What to check before you call an electrician
Some call-outs end with a reset button and a slightly embarrassed customer. We would rather you found that out for free, so here is what is safe to check, and just as importantly, what is not.
Skip all of this and call now if
Any of these mean stop, isolate if you safely can, and get someone out. Nothing below is worth diagnosing yourself.
- Burning smell, smoke, scorch marks or melted plastic
- Anyone has had a shock, however mild
- Water is getting into a socket, light or the consumer unit
- Exposed conductors or a damaged accessory hanging from a wall or ceiling
- A breaker that will not stay on with everything unplugged
The five safe checks
All of these are done without removing a cover, a faceplate or the consumer unit lid.
- Look at the consumer unit and note any breaker or RCD sitting in the off or middle position
- Work out the pattern: one item, one room, half the house or everything
- Check whether a prepayment meter has run out of credit, which we do get called to
- Unplug everything on the affected circuit and reset the tripped device once only
- Check a fused connection unit or plug fuse for the specific appliance affected, for example a boiler spur
Information that gets you a faster fix
If the checks do not solve it, having these details ready shortens the visit and often the bill, because we arrive with the right parts rather than diagnosing from scratch.
- When it started and whether anything changed just before, such as DIY, a leak or a new appliance
- Whether it is intermittent or constant, and whether it follows a particular appliance
- The make and rough age of the consumer unit, and a photo of it with the cover closed
- Whether the property has ever had an EICR and roughly when
- Access details, including parking, loft access and who will be in
What never to attempt
Do not remove socket or switch faceplates, do not open the consumer unit, do not replace a fuse with anything other than the correct rating, and never bridge or bypass a protective device. Every one of those has killed people, and the money saved is not close to the risk taken.
Certain work is also notifiable under the Building Regulations and must be certified, which is a separate reason DIY circuit work causes problems later, usually at the point of sale or at the next EICR.
Common questions
Will you charge me if it turns out to be a tripped breaker?
A call-out is a call-out, which is exactly why this page exists. Try the safe checks first and we would rather you saved the money.
How do I know which breaker is which?
A well-labelled board tells you. Where labelling is missing or wrong, which is very common, identifying circuits properly is part of an EICR.
Is it safe to take a socket front off to look?
No. The terminals behind are live unless the circuit is isolated and proven dead with test equipment, and looking gains you nothing.
The RCD trips only sometimes. Is that still worth reporting?
Yes. Intermittent tripping usually means moisture or a failing appliance, and it is much easier to trace while it is still happening.
How quickly can someone attend?
We work 8am to 9pm seven days a week across South Wales, and anything with heat, smell or a shock is prioritised.