Dealing with Electrical Cables Damaged by Rats

Dealing with Electrical Cables Damaged by Rats

Rats and mice are a major threat to your home’s electrical safety. When rodents chew on electrical or data cables, they strip away the insulation and expose the copper cores. This exposure creates a high risk of electrocution, power failure, and house fires. Sharpe Trade Services provides expert fault finding and repairs to secure your home after a rodent infestation.

The Dangers of Exposed Wiring

Rodents have teeth that never stop growing, so they chew on tough materials like cable insulation to keep them trim. Once the plastic coating is gone, your home is at risk.

Fire Hazards and Power Loss

Exposed wires can spark or arc, which easily ignites dust, insulation, or timber inside your walls and roof space. This often leads to unexplained power losses. We recently attended a property in Westbourne Park where a rat chewed through cabling hidden inside a double-brick wall. This caused a total circuit failure at the rear of the house.

Risk of Electrocution

If your electrical system is compromised, anyone touching a metal surface or wall near the damage could receive a life-threatening shock. Without a properly functioning safety switch, the power will not cut off automatically when a fault occurs.

Protecting Your Home with Modern Safety Standards

The best defense against damaged wiring is a modern switchboard. If a rodent chews through a cable in a house with up-to-date safety switches, the power cuts out instantly, preventing a fire.

• Is Your Home Compliant? Safety switches have been mandatory in new Australian builds and renovations since 1991. If your home is older and has not been upgraded, you are at higher risk.
• Specialist Fault Finding: Our licensed electrician, Carl, uses advanced diagnostic equipment to trace circuits back from the switchboard. We find the exact location of the damage without unnecessary wall removals.
• Comprehensive Repairs: We do more than just patch the wire. We replace damaged sections and ensure the entire circuit meets current South Australian safety standards.

“Insurance data from 2024 shows that rodent damage is a leading cause of ‘unexplained’ house fires in older Adelaide suburbs, where heritage architecture provides easy access for pests.” — National Electrical Safety Review 2025

Warning Signs of Compromised Wiring

Do not wait for a fire to start. Watch for these indications that rats may have damaged your electrical system:

• Flickering Lights: This often signals a loose or chewed connection.
• Regular Power Losses: If a circuit trips frequently, something is wrong.
• Burnt Odors: A smell of burning plastic behind walls is a major emergency.
• Damaged Appliances: Frequent appliance breakdowns can be caused by inconsistent power flow from faulty wiring.

Why Choose a Local Family Business?

Sharpe Trade Services is a local South Australian family-owned business. We started in 1980 and have served Adelaide for 45 years. We do not use sub-contractors. Every technician is an in-house, licensed professional.

• Best Value Services Assured: We provide efficient repairs that restore your safety quickly.
• Tidy Work Guaranteed: We respect your home and clean up every workspace.
• In-House Experts: You only ever deal with our own qualified and insured electricians.
• Emergencies365 Support: If you lose power or smell smoke, we respond fast to secure your property.

Easy Online Booking and Finance Options

safety service. We offer flexible payment plans through our finance partners to help you manage the cost of urgent repairs or switchboard upgrades.

Our finance partners include:

• Brighte
• Handypay
• Humm
• Afterpay

Approval takes only a few minutes on-site. We also accept cash, cheque, bank transfers, and all major credit cards.