A Tenant Asks: Are Sparks in Sockets Normal?

When It’s Time for a Tenant to Call For Electrical Assistance

When It’s Time for a Tenant to Call For Assistance
When we put plugs into the sockets we see little sparks everywhere. We told our landlady and she said this is not dangerous, but we think otherwise. Please help, what do we do?

This electrical question came from: Sarah from United Kingdom

Dave’s Reply:
Thanks for your electrical question Sarah.

Electrical Wiring and Electrical Repairs

Sarah, NO this is not normal. If your landlord is not willing to have this checked out then you need to call your local housing authority to get assistance. If you are seeing sparks when you put plugs into the sockets then this should be checked out by a professional electrician right away!

Dave’s Note – If you are a renter or tenant, you have rights for your protection. There are agencies available to help you with situations such as this where you believe that something is dangerous and your landlord is not willing to listen or have it checked out.

The Following links will assist you with your electrical question:
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FAQs Frequently Asked Questions and Comments

One Response to “A Tenant Asks: Are Sparks in Sockets Normal?”

susan says:

April 11, 2013 at 6:56 am

We are tenants and have storage heaters well landlord says they are not its a kind of German system and controls are on the wall.
We press a button to turn it off and there were sparks we had someone out and they said there was nothing he could do but to replace it.
LANDLORD SAYS there’s no need to touch it because controls are on the wall which is fine but it is in my daughters room 10 years old do I have a right to insist it is replaced?
Susan.

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Home Electrical Wiring and Electrical Repairs

Please Note:
Unless otherwise posted, please refer to the following Guidelines when working on Electrical Projects:

Skill Level:
Intermediate to Advanced - Electrical Repairs and Circuit Wiring is Best Performed by a Certified Electrician or Licensed Electrical Contractor.

Electrical Tools Required:
Basic Electricians Pouch of Hand Tools, a Voltage Tester and a Multi Meter.

Estimated Time:
Depends on personal level experience, ability to work with tools, work with electrical wiring, and the available access to the project area.

Precaution:
Identify the project circuit, turn it OFF and Tag it with a Note before working with the wiring.

Important:
Modifying existing electrical circuits or installing additional electrical wiring should be done according to local and National Electrical Codes, with a permit and be inspected.

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