

Costs vary depending on the nature of the fault. Here is a realistic breakdown based on typical jobs our engineers carry out in Andover and across Hampshire.

Replacing a standard single or double socket faceplate where the existing wiring behind it is sound typically costs between 50 and 90 pounds including parts and labour. It is usually a 30 to 60 minute job for an experienced electrician.

If the fault is in the back box wiring - a loose terminal, a burnt connection, or a damaged cable end that needs trimming back and re-terminating - expect to pay between 80 and 150 pounds depending on the extent of the work involved.

Tracing a fault on a ring main or spur, where the problem is not obviously at the socket itself, requires circuit testing at multiple points and is more time-intensive. This kind of investigative and repair work typically costs between 150 and 350 pounds.

An EICR for a typical three-bedroom property costs between 200 and 300 pounds, with any remedial work quoted separately. Always ask for a written quote before work begins, and check that your electrician is registered with a recognised competent persons scheme such as NICEIC, NAPIT, or Elecsa.

What Happens If I Leave a Dead Socket Without Getting It Checked?

A dead socket can seem like a minor inconvenience, and if it turns out to be a simple cause - a tripped breaker, a blown plug fuse - then it probably is. But if the socket failed because of internal arcing or damaged wiring, leaving it uninvestigated is a genuine risk.

Arcing inside a back box generates heat. In the confined space of a wall cavity, surrounded by timber and insulation, that heat can build gradually. Many electrical fires in UK homes originate from loose connections that were not investigated when they first showed symptoms. A socket that simply stopped working is sometimes the early warning sign of a fault that worsens over time.

Insurance is also a consideration. If a fire investigation finds that an electrical fault was the cause, and there is evidence the fault had been present and left unattended, an insurer may challenge your claim. Addressing known faults and maintaining a record of inspection work protects you in that situation.

The practical rule: run the basic checks in order, and if you cannot find a clear explanation, get a qualified electrician to take a look. In most cases the diagnosis is quick and the repair costs a modest amount. Dealing with it early is almost always less expensive than leaving it.

A dead socket in your home is worth taking seriously, but most resolve cleanly once you follow a logical sequence of checks. Start with the appliance, move to the plug fuse, check the consumer unit and RCD, then look at the socket itself for any signs of damage or overheating. If the cause is not clear from those steps - or if you see any warning signs like scorch marks, burning smells, or a breaker that will not stay reset - bring in a qualified electrician. Caught early, most faults are quick to resolve and cost a reasonable amount to put right.

Is it safe to keep using a socket that still works but has scorch marks on it?

No. Scorch marks indicate that arcing or overheating has already occurred inside the back box. Even if the socket appears to work normally, the internal connections are likely damaged and the risk of the fault recurring or worsening is real. Stop using it and have it inspected by a qualified electrician as soon as possible - do not wait for it to fail again.

Can I replace a socket faceplate myself under UK building regulations?

A homeowner can replace a like-for-like socket faceplate as a minor repair under Part P of the Building Regulations, provided no wiring is altered in the process. However, fault investigation, new cable runs, or any changes to the circuit must be carried out by a qualified and registered electrician who can certify or notify the work as required by law.

How long does it typically take an electrician to fix a dead socket?

Replacing a socket faceplate or fixing a loose terminal inside the back box typically takes between 30 and 60 minutes. Tracing a fault through a ring main circuit may take one to two hours or more, depending on how accessible the wiring is, how many test points are needed, and whether any cable repair work is required once the fault is found.

Does a single dead socket mean the whole house needs rewiring?

Not necessarily. A single dead socket is usually an isolated fault rather than a sign that the entire installation needs replacing. That said, if you are experiencing repeated faults across multiple circuits, or if your property has pre-1970s wiring throughout, an EICR inspection will give you a clear, evidence-based picture of the installation's overall condition and tell you exactly what work is actually needed.