Electrical Report on My House

[Tony Harte]

Hi Guys and possibly Girls? I hope you can help. I have employed an electrician to carry out a electrical report on my property prior to sale. It seems that some estates agents are suggesting a full report now rather than just an energy efficiency report. I would prefer to know that the property is in A1 condition electrically before selling it on to another party, so I am happy to cover the cost.

The electrician has carried out a thorough report with which I am really happy with and I am happy to pay for his time to rectify any problems he has found. He explained to me about the classifications and there are a number of 3’s that he can resolve at little cost. The biggest issue is a 2 which is a short between the Neutral and earth wire on the downstairs lighting circuit, he says it can sometimes be difficult and time consuming to resolve but he has explained to me the process that he will use to find it. Which I think I understand?!

Anyway he tried to explain to me what the safety implications were if this was left as it is and that he couldn’t pass the house as safe with it as it is. But I don’t really understand and we seem to be on a different wavelength if you know what I mean? Can someone put it in layman’s terms to explain to me, what could potentially happen if it was left as it is? I have no intention of cutting corners and leaving it as it is but would like to fully understand the potential of the problem.

I am a bit technical but don’t get too heavy on me!!!!

Regards
Tony

 

[DPG]

Welcome to the forum

 

[DPG]

Going back to your earlier question, PEN refers to a combined protective earth and neutral conductor. This is used in modern supplies which are referred to as PME (protective multiple earthing). Without getting too techy, it allows the supply companies to avoid the need to provide separate earth and neutral wires - they use a combined one up to the customers premises, after which it is seperated.

There are constraints and requirements which need to be met to allow this to be done, the main one being that the PEN needs earthing at various points, hence 'protective multiple earthing'.

Does that make sense? It did in my head but I struggled to get it into words.

 

[Risteard]

To be ---- it is actually a TN-C-S system of which PME is one example.

PEN = Protective Earthed Neutral.
ESB = Electricity Supply Board.
DSO = Distribution System Operator.

 

[DPG]

To be ---- it is actually a TN-C-S system of which PME is one example.

PEN = Protective Earthed Neutral.
ESB = Electricity Supply Board.
DSO = Distribution System Operator.

You are correct - I was trying to keep it as simple as I could though!

 

[Taylortwocities]

@Tony Harte Welcome!
I really admire your goodwill to future vendors (at your expense too).
Most people let the buyer find out about this sort of thing for themselves - usually after they've moved in!
You may well have opened a can of worms that will need some effort to resolve, and to make good and carved up floors/walls/ceilings.

Not being negative, but good luck. I'm interested to see how this progresses!

 

[Octopus]

Back to the op.

Have you got a copy of the report?

If so, Google best practice guide no. 4 and take a read.

Happy reading

 

[Deleted member 9648]

Why the dislike Risteard?

 

[Tony Harte]

Ok thanks guys for replies. So as I understand it, so correct me if I am wrong. So any current in a circuit instead of returning down the neutral wire to the fuseboard, if there is a neutral earth short, it could return down the earth wire instead (because ultimately the earth and neutral are joined together before they enter the house) and because that is smaller in size, it potentially couldn’t handle this current and could overheat causing a fire risk?

Oh and btw the electrician has been here this afternoon and found the problem. It took him a couple of hours and he had to take a few light fittings down to work out how the wire ran around the house but by a process of elimination he tracked it down to a faulty light fitting. He showed me on his meter that when he removed it from the lighting circuit it cleared the short. When he took it apart the neutral wire had the insulation damaged on it, where it was shorting to the body of the metal fitting. He even fixed the fitting for us!

So we are all good apart a few C3’s.

Thanks again

 

[Tony Harte]

Back to the op.

Have you got a copy of the report?

If so, Google best practice guide no. 4 and take a read.

Happy reading

Thanks I have a handwritten copy that he showed me. He was entering it on an iPad and said he will send me the report once he has finished typing it up.

 

[Taylortwocities]

Excellent. Sounds like yr spark knows what he is about.

 

[Risteard]

Why the dislike Risteard?

Fat fingers to put it bluntly. Apologies for that. I had intended to hit "agree". I do dislike how close together all the positive and negative icons are though!

 

[telectrix]

Fat fingers to put it bluntly. Apologies for that. I had intended to hit "agree". I do dislike how close together all the positive and negative icons are though!

beer goggles don't help.

 

[telectrix]

Thanks I have a handwritten copy that he showed me. He was entering it on an iPad and said he will send me the report once he has finished typing it up.

good result.

 

[Risteard]

beer goggles don't help.

Nor whiskey goggles!

 

[telectrix]

Nor whiskey goggles!

how the other half lives ! whiskey before dinner. my flabber is gasted.