What to Expect During a Home Electrical Inspection by a Domestic Electrician

Electrical issues are one of the biggest causes of house fires in the UK. Yet they’re often hidden – behind walls, under floors or in fuse boxes most people never open.

Enter the home electrical inspection. But it’s not just about ticking boxes. Booking a professional home inspection catches problems before they turn into something dangerous or expensive.

Qualified electricians can give you a real-time picture of what’s going on in your electrical systems. It’s a quick and easy way to stay safe, compliant and covered.

When Should You Book an Electrical Inspection?

When you should book an inspection depends on your situation. Here are the most common situations:

– Every 10 years (for homes you live in).
– Every 5 years for rental properties (or at each change of tenancy).
– When buying or selling a home, especially if the electrics haven’t been looked at for a while.
– After major work like an extension, loft conversion or kitchen refit.
– When things aren’t working properly, such as flickering lights, tripping circuits or odd smells.
– If your consumer unit still looks like it came from the 80s.

Don’t wait for something to spark, buzz or blow. Inspections cost a lot less than emergency callouts or rewiring jobs.

What Does a Domestic Electrician Check?

Think of it as a health check for your home’s electrical system. A good domestic electrician will look at:

– Your consumer unit (fuse board) to check if it’s modern, safe and working properly.
– Earthing and bonding to make sure shock protection is in place.
– Sockets and switches for cracks, overheating or signs of overuse.
– Lights and circuits to find damage, poor wiring or signs of DIY jobs gone wrong.
– RCDs and breakers to check they’ll trip if something goes wrong.
– Old or outdated wiring that’s no longer safe.

A home electrical inspection is more than just a look around. A domestic electrician will test resistance, current flow and how your system performs under pressure.

Step-by-Step: What Actually Happens?

Never had an inspection before? Let’s look at what to expect.

Show-and-Tell

Your electrician will ask if you’ve noticed any problems and will inspect the layout of your home.

Visual Inspection

They’ll check sockets, switches, the fuse board, visible cabling and anything that looks off.

Testing

With specialist tools, they’ll test circuits to see how the system responds. You might lose power whilst this is happening.

The Report

After testing, you’ll be provided with an EICR, or Electrical Installation Condition Report. This tells you whether things are working well enough or not.

Explanation and Advice

If work is needed, the report uses codes:

– C1 means immediate danger.
– C2 means potential danger.
– C3 is a non-urgent recommendation.

The electrician will explain what these mean in plain English.

What Happens If the Report’s Not Satisfactory?

Faults in your report? Don’t panic! Your home might be safe to live in, but some repairs need to be carried out.

A domestic electrician should be able to give you a quote for the necessary work and book you in. Then a follow-up is needed for confirmation that everything is working as it should. This is especially important for landlords who need to stay legally compliant.

For homeowners, it’s also useful when dealing with insurance or selling the property.

Why It’s Worth Doing

Let’s be honest – booking an electrical inspection probably isn’t top of your to-do list. It’s not flashy, it doesn’t come with before-and-after photos and no one’s going to compliment you on your upgraded fuse board. But it’s one of the most sensible things you can do for your property.

Improved Safety

Wiring issues can sit quietly for years before turning into something serious. A proper inspection helps catch problems early, long before they become dangerous.

Fewer Nasty Surprises

Flickering lights and tripping fuses are irritating. Left unchecked, they can lead to much bigger issues… Problems that can leave you spectacularly out of pocket. An inspection spots the warning signs so you’re not left dealing with emergency callouts down the line.

You Stay on the Right Side of the Rules

For landlords, having an up-to-date Electrical Installation Condition Report isn’t optional – it’s the law. However, even for homeowners, insurers or mortgage lenders may want proof that the system has been checked, especially if your home’s on the older side.

Reassurance When Selling or Renting

Buyers love seeing safety certificates. It shows you’ve looked after the property. For rental homes, it’s one less delay before tenants can move in.

Peace of Mind

Even if everything comes back fine, it’s still good to know. You can stop wondering if that buzzing socket is about to blow and start focusing on more enjoyable things – like choosing new kitchen tiles or ignoring your garden for another week.

Why Choose DGEC for Your Electrical Inspection?

We’ve been inspecting and maintaining domestic systems since 2009. We’re NICEIC registered, properly trained and reliable.

We’ll show up on time, explain everything clearly and treat your home with respect. No jargon. No guessing. No mess.

You’ll get:

– Straightforward reports
– Honest advice
– Fair prices
– Friendly service

We work across Fife, Dundee, Perth and Edinburgh, and most of our clients find us through recommendations.

Book Your Home Inspection Today

Think your electrics could use a check? Or just want to stay ahead of future issues?

Get in touch with DGEC. We’ll let you know if your home is due for an inspection and explain what’s involved. No hard sell. Just solid advice and service you can count on.