New Consumer unit without any certification

alan8901 · Feb 4, 2018

Hi All,
I am looking to sell my late fathers house and a bit concerned by the lack of certificates for recent (ish) electrical work. A new consumer unit was installed about 3-5 years ago and there is no paperwork with it.

I suspect that the work wasn't registered anywhere, so i reckon not done properly.

I want to get an electrician in to look at it, but should i be asking her/him to replace the consumer unit and carry out an electrical safety test? What kind of tests should I be asking for?

The house does have a mixture of red/black and brown/blue wiring so a bit worried that i might have to get the whole thing re-wired.

[ElectriciansForums.net] New Consumer unit without any certification

Thanks
Alan

Spoon · Feb 4, 2018

alan8901 said:
I want to get an electrician in to look at it, but should i be asking her/him to replace the consumer unit and carry out an electrical safety test? What kind of tests should I be asking for?

The house does have a mixture of red/black and brown/blue wiring so a bit worried that i might have to get the whole thing re-wired.

If the electrics are fine then there is no need for a new CU or to have it re-wired.

KEV 1 N · Feb 4, 2018

To be fair, it looks like a tidy job!
For peace of mind get a local registered electrician to carry out an Electrical Installation Condition Report (EICR) and that will determine whether there’s any issues.

telectrix · Feb 4, 2018

what he said ^^^^^^. get a report done, depending on the extent of the inspection test, expect to pay between £150 and £250. this will highlight any problems. then any remedial work can be done.

Midwest · Feb 4, 2018

You could check your local building control web site, see if a compliance certificate was issued. If the installer had done that, I suspect the work would of been done with the appropriate certification.

As regards, the sale. You could wait and see what your solicitor and vendors solicitor request, before parting with your cash.

alan8901 · Feb 4, 2018

Thanks all for the advice - much appreciated! I'll get an electrician in to carry out a an EICR and go from there.
I've had a quick look on my local building control website, but cannot find where to search for compliance certs, so i'll give them a call tomorrow.
If, as i suspect, there are no certs does that cause an issue when selling? Or will getting any defects sorted by a qualified electrician and getting an EICR cover the house?

Midwest · Feb 4, 2018

I would hold fire about ringing them, if the work has not be notified your LBC may ask for a regularisation certificate; the fee currently charged by my LBC is £600!

On my local council web site, it is;

Building Control > View Applications > Simple Search > click property tab, enter property address > Select Address > click property history tab, then view Building Control Applications. Should reveal Replacement Consumer Unit, if it had been notified.

Gavin John Hyde · Feb 4, 2018

Given you are looking to sell the house, you could just ask the solicitor handling the transfer to obtain a indemnity policy, This will cover the buyer in the event it doesn't comply or has not paperwork etc..
You can quite legitimately put on the forms you do not know as you inherited the house, worse case is you will need an indemnity policy for around £100. Might work out cheaper than an EICR.
Thing is if you get a EICR and it doesn't comply it could be used by the buyer to knock the price down. You would have the issue of giving the eicr to the buyers with possible issues, you are then in a position where you cant get a indemnity policy if you know it doesnt comply due to false representations for the policy etc..., so keep it simple do nothing and let buyers decide via there solicitor if they want an indemnity policy.
But looking at your image that looks a pretty tidy job, would be surprised if a dodgy electrician put that much time and effort in and then didnt do the paperwork.

Midwest · Feb 4, 2018

Personally, I wouldn't ask my solicitor to do anything, they charge you £***, just to reply to a phone call!

If you haven't certificates etc, just sit tight and see what transpires, its 'buyer beware'. The house is there for them to view, if they send in a surveyor, that's when the thorny issue 'may' arise. After that, is about negotiations on the way forward for the sale.

Toneyz · Feb 4, 2018

Gavin John Hyde said:
Given you are looking to sell the house, you could just ask the solicitor handling the transfer to obtain a indemnity policy, This will cover the buyer in the event it doesn't comply or has not paperwork etc..
You can quite legitimately put on the forms you do not know as you inherited the house, worse case is you will need an indemnity policy for around £100. Might work out cheaper than an EICR.
Thing is if you get a EICR and it doesn't comply it could be used by the buyer to knock the price down. You would have the issue of giving the eicr to the buyers with possible issues, you are then in a position where you cant get a indemnity policy if you know it doesnt comply due to false representations for the policy etc..., so keep it simple do nothing and let buyers decide via there solicitor if they want an indemnity policy.
But looking at your image that looks a pretty tidy job, would be surprised if a dodgy electrician put that much time and effort in and then didnt do the paperwork.

Got to agree with Gavin there it does look a good job.

The Ghost · Feb 4, 2018

Usually building control is not viewable within the public domain so you may draw a blank there. Odds are that it was an NICEIC contractor that did the work. You can check with them to see if they hold a cert. Do you have no receipts (maybe bank statement showing who was paid?) for the work? If so can you ask the contractor that did it for a copy of the cert? I agree with above it is a tidy job as it goes and the likliehood of no cert. is low so there is one out there it is just a bit of detective work.

Midwest · Feb 4, 2018

Vortigern said:
Usually building control is not viewable within the public domain so you may draw a blank there. Odds are that it was an NICEIC contractor that did the work. You can check with them to see if they hold a cert. Do you have no receipts (maybe bank statement showing who was paid?) for the work? If so can you ask the contractor that did it for a copy of the cert? I agree with above it is a tidy job as it goes and the likliehood of no cert. is low so there is one out there it is just a bit of detective work.

It is within the public domain, like any planning applications; its a simple search.

mhar · Feb 4, 2018

Don't see that it will make much difference but when the DNO install an REC2S isolator, the supply comes in the top which they can then seal so the customer only has access to the outgoing (isolatable) terminals. In other words it looks upside down to me!
Also is that tape being used for conductor identification or has the sheath been removed?

Octopus · Feb 4, 2018

Vortigern said:
Odds are that it was an NICEIC contractor that did the work.

Why?

Ian1981 · Feb 4, 2018

It’s a Double pole isolator so whether the supply is in the top or bottom it won’t make any difference and the seal can be placed anywhere on the cover terminals to prevent removal by non authorised persons.

New Consumer unit without any certification

alan8901

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Spoon

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KEV 1 N

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telectrix

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Midwest

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alan8901

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Midwest

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Gavin John Hyde

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Midwest

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Toneyz

The Ghost

Midwest

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mhar

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Octopus

Ian1981

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