We recently got called out to an emergency job that proves just how much damage a single cable can cause when it starts to fail. A customer had been living with flickering lights for years, brushing it off as a mild inconvenience. That was until everything suddenly went dark. Total power loss across the property.

We were asked to work alongside Jenco Electrical Services to get to the bottom of it. As soon as we arrived, we knew this wasn’t going to be a quick fix. The customer’s cable was buried in a cramped trench, wedged between two other electrical lines and running dangerously close to water pipes. Digging it out without making things worse took a bit of patience…and precision.

Once we exposed the section, the problem became obvious. Three joints had failed, and one cable had blown completely. Looking at the trench layout, it seemed that at some point, someone had installed an unauthorised water line, almost certainly without proper planning or permission. They likely nicked the cable during the install, which would explain the years of flickering lights. Over time, the damage worsened until the cable gave up for good.

This kind of cable fault is more common than you’d think, and it’s rarely visible until something major goes wrong. If your lights flicker, even occasionally, it’s worth getting them checked. It’s not just a nuisance; it could be your cable warning you that trouble’s on the way.