Forum Topic

Electric shock from socket

This morning, I wanted to charge my mobile phone so I plugged it in and when I switched on the wall socket, there was a loud bang like an explosion and sparks came flying out. I was in shock.What just happened? Why did that happen? Could I have been killed by the shock??

Asha Smith ● 4789d15 Comments

Seems like MK and Crabtree 13 amp sockets are now mostly made in China (but to BS 1363 Part 2).There are loads and loads of 'knock-offs' on ebay and similar sites which I wouldn't touch with a bargepole.

Nigel Brooks ● 4788d

John, you are right.I don't know why people skimp a couple of quid on something safety related.That said, I bet some of the leading brands are now made in China (hopefully with a bit more care).

Nigel Brooks ● 4788d

Cheap Chinese twin switched sockets under a pound each on Ebay!!!

John Perkins ● 4788d

AshaFor your own safety and that of your family I would have a PIR undertaken now.A PIR is a Periodic Inspection Report and will test, among other things,if any of your electrical circuits or equipment are overloaded, find any potential electric shock risks and fire hazards., identify any defective electrical work and highlight any lack of earthing or bonding.They can only be undertaken by registered competent people.Look for someone who is either NICEIC or ECA registered and check their credentials carefully.

Nigel Brooks ● 4788d

That socket was either faulty by manufacture (unlikely) or incorrectly wired. I think it is most likely that it was badly fitted, and the entire wiring should be checked by someone competent to ensure that it is correctly fitted as either a fused spur or part of a correctly wired power ring. All joins between wires in a ring should be twisted together before being inserted into the socket so as to give a strong mechanical connection, then the screws tightened correctly to lock the wires in position without cutting through them.

Chris Bell ● 4788d

I just plugged in the same charger feeling a bit nervous in case I get electrocuted, but everything was working fine. The charger still works fine and the front panel was also looking fine yesterday before the electrician changed it saying the inside was completely wrecked and by me pushing the plug in hard, I had completely broken the inside of the wall socket. It was all burnt etc. So I have been warned to put plugs in very gently.

Asha Smith ● 4788d

Does the charger still work OK? If you really had pushed the plug very hard the front panel would have broken (or bent if metal). It could have been a badly connected socket, but the amount of current taken by a charger is normally very low and would not produce any fireworks. Many builders would have someone who knows something about electrics, but that does not imply that they are either trained or qualified to work in the UK, so you may need to get a further check. Getting it to work does not guarantee "Best Practice".A quick mention that many electrical devices made in China are labelled something like 100-240 VAC, but beware that they are absolute limits and do not comply with the UK 230 +/- 20% which allows up to 264 VAC

Chris Bell ● 4789d

A likely story....

Keith Iddon ● 4789d

Is that even possible? Oh, well, so long as he established that it was all the fault of the airhead bird and not his bad workmanship.

Susan Kelly ● 4789d

We had the electrician come over this evening and he fixed it. He said I had pushed the Nokia plug too hard into the socket and it had caused something inside the socket to break causing the spark.

Asha Smith ● 4789d

Turn the electric to the sockets off.

Keith Iddon ● 4789d

Call your builder then - if he is any good he'll get the sparky out who did the electrics to go back. Hopefully just down to a faulty wiring which can happen.

Bud Richards ● 4789d

It is an original nokia charger but the faulty socket was in the new extension room we had built last year.

Asha Smith ● 4789d

is it an original manufactured supplied charger as supplied with the phone or a 3rd party accessory?

Tony Gould ● 4789d

Bad earth, loose connection, faulty charger a myriad of things. Did the circuit breaker 'trip' in your consumer unit?If you have an RCD protected consumer unit it is unlikely that you could have been seriously injured.DO NOT USE THE SOCKET and call a registered electrician NOW!

Nigel Brooks ● 4789d