Roof Leak Near Lights or Electrics: What to Do

Why this is more dangerous than it looks

Water follows gravity along timbers, cables and the backs of plasterboard, and it collects at the lowest point, which is very often a ceiling light or a recessed downlight. A fitting that is wet inside can short, trip the circuit, heat up, or in rare cases start a fire. Water on a metal fitting or switch can also make it live to the touch. Damp insulation around cables adds to the risk. This is why a small stain around a ceiling rose deserves more care than a larger stain in the middle of a plain ceiling.

Step one: keep people away

Move everyone out of the room, including pets, and keep children away. Do not use the light switch for that room, and do not plug in or unplug anything in the wet area. Do not touch wet appliances. If the floor is wet, do not walk through it to reach a switch. The first safe action is to cut power at the source, and that has to be done carefully.

Step two: switch off at the consumer unit

Go to the consumer unit, which is the main fuse box, with dry hands and dry feet. If it is in a dry location and you can reach it without crossing water, switch off the breaker for the affected circuit, such as lights upstairs. If you are not sure which one it is, or the leak is serious, switch off the main switch. Use a torch, not a light switch in the wet area. If the consumer unit is wet, if water is running into it, or if it is in a cupboard under a leak, do not touch it. Leave the house and phone 999 if there is any sign of burning, sparks or a smell of hot plastic. You can also phone the network operator on 105 to report a power danger.

Step three: contain the water

Once the power is off, place buckets under the drips and lay towels or sheeting. Catch water running down a light fitting with a bowl. Do not poke or remove a wet light fitting yourself. If the ceiling is bulging, do not stand under it. Our guide to what to do about a bulging ceiling covers releasing the water safely, and our page on stopping a roof leak from inside covers other containment steps.

Step four: call the right people

You need two trades in sequence. A roofer stops water entering, and an electrician makes the wiring safe. The electrician should test the circuit and the fitting before it is used again, since insulation can be damaged without any visible sign. Wet light fittings and cables often have to be replaced. In the meantime, the affected circuit stays off, and you can use extension leads from another room only if they are kept away from the wet area, and not run through water.

What the roofer does

We cannot do electrical work, but we can stop the cause. Ring 01256 213956 or send photographs by WhatsApp, and tell us the leak is near electrics, so we can put it in the right order. We stop water coming in with a temporary cover where needed, then inspect the roof, photograph the defect and put a price on the lasting repair in writing. Where the fault is on a flat roof, a pitched roof or a skylight, the survey shows which. Our guide to whether a leaking roof is dangerous covers the other risks, and the emergency and general roof repairs page lists the work.

Leaks that reach lights in the loft or the garage

The same rules apply to wiring you rarely see. Loft lights, junction boxes, cables laid across the joists and sockets in a garage or outbuilding can all get wet. Do not step around the loft to look if the cables are wet, and do not move insulation that is lying on cables, since both can hide damage. If a garage has a metal up-and-over door and a leaking roof, treat the opener and its power supply as hazards too. The principle is to switch off first, and ask a qualified electrician to check before anything is used again.

After the repair

Dry out the area fully and let the electrician sign off the wiring. Look for signs of lingering damp, such as tripping, flickering or a smell. Photograph the damage for your insurer, and keep the electrician's report with the roofer's survey.