Electrical fault finding on Brisbane’s northside and Moreton Bay

Safety switch that won’t stay on? Half the house without power? Lights flickering for no reason? We track down electrical faults in homes and small businesses across Brisbane’s northside and Moreton Bay, then fix them properly so they don’t come back.

We’re licensed electrical contractors, QLD Electrical Contractor Licence 88297.

Call 1800 230 400 or request a call back online.

Faults we find and fix

  • Safety switch keeps tripping. Usually a faulty appliance, water in an outdoor fitting or damaged wiring. The switch itself is normally doing its job. See safety switches.
  • Power out to part of the house. A tripped circuit, a failed connection or a fault on one circuit.
  • Lights flickering or dimming. Loose connections, a failing light fitting or dimmer, or a problem with the supply.
  • Dead power points. Often a loose connection at the outlet or further up the circuit.
  • Burning smell, or hot switches and power points. Treat this as urgent. Heat means something is overloaded or failing.
  • Breakers tripping after a storm. Water in roof spaces, outdoor lights and power points, or surge damage to appliances.
  • Water in outdoor fittings. Garden lights, outdoor power points and pool equipment are common culprits after heavy rain.

What to do before you call

  1. Check whether it’s just you. If the whole house is off, see whether your neighbours have power. If they don’t, it’s likely a network outage. Check Energex for outages in your area.
  2. Unplug appliances on the affected circuit, then try resetting the safety switch or breaker once. If it stays on, plug things back in one at a time to find the culprit.
  3. Don’t keep resetting it. If it trips straight away, leave it off and call us. Repeatedly resetting a switch onto a fault isn’t safe.
  4. Don’t go behind the switchboard cover. Only operate the switches you can reach. Everything behind the panel is live and is a job for a licensed electrician.
  5. Burning smell, smoke or a hot switchboard? Turn the power off at the main switch if it’s safe to do so, keep everyone away and call us. If there’s fire or smoke, call 000.

How we find the fault

Guesswork wastes your money. We work through the problem methodically:

  • Ask what happened and when. Storms, new appliances and recent work all give clues.
  • Isolate circuits one by one to narrow down where the fault is.
  • Use testing equipment, including insulation resistance testing, to find damaged or deteriorating wiring that a visual check won’t show.
  • Check connections at the switchboard, power points, switches and fittings on the faulty circuit.

Once we’ve found it, we explain what’s wrong and what it’ll take to fix before we go ahead. If the real problem is an old switchboard, we’ll tell you straight. See switchboard upgrades.

Storm damage

Storm season in South East Queensland brings water into roof spaces, outdoor fittings and meter boxes, and power surges that damage appliances. If your power is off or tripping after a storm, check Energex for outages first. If it’s only your property, call us. For an insurance claim, we can provide a written report of the damage we find. To protect your appliances from the next one, see surge protection.

Fault finding FAQs

Why does my safety switch trip at night or when it rains?
Moisture is the usual cause. Water gets into an outdoor power point, garden light or roof space fitting, and the safety switch cuts the power. We’ll find the fitting and fix or replace it.

Can a faulty appliance trip the whole house?
Yes. A fridge, kettle or pool pump with an earth fault can trip the safety switch that covers its circuit. Unplugging appliances one at a time is the quickest way to check.

Is a flickering light dangerous?
Sometimes it’s just a failing globe or driver. But flickering across several lights, or with buzzing or heat, can mean a loose connection. Get it checked.

Can I fix it myself?
Resetting switches and unplugging appliances is fine. Anything involving wiring, power points or the switchboard must be done by a licensed electrician in Queensland.

Do you cover my suburb?
We service Brisbane’s northside and Moreton Bay from Brendale and Aspley.

Call 1800 230 400 or request a call back online.

Armitage Electrical (QLD) Pty Ltd · QLD Electrical Contractor Licence 88297