Home & Property Electrical Warning Signs Checklist
Ten things worth checking before a fault forces the issue - compiled from the warning signs our engineers actually find on site. Not a substitute for a real inspection, but a starting point for deciding whether you need one.
Ten warning signs, in order of what to check first
Recurring tripped breakers
A breaker that trips repeatedly under normal, unchanged use usually means the panel is carrying more than it was sized for, or the breaker itself is degrading.
Warm panel covers or a burning smell
A distribution panel should be cool to the touch during normal operation. Warmth on the cover, discoloration, or a burning smell are signs of an overloaded circuit generating heat.
Major loads added without reassessing capacity
AC units, EV chargers, and industrial equipment all draw sustained, high loads. A panel sized for a building's original demand rarely has headroom for these without a capacity check.
An overloaded circuit
The most common cause of nuisance tripping: combined load on a circuit exceeds what its breaker is rated to carry.
A short circuit
Trips a breaker immediately and often repeatedly, sometimes the instant a specific appliance is used. A fire risk that needs fault-finding, not repeated resetting.
A ground fault (earth leakage)
On circuits with an earth-leakage device, tripping usually means current is finding an unintended path to earth. Also a shock hazard.
A worn or ageing breaker
One that trips at well below its rated load, or fails to reset cleanly, may have worn internal contacts after years of service.
Events that should trigger an inspection now
A change of ownership or tenancy, a major renovation that added load, recent flooding or fire near electrical infrastructure, or a move to higher-demand use.
Symptoms worth acting on now, not later
Breakers tripping repeatedly, warm switches or sockets, flickering lights, or a burning smell near the panel are worth an inspection now.
What a real inspection covers
Thermal imaging, a capacity check, testing of earthing/bonding and RCD function, and a written report - not a verbal "looks fine."
Checked two or more boxes?
That's usually worth having a proper assessment rather than waiting for a failure to force the issue.