Emergency & immediate help
Power cut or short circuit in Mallorca: finding an emergency electrician
Before every call to an electrician there is one question that no portal answers properly: is it the grid or your own installation? The answer decides whether you pay a call-out charge or simply have to wait.
What you can do right now
- First the crucial distinction: are the neighbours without power too? Then it is a grid failure - the network operator is responsible, not your electrician. Calling out a tradesperson in that case only costs you the journey.
- Dark only at your place: check the consumer unit (cuadro eléctrico). The large switch on the left is usually the main switch (ICP or IGA), next to it sits the RCD (diferencial) and to the right the MCBs.
- If the RCD has tripped, switch all the MCBs off, switch the RCD back on and then close the MCBs one at a time. The one that trips it again belongs to the faulty circuit. Leave that breaker off and unplug the appliances on that circuit one by one - if it stops tripping, one of them was the cause. If it keeps tripping, the fault is in the wiring: stop switching it back on and call an electrician.
- If you smell burning, see scorching, find hot sockets or visible sparks: main switch off, and switch nothing back on. That is a job for a qualified firm, not for do-it-yourself. If there is visible smoke, glowing or flames the rules are different: leave the property and call 112 - the tradesperson comes afterwards.
What a call-out should cost
Establish on the phone whether a call-out charge applies, and describe the fault precisely - many firms can tell from the description alone whether a visit is needed or whether the problem lies with the network operator.
The single best protection against overcharging: insist on a written quote before any work starts - in Spanish a presupuesto previo. Refusing to give one is the common thread running through almost every documented complaint. A reputable firm will state the call-out fee, the hourly rate and any night or weekend surcharge without being asked.
What to say on the phone, in Spanish
If only the technician on duty picks up, these sentences get you through the call. Read the Spanish out loud; the line underneath tells you what it means.
- Buenos días, me he quedado sin luz en toda la casa.
- Good morning, the whole house has no electricity.
- Los vecinos sí tienen luz y el diferencial salta cada vez que lo subo.
- The neighbours do have power, and the RCD trips every time I switch it back on.
- Es urgente, ¿cuánto tardan en llegar?
- It is urgent. How long will it take you to get here?
- Estoy en [localidad], la dirección es [calle y número], y estaré en casa toda la tarde.
- I am in [town], at [street and number], and I will be at home all afternoon.
- ¿Cuánto cobran por el desplazamiento y por la hora de trabajo?
- What do you charge for the call-out and for an hour's work?
- Perdone, ¿me lo puede repetir más despacio?
- Sorry, could you repeat that for me more slowly?
Companies that state out-of-hours availability
These companies state that they can be reached outside normal business hours. We show openly what that claim is based on, and we are working through them by phone to confirm it. If in doubt, call two.
- Cafluma advertises out-of-hours service
Palma
States a technical maintenance service available around the clock, 365 days a year.
- ELECTRICA SEFEMA S.L.U. advertises out-of-hours service
Sa Pobla
Advertises its own team of technicians and a round-the-clock emergency service.
- Servicios Mallorca Rapid advertises out-of-hours service
7009 Palma
States it can be reached 365 days a year and offers same-day emergency call-outs.
- TECNOBALEAR - ELECTRICIDAD Y CLIMA advertises out-of-hours service
Palma
Lists electrical repairs and an emergency service among its services.
Other specialists for this trade
98 further companies in the directory, 15 of them German-speaking. These do not advertise out-of-hours cover - for an appointment on the next working day they are often the cheaper choice than a call-out.
Agm Electricista
Sa Vileta-Son Rapinya
AGM Electricista is a certified electrical installation company (Empresa Instaladora Certificada) based in Palma, working in Mallorca since 2010.
Alou Barceló S.L.
Santanyí
A long-established building services firm in Santanyí with its own showroom, offering plumbing, electrics, air conditioning and solar in four languages.
Alviluz
Sa Vileta-Son Rapinya
Elèctrica Alviluz S.L. is an electrical company based in Palma de Mallorca that has been trading since 1989.
ANSAT Electric & Telecom Services
Andratx
Electrical and network engineering firm in Andratx with a clear focus on KNX building automation and communications technology.
Antonio Seguí
Peguera
Locally based electrical business in Peguera handling installations and repairs in homes and holiday properties.
Anza-Electric S.L.
Santa Ponsa
Electrical business in the Poligono Son Bugadelles (Calle Magdalena 19): electrical installations, maintenance and repair, plus home automation (domotics), surveillance technology and network installations.
Armando Marcelo Giacomelli
Palma
Armando Marcelo Giacomelli is an electrician in Palma de Mallorca, based in Carrer Nuredduna.
Aselma Instaladora Sl
Palma
Specialist electrical firm in Palma with a focus on air conditioning and solar installations.
BALEAR HAUSTECHNIK SLU
Peguera
Heating and solar specialist in Peguera focusing on heat pumps, fuel cells and energy consultancy.
Bauko & Partner S.L.U
Santa Ponsa
Trade business in Santa Ponsa for building refurbishment, renovation and full restoration with all-round services.
CIEM
Palma
CIEM is an installation company in the Polígono Can Valero in Palma, covering electrical work, air conditioning, structured networks and fire protection.
Frequently asked questions
Is the power cut on the grid or in my own installation?
The simplest test: if the neighbours or the street lighting are without power too, it is the grid - then all you can do is report the fault to the network operator and wait. If only you are affected, it is your installation, and an electrician is the right person to call. That one question can save you a call-out charge.
What do the switches in a Spanish fuse box mean?
The cuadro eléctrico typically contains the main switch (IGA or ICP), one or more RCDs (diferencial) and several MCBs (magnetotérmicos) for the individual circuits. If the diferencial trips, there is usually an earth fault - often a faulty appliance. If a single magnetotérmico trips, the circuit it protects is overloaded or has a short circuit.
The RCD keeps tripping - what should I do?
Switch all the MCBs off, switch the RCD back on and then close the MCBs one after another. The circuit that trips it again contains the fault - usually a faulty appliance, and in summer often a water heater or a pool pump. If the RCD will not stay on at all, it is time for a qualified firm.
Are there electricians with emergency cover in Mallorca?
Yes, several firms state that they are available outside normal business hours - our directory marks which ones they are and whether we were able to confirm it by telephone. For work on the fixed installation you should only instruct registered electricians (instalador autorizado): only they may issue the installation certificate (boletín eléctrico) that you need for the grid connection and for insurance claims.
Why does the electrics fail more often during thunderstorms?
Surges from nearby lightning strikes are a real cause of damage in Mallorca, especially in rural areas with overhead lines. It is usually sensitive equipment that suffers: routers, televisions, pool controllers and the inverters of solar systems. Surge protection in the consumer unit costs considerably less than replacing the equipment.