Problem was a fault with the EXP pedal jack, confirmed by testing to see if custom EXP settings also drifted over time. They did.
Contacted and got confirmation from EHX customer service that unplugging the pedal wouldn’t have damaged it. They are talking me through steps to check what is wrong. I will update this post for future reference, in case anyone gets this problem in future. No need to reply, thanks.
Also, thanks in advance for any help. I really appreciate anyone taking the time.
Worth pointing out I’d had it 20 mins before the swell, so I don’t know if the problem was there before that or not.