Early one morning at around 8am, I received an urgent call from a new customer in Darlington reporting that they had lost power to one side of their consumer unit. The property was a fairly modern installation fitted with a dual RCD consumer unit, but several key circuits were affected, including the electric shower, socket outlets, lighting circuits, and smoke alarms.
When multiple essential circuits go down at once, it’s always a sign that something more serious may be going on behind the scenes.
A Familiar Warning Sign: The “Fishy” Smell
Upon arrival at the property, there was an immediate and unmistakable smell in the hallway. A strong, fishy odour. Experienced electricians will know this smell well, as it’s a classic warning sign of overheating electrical connections, often caused by a loose or failing termination.
This smell alone was enough to justify immediate isolation and inspection of the consumer unit.
Consumer Unit Found to Be Melting
After safely isolating the supply and removing the consumer unit cover, the fault became obvious straight away. As you can see from the photos, parts of the consumer unit were visibly melting, with clear heat damage around the affected components.
The cause was traced back to the electric shower circuit, where the connection had worked loose over time. Showers are one of the highest-load circuits in any domestic property, and even a slightly loose connection can generate significant heat. Over time, this heat had built up to the point where it began damaging the consumer unit itself.
Why Electrical Testing and Inspections Matter
This type of fault is a perfect example of why regular electrical testing and inspections are so important, even in modern properties.
If this installation had been periodically inspected and tested, the loose shower connection would almost certainly have been identified long before it reached this stage. Left unchecked, faults like this can lead to:
- Extensive damage to the consumer unit
- Loss of power to critical circuits
- Increased fire risk
- Much higher repair costs
In this case, the customer was fortunate that the damage hadn’t progressed far enough to destroy the entire board.
Emergency Repair and Power Restoration
Thankfully, the consumer unit itself was still salvageable. I was able to source a replacement RCD, new circuit breakers, and replacement busbar from a local electrical wholesaler in Darlington the same morning.
Once the damaged components were removed and the new parts installed, all connections were correctly tightened, tested, and verified. Full safety checks were carried out before restoring the supply.
Power was fully restored by 1pm the same day, minimising disruption for the customer.
Reactive Electrical Call-Outs in Darlington
A large part of my work as an electrician in Darlington involves reactive fault finding and emergency repairs just like this one. Electrical faults don’t always give much warning, and when they do occur, fast and knowledgeable diagnosis is essential.
If you notice:
- Burning or fishy smells
- Flickering lights
- Partial loss of power
- Tripping RCDs or breakers
These are signs that something isn’t right and should be checked sooner rather than later.
Looking for a Reliable Electrician in Darlington?
If you’re looking for a qualified, local electrician in Darlington for fault finding, electrical inspections, consumer unit issues, or general electrical work, Demand Electrical Solutions is here to help.
Whether it’s an emergency repair or preventative electrical testing, getting issues checked early can save time, money, and stress.
