Power Points

If your power point is hot or tingly to touch then it is a fire and electrocution hazard.

Bad wiring and poor installation often occurs at connection points within your electrical system. These symptoms indicate that your power point is electrified or the system is overloading. Call an electrician - you can visit our Contact page to get in touch with an Electrician straight away, or refer to our Power Points page for more information.

If your power point doesn’t work, but doesn’t seem tingly or hot to touch, the appliance plugged into the power point could be the issue. Check the power point by plugging in something else, say a lamp. If it works, it’s probably the appliance that needs replacing or repair.

A double adaptor rarely includes overload protection. If the two items using the two outlets suddenly draw more current, the double adaptor could overload and an electrical fire could result. The propensity for electrical fire increases further when double adaptors are “piggy backed” to provide more outlets.

Double adaptors are extremely dangerous, and Energy Safe Victoria does not recommend using double adaptors in any environment.

 A single powerboard (4 outlet, 6 outlet, 8 outlet) with overload protection is an effective and safe method of temporarily providing additional power outlets for your appliances. However, Energy Safe Victoria do not recommend the “piggy-backing” of Powerboards, as there is a greater possibility of overload and electrical fire.

It is important to note, should the items utilising the outlets draw greater than expected current at the same time, the powerboard may overload and power may be switched off to those appliances. An example of this is when fridges and freezers are plugged in to the same powerboard and the compressors of each appliance start at the same time.

If you frequently need to plug in additional items, Energy Safe Victoria recommend engaging a licensed electrician to install more power points. Snapper Group can help - if you want to install more power points, or any other electrical service, please check out our Electrical section.