People who say that a proper fuse should and will protect the wall socket are wrong, a fuse will never disconnect instantly at it's designed max load (like 10, 16, 25A) depending on the fuse/automat a home installation can easily allow a 100% overload for more than 10 seconds, it will jump instantly in milli-seconds at values that are much higher (think 10 times higher), both situations are likely to wreck your wall socket when putting in a plug with way to high demand which can easily happen with a broken lamp.
And more likely to happen with really old stuff, the pressure might be a bit of the pin-holders, they might have scratches or even slight displacement which all are things that cause a connection to burn up quicker. But yeah plugging in a shortcut in a wall socket will wreck it (Unless you can do it faster than Bruce lee his one-Inch Punch)
Of course. The old loose "sparkly" sockets..... The lamp connector cann't be loose, it's just a fixed piece of metal and plastic, now covered in black.
Every part of the house has a lifetime. For example an electrical socket is expected to last 15 years. If the socket is damaged before its expected lifetime the tenant is expected to pay. If the socket is older, its value has already been covered by rent, therefore the owner should pay for a new one.
I found this on the homeowners association, there should be a similar table in the mieterverband but couldn't find it.
I asked in some electro shops like bauhaus with a picture and they said that they don't have the model or compatible anymore. In bauhaus the guy told me that the socket is not allowed because there's been accidents with children. But I don't know where to find more information about.
I had this happen too. While vacuuming, a burned smell, a blackened socket and a half molten plug . I think what happened was that a wire in the socket itself was loose, it was sustaining the vacuum cleaner with a sparking contact. The sparks is what heatened everything, caused the burned spot and molten plug.
Called Verwaltung, they sent someone and wall socket was replaced free of charge. The guy walked around and replaced a second fishy looking one without me even asking.
I had that once. It was extremely difficult to unplug a powerline item. When I finally managed, sparks were flying and the socket was black. In fact the item was too. So maybe the fireworks I witnessed was even the second time it happened.
As it was a Saturday and I was puzzled about the fuse still being in plus the socket was downstairs where I wouldn't see any more activity should there be any on it, I called the landlord who came by to have a look.
We left it at that (nothing plugged in of course) and a few days later the electrician changed it at the landlord's cost.
I had a 1 year old cooker spur switch smoke, it was fitted by an electrician with the original Instalation. I assume a wire was not tight, I replaced the switch & it has been fine for the following 5 years. Part cost about €15 & 10 minutes of my time to fit.
Maybe your landlord is hoping the place will burn down so that he can collect some insurance money. (I'm only half-joking). This should be his financial responsibility. Whenever something breaks in our apartment, the landlord pays for it. The wall sockets are not something you can take with you when you move, and it's irrational of him to expect for you to be able to repair that yourself. I suggest contacting your "mieterverband" (or whatever the name is of that renter's association) and maybe even your local fire station to see if they -- or someone -- can do a free inspection in your apartment to determine if it is up to safety code, etc.
A lot of people do a lot of things for free in Switzerland. You hang around the wrong people or it's the way you "shout into the forest".
I had my car delivered home by my garage for free (nope, this is nowhere hidden in the bill) on Tuesday, a guy who doesn't know me highpressure-cleaned my entire slab lined patio which looks like freshly laid down now for free a couple of weeks ago, my neighbour from an other house saw my flat tire and cared to come warn me about it on Saturday .... that's only the last fortnight.
My dentist didn't charged me on an occasion when I had lots of problems which turned out not to be caused by my teeth but were felt there, my physiotherapist ordered a training tool for me and gave it to me as a present (which indeed lets me solve many problems all by myself now) my landlord decided spontaneously to pay for a LAN line between floors which I really wanted but frowned about the cost .... I can go on and on. MAN, one of the moving-guys I had employed bought me lunch on the moving day and an other put together a heavy 3.5m cupboard for me, which was not in the deal.
Just listing this fraction of all the things reminds me what a lucky girl I am. The point is not to expect it, definitely not to demand it and at all times be aware you have no "right" to freebies, they are gifts. Appreciate them highly when they come your way.
Yes but if it is inspected some upgrades maybe required, for example installation of earth leakage circuit breakers but not a total rewiring. In the OP's case, I would contract your electric supply company and find out when the last inspection was, if it is due then any future problems should be identified. Explaining that you rent and have had 2 burned out sockets may bring forward the inspection date! You may annoy the owner but if a child puts a fork in a socket without a proper breakers it won't be good!
Pay to fix the socket, you can always claim it back later and ask the electrician their opinion about the state of the electrical system.