Electrical issue has scared the beep outta me.

[Tessasays]

For context we had a devastating house fire 2 years ago and had to rebuild our home almost entirely. So I've got extreme anxiety about it happening again.

For some reason during the renovations this particular plug socket wasn't changed, I don't know why. It's always been a bit hit and miss, hoover is a bit weak when plugged into it.

Well in the plug socket we've got a lamp which was turned on, and I plugged the hoover into the other socket just to whizz round the living room quickly, while I was hoovering the hoover kept losing suction and getting really weak, and the lamp started flickering so I turned around and there was a line of white smoke coming out the top of the bulb 😳

obviously I instantly turned everything off and unplugged it, and now I'm just sat watching it and waiting for OH to get in. I've just called him and he's gonna change it tonight but does anyone know why this has happened?

Plug sockets dont work with a modulated, lower power. AC current in the UK runs at 230v =/- a few percent at all times.

You might be seeing an intermittent power supply thats happening very fast.

If you're comfortable doing it, its really a 10 minute job once you kill all the power to that circuit. I changed the old white plastic sockets for nice brushed brass ones and it was very easy...or call an electrician to inspect it and change it.

Sounds like the hoover was receiving too little voltage and the lamp was receiving way too much. What could make that happen - no idea.

You need an electrician to check the wiring, not your OH to change the plug socket. Honestly I would turn off the circuit breaker to that room, or at the very least not plug anything into that socket.