Melting fusebox

[70sShmeventies]

Hello grateful for any advice but I’m calling on @PigletJohn as I gather they are something of a legend.

Last night our lights started flickering and dimming but then went back on so all seemed okay we didn’t think anything of it went to bed. Woke up this morning got the kids off to nursery etc. Put my baby down for a nap and smelt this awful acrid smell and followed it to the fuse box which seems to be melting underneath the lighting switch.

It’s freaked me out majorly! I’ve turned the fuse box off and I’ve got an electrician coming around in a few hours but can anyone tell me what it is likely to be? And I just need to mentally prepare myself for the prospect of forking out for an entire new fuse box is that likely?

I had something like this on once and it was an overloaded spur, badly installed.

I hope you have a good electrician and for peace of mind I would get the whole of the house electrics given a safety check once the source of this problem is sorted.

I think it's unlikely to be an overload, more likely a terminal that was not correctly tightened. The breaker would trip if overloaded that much. If it is a lighting circuit and you have LEDs or energy-saving lamps the load is very low.

If you can watch without annoying the electrician, look for a scorched wire in the top of that breaker, or (less likely) the copper comb at the bottom.

I expect she will want to check all the other screws, if it was loose.

There is a good chance that it will be a simple fix.

My guess is a loose wire that is causing a short .

@PigletJohn absolutely spot on! All fixed and not a big job at all.

Great news OP, you must feel very relieved.

@FireSideCat i really am, we can’t afford a new fusebox at the moment! Thanks to all who replied.