popping noise from wall

[Silly Sausage]

As others have said, it's the cable insulation breaking down.
Had one at home many years ago, occasional load bangs & blown fuse.
Eventually there was an almighty loud bang, saw the flash through the gaps in floorboards, circuit fuse intact, suppliers fuse blown. Cable totally destroyed!
This was just a cable clipped to the underside of the ground floor joists.

Probably time to get an electrician in, unless of course you're capable yourself.

 

[ruston]

If you changed the sockets did you notice if it was PVC covered or was it black rubber ?

 

[philtypet]

Cable was PVC covered

 

[telectrix]

might not be insulation breakdown . could be a fractured conductor arcing.

 

[ruston]

Time for a bit of testing , if it has stopped when you have disconnected that circuit you have a problem that needs sorting PDQ.

If you have no test equipment it will be difficult to do yourself. You have a head start , at least you know what area it is in and which circuit it is. If the wire is in the cavity and you can hear it , it's one loud pop.

 

[Mark_Burgess]

Have you had cavity wall insulation recently?

 

[Bubblecraft]

I had a customer with the same problem just a few months ago. A hell of pop!
Found it behind the skirting - chewed by a rat!

 

[ruston]

Cracking pictures by the way. Were they taken with a camera or phone?

 

[Amp David]

Same as post 17.

One time it was rat damage behind kitchen units and the second was from some crap work by someone else who had clipped the insulation of the cable when clipping to the wall.

On both occasions, the presence of damp made it worse.

 

[Bubblecraft]

Cracking pictures by the way. Were they taken with a camera or phone?

Cheers. Can't mind if it were my iPhone 4 or my iPad 3.