Do I need extra sockets?

Another question I get asked regularly in a lot of households in the Watford area is “do I need extra sockets?”

This question generally comes to light when people are using multiple extension cords from their outlets or live in older properties which have more single sockets than double.

The answer to this isn’t always a simple yes. The things you have to consider are;

• How many extension leads are you using
• Are you plugging extension leads into one another
• Is your existing wiring and fuse adequate enough to add more sockets

The reason the questions are asked is all down to safety. Yes, it works at the moment, yes its been like this for years, but is it safe?

Overload is a common problem today because we have so many appliances. Some older properties were not designed with this in mind. This is down to pure fact NOBODY knew quite where technology will take us when these properties were built/wired.

Overload can not only make the electric trip at the fuse board, but can also damage the household cabling as well, leading to a more expensive issue all together.

There are tests available that can be carried out to make sure your current system is suitable for additions and extensions.