Electrical fault finding — Edinburgh, East Lothian & Midlothian
Tripping circuits, dead sockets, flickering lights — found methodically, explained in plain English, and fixed at a price you approve first.
Emergency? We answer out of hours — call 01620 843 804.
First-hour diagnostic £120 + VAT · Fixed quote before any repair · Out-of-hours available
What's it doing?
Pick the symptom — we'll tell you what it usually means and how urgent it really is.
Don't wait on a form — call now: 01620 843 804. Switch the affected circuit off at the board first.
Book it: get my fixed price →
How we find faults — and how we charge for it
Electrical faults hide. A tripping RCD might be a faulty appliance, moisture in an outside socket, or a nicked cable under a floor — and the only honest way to find out is methodical testing: isolate circuits, split them, test each leg, close in on the cause. That's what you're paying for, so we charge for it honestly: a first-hour diagnostic rate of £120 + VAT, then a fixed quote for the repair before we do it. No open-ended hourly meter.
Most faults are found within the first hour. Common culprits: a failed appliance dragging the RCD down, water in outdoor fittings after rain, worn accessories on old circuits, and DIY additions that were never quite right. Some "faults" are really symptoms of tired wiring — if that's what testing shows, we'll say so and price the real fix (see rewiring and fuseboard upgrades) rather than patching around it monthly.
When it's dangerous: a burning smell, scorch marks, buzzing from the board, or sockets hot to the touch mean switch the circuit off and call — that one doesn't wait for a quote. Everything else is an annoyance, not an emergency, and books like a normal visit.
How it works
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Describe the symptom
What happens, when it started, and what makes it trip. The clearer the story, the faster the find.
2 minutes -
Diagnose
Methodical circuit testing at the first-hour rate. Most faults are identified inside that hour — you get the cause in plain English.
Usually within 1 hour -
Fixed quote, then fix
Simple repairs are often done on the spot. Anything bigger gets a fixed quote first — you approve it before work starts.
Quoted before any repair
First rate electrician — very easy to work with and very professional.
John Wilson — Google review
Fault finding questions, answered
Why does my RCD keep tripping?
Usually one of three things: a faulty appliance leaking current to earth, moisture in an outdoor socket or fitting, or a damaged cable. Unplug everything on the circuit and reset — if it holds, plug items back one at a time and the culprit reveals itself. If it trips with nothing plugged in, the fault is in the wiring: that's our job.
How much does it cost to find a fault?
£120 + VAT for the first-hour diagnostic, which finds most faults. After that you get a fixed quote for the repair — approved by you before any work. You never pay an open-ended hourly rate for someone hunting.
Do you do emergency callouts?
Yes — we answer out of hours for genuine emergencies: burning smells, scorching, total power loss, anything unsafe. Call 01620 843 804 rather than using the form.
Why has only part of the house lost power?
Partial power loss is usually a faulty connection at the fuseboard, or a loose connection somewhere else in the home. Either can run hot, so don't keep resetting it — call us and we'll trace it.
Can I just keep resetting the breaker?
A breaker that trips once in a blue moon isn't a crisis. One that trips repeatedly is protecting you from something real — resetting it again and again ignores the warning while the fault (and sometimes the heat) builds. Twice in a week? Get it looked at.
Whose job is a fault in a rental — landlord or tenant?
The fixed installation — wiring, sockets, switches, fuseboard — is the landlord's responsibility under the Repairing Standard. Tenants' own appliances are theirs. We work for both: tenants report, landlords approve, and we invoice whoever's responsible with the fault documented.
Related services
Where we do this: Edinburgh · East Lothian · Midlothian
Something tripping, buzzing or flickering?
Describe the symptoms and we'll tell you what it might be — and get it found and fixed. Urgent and unsafe? Skip the form and call.
Loading the enquiry form… If it doesn't appear, call 01620 843 804.
Urgent? Call 01620 843 804 — we answer out of hours.