EICR unsatisfactory due to 'no RCD protection to lighting circuits'

[brianmoooore]

A common mistake among some sparkies.
if it’s above=2.25M it does not need to have a water resistant fitting. A normal pendant is fine.

Pendant light? With most ceilings being around 2.4m, that's going to be a very short drop in most cases.
A batten holder might keeps things high enough, or a gallery fitting of some sort, but agree that IP44 or greater is preferable.
Always considered it strange that the 2.25m is measured from the floor, even over a bath. I've seen baths fitted with legs fully extended and the legs on wooden blocks to help with drainage problems.

 

[StephenRowley]

On a side note, depending on the board there may be a rcbo available that will fit and negate the need for a new board.

 

[herbiehowler]

Did I mention that the electrician who signed the report wasn't the electrician who did the inspection? Is that legal?

 

[littlespark]

Did I mention that the electrician who signed the report wasn't the electrician who did the inspection? Is that legal?

That doesn’t sound right, but they may have a reason.

I’m sure it explains it on the EICR, but the codes are thus;

C1 - immediate danger. Bare live wires, or sockets hanging off he wall... anything that any sane electrician would just turn the power off.

C2 - potentially dangerous. Something that isn’t C1 but close. The overheating bell transformer, for example. Although without seeing it, we don’t know it’s severity. (Has been known for dodgy tradesmen to melt plastics with a lighter to show “overheating damage“)

C1 - Improvement recommended. Not dangerous, and overall satisfactory. As mentioned above, an old Fusebox with rewirables can be satisfactory.

Was this EICR done because estate agent asked for it? Every house I’ve bought hasn’t had it done.

 

[richy3333]

If there is no RCD protection does the bathroom have supplementary bonding installed?

Theres not necessarily anything 'odd' about the electrician inspecting and someone else signing the report off. One could be the inspector and the other possibly the QS?

 

[StephenRowley]

Was this EICR done because estate agent asked for it? Every house I’ve bought hasn’t had it done.

Its a legal requirement for rentals now.

 

[littlespark]

Its a legal requirement for rentals now.

This particular op isn’t renting the house out though, I presume they are selling it.

 

[Grant1987]

Pendant light? With most ceilings being around 2.4m, that's going to be a very short drop in most cases.
A batten holder might keeps things high enough, or a gallery fitting of some sort, but agree that IP44 or greater is preferable.
Always considered it strange that the 2.25m is measured from the floor, even over a bath. I've seen baths fitted with legs fully extended and the legs on wooden blocks to help with drainage problems.

Depends on the location of the (Pendant) doesn’t it when your standing in the bath with a shower then ceiling height is reduced and especially if the pendant is within arms reach. All bathrooms without suitably IP rated light should be rcd protected in my opinion if they aren’t they C2 if they do have suitable IP rated light without rcd protection then C3. Easy to resolve isn’t it don’t have a pendant/batten holder in bathroom simple

 

[Deleted account]

This particular op isn’t renting the house out though, I presume they are selling it.

He isn’t selling it he going to rent it out.

 

[Grant1987]

He isn’t selling it he going to rent it out.

Isnt it irrelevant if it’s rental or owned its the regualations which is the debate and is open for interpretation. Hence why we all give our opinions

 

[John clark]

Can’t comment on the thermal damage as I cant see it. Photo would help.

IP rated bathroom light.

A common mistake among some sparkies.
if it’s above=2.25M it does not need to have a water resistant fitting. A normal pendant is fine.

i would advise getting a bathroom IP rated light, but would not code it if it’s above that 2.25M.
get your tape measure out.

I thought a batten fitting is acceptable

 

[brianmoooore]

Batten is not contrary to the regs as long as every part of it, including the lamp, is more than 2.25m from the ground, but an enclosed IP rated fitting is preferable on 'suitable for environment' grounds, or whatever the current wording is.

 

[herbiehowler]

Thanks everyone for your comments. The outcome:
I asked the report writer to change 'no RCD protection to lighting circuits' from C2 to C3. Not having heard back, I went down the route of sending the report as it stood, plus photos, to 3 other trusted electricians, and getting quotes for remedial work. One of these suggested using RCBOs instead of replacing the CU. Have gone with him because I'm saving hundreds of pounds. Today the original writer got back to me. Gave me a quote for using RCBOs (much higher than other quote) Then he said he'd change the C2 to C3. Declined because by then I'd had enough hassle, and lost my patience....

 

[brianmoooore]

Depends on the location of the (Pendant) doesn’t it when your standing in the bath with a shower then ceiling height is reduced and especially if the pendant is within arms reach. All bathrooms without suitably IP rated light should be rcd protected in my opinion if they aren’t they C2 if they do have suitable IP rated light without rcd protection then C3. Easy to resolve isn’t it don’t have a pendant/batten holder in bathroom

Curiously, it doesn't the 2.25m measurement is still from the floor, even if the lamp is diretly over the (raised) bath. Ridiculous, but that's what the regs say.

 

[brianmoooore]

To Herbiehowler : I'm still curious to know the exact height of that bathroom ceiling.