Have I got a poor EICR?

[Confused]

Strima - Thank you. It is a tiny ancient cottage that I'm doing up but I don't live there or nearby at present so can't easily take a photo.
There is a small extension which was added in 1993. The consumer unit for the whole house is in the extension, thus I can date exactly. The wiring in the older part of the house may be older than 1993 though.
You're all being very helpful. Thank you.

 

[Cid]

Has he tested the actual wiring Or just visual observation? You may just need a new CU and bit of bonding in places if the wires are fine.

However If the wiring is very old and you're doing the house up then this is probably the best time to do the rewiring. Such opportunity does not come by very often. Best to get it out of the way now.

 

[Wilko]

Hi - it does sound like you are unhappy with the advice that you’ve got so far. Maybe you could find an Electrician who is recommended by a friend? It does sound like there are several faults that need looking into. For me, a rewire is not normally required to solve faults .

 

[andyb]

The observation are just relating to the lack of rcd protection and supplementry bonding, both of which can be rectified without a rewire.
But as Andy78 says, it's not possible to say whether a rewire is required without testing the installation.
Did either of the electricians report on the condition of the installation?
ie the cable.

 

[davesparks]

correct to current regulations.
Try and convince an insurance company that the regs are non retrospective.

No it's not, a light fitting without an RCD is not a C1 under current regulations, it is a C3.

 

[davesparks]

I'm now wondering whether I wasted my money on the report. I don't understand "4.8 Manual operation of circuit-breakers and RCD(s) to prove disconnection (643.10)". If this isn't sufficient information to ask an electrician to quote to fix this, I have wasted my money.

That is the exact wording of one line on the list of things which should be inspected/checked as part of the report. On the standard paperwork there is a box next to this where the electrician would record the result of this check.

What is being checked here is that when the main switch and circuit breakers are manually switched off that they actually disconnect the power.
On rare occasions switches and circuit breakers can fail or the contacts inside them stick/weld themselves closed so that despite the operating lever being in the off position the power has not been switched off.
Failing this inspection would normally, in my opinion, result in a C2 'potentially dangerous' code being applied.

 

[davesparks]

The original charge was going to be £150. The electrician said he'd reduce this to £90 as he had found sufficient defects to recommend a rewire (he didn't tell me what the defects were though). He said he'd send a quote for the rewire (still waiting). He said he wouldn't do a full report as he didn't want to waste my money when remedial work was definitely needed. I did agree to this.

The problem with this is it now forces you to use that electrician for the remedial work, you can't get comparison quotes because you don't have the report to quite from.
The EICR should be a job in itself and completely seperate from the remedial works (if any)

 

[andyb]

That is the exact wording of one line on the list of things which should be inspected/checked as part of the report. On the standard paperwork there is a box next to this where the electrician would record the result of this check.

What is being checked here is that when the main switch and circuit breakers are manually switched off that they actually disconnect the power.
On rare occasions switches and circuit breakers can fail or the contacts inside them stick/weld themselves closed so that despite the operating lever being in the off position the power has not been switched off.
Failing this inspection would normally, in my opinion, result in a C2 'potentially dangerous' code being applied.

Sticking my neck out slightly here Dave, but it looks that there are no RCDs on the installation and he has swept all RCD items as one and ticked every box with RCD in it, giving them all a code 1.

 

[davesparks]

Sticking my neck out slightly here Dave, but it looks that there are no RCDs on the installation and he has swept all RCD items as one and ticked every box with RCD in it, giving them all a code 1.

I agree that's probably what has been done, but as we all know that's not normally a reason for C1 or to recommend a rewire.

 

[ackbarthestar]

Strima - Thank you. It is a tiny ancient cottage that I'm doing up but I don't live there or nearby at present so can't easily take a photo.
There is a small extension which was added in 1993. The consumer unit for the whole house is in the extension, thus I can date exactly. The wiring in the older part of the house may be older than 1993 though.
You're all being very helpful. Thank you.

So its an ancient property which is in the prcoess of renovation. If you are planning to sell it on then I would then suggest a complete rewire. If you are planning to live in it then you need to ask yourself would you be happy to renovate and redocrate with the possibility of living on a possible fire hazard due to unknown cables under the floors?

 

[Confused]

ackbarthestar - that is a tad patronising. I requested an EICR to determine if there were any problems. That seems to me to be the sensible first step. The extension built in 1993 shouldn't need a complete rewire. The rest of the house shouldn't need a rewire simply on the basis of the house being old.
The EICR is clear that there are problems. It is as clear as mud to me WHAT the problems are. If it is as unclear to the professionals on this site - I have been given a poor report.

 

[Deleted account]

We’re in Devon are you. If your south Devon Torbay area I may be able to help. PM me.

 

[Toneyz]

The electrician(s) should have sat down with you and gone over the points raised.