15/01/2021
You can do this simple home safety check to identify early signs of a potential problem with your electrical sockets.
There is no need to touch any electrical parts; this is a visual inspection only.
All sockets suffer, to a lesser or greater extent, from some form of wear and tear over time which can result in cracking in the faceplate of poor connection of plug pins.
The attached photograph shows hairline cracks in the left and right bottom corners of this double socket. This can be caused by over tightening of the faceplate screw or just the action of inserting and pulling the plug. The cracks can also result for heat internally due to a poor connection.
In this case there has been overheating in the socket and burning/melting. Fortunately this was spotted before a serious fire started. The socket outlet was replaced.
Remember to safely Isolate (Switch off) electrical circuits at the Consumer Unit/Fuse Board before attempting any type of maintenance on electrical items. If in doubt seek assistance from a competent person.