Fault finding in Soweto
Soweto fault finding starts with a look down the street. If Orlando or Diepkloof neighbours are dark, the supply may be off at the pole or the mini-sub, and a private electrician cannot close the utility's breaker. If the neighbour is on and your prepaid meter still shows units, the fault is likely your main switch, a breaker, or a neutral on your board. Write which of those you checked.
A breaker that has been bridged so the lights stay on is not a repaired fault. It is a fire risk. If that is what you have in Protea Glen or Dobsonville or an older house, say so honestly. The job is to remove the bridge and find why it tripped. We will not match a request whose goal is to bypass the prepaid meter.
Backyard rooms that trip the house
A heater in a backyard room on a kitchen plug will trip or overheat the cable. Unplug it before you reset, and tell the electrician the room exists. The useful fix is a proper circuit from the board, with protection, if the room is staying. Fault finding that ignores the room will be back next week.
Questions and answers
The meter clicks but there is no power. What does that mean?
It can be a tripped breaker on the house side, a failed main, or a supply problem. Note whether any light works. Do not open a sealed meter.
Is shocking metal on the board a fault-finding job?
Yes. Stop touching it. Switch off at the main if you can do that without contact with the live metal, keep people away, and request help. If someone has been injured, call emergency services first.
Do you guarantee you will find it on one visit?
No. Some faults need a second test with appliances unplugged or with a wall opened. The electrician should say what they found and what is still unknown.