Which electrician's advice should I follow?

[Flatowner]

Dear Electricians

Scenario: privately owned and occupied flat, not tenanted.

Electrician 1 - Completed an EICR report. Recommended upgrading the consumer unit to a metal unit
Electrician 2 - Was concerned at readings achieved on electrician 1's EICR and informed me that the readings did not make sense unless electrician 1 disconnected everything and stripped everything down. Recommended not replacing consumer unit, but instead move some of the circuits on to the RCD, some on to an RCBOS.

Are both electricians correct please?

 

[Flatowner]

Thank you, that's really helpful. Yes, it is a Heatrae Sadia Electromax boiler.

 

[Timbo]

I'd be inclined to go with Electrician 2's advice.
Makes more sense.

 

[Grant1987]

I'd be inclined to go with Electrician 2's advice.
Makes more sense.

Yes I would too, however I’m seeing that bedroom sockets on radial 16A I think it was non rcd protected and yes it was installed before 18th edition I’m assuming but was there any mention of that? Pretty high reading of 1.3 ohms I think it was with 4 points. The report looks poor in my opinion just slapped together and readings don’t seem to add up

 

[westward10]

I'd be inclined to go with Electrician 2's advice.
Makes more sense.

Agree rcbos are readily available for that board.

 

[Teddy Lop]

C2 for RCDs for fault protection on tncs?
C2 for RCDs for buried cables? On yer bike!

Yeah go with spark 2 although I'd personally suggest a new consumer unit rather than chucking money on RCBOs for a old unit, especially an MK, but that would be optional...

By hallway is it an escape route? Another prompt to consider a fire-retardant CU, again only recommended though.

 

[pc1966]

Sadly I think the NICEIC guidance was C2 for RCDs, odd as they contribute to BPG#4 which has it down as C3 (except for special areas where C2).

 

[Dartlec]

Sadly I think the NICEIC guidance was C2 for RCDs, odd as they contribute to BPG#4 which has it down as C3 (except for special areas where C2).

Even on the #E5 podcast where they tacked the NAPIT guy about it, his only defence was 'well that's normally a LIM on a periodic anyway' - without giving any good engineering judgement.

Saying that it is always a C2 is in effect saying RCD is required on all domestic properties, since there are very few with any armoured or other suitable cabling - or indeed with the cable >50mm deep.

 

[Soi disant]

Saying that it is always a C2 is in effect saying RCD is required on all domestic properties, since there are very few with any armoured or other suitable cabling - or indeed with the cable >50mm deep.

What does BS 7671:2018 say?

 

[Dartlec]

What does BS 7671:2018 say?

Quite a lot - it's 560 pages...

What it doesn't say in any clear or definitive way is whether existing cabling less than 50mm deep in a wall is a C2 or a C3.

Since it covers requirements for new installatons, almost by definition an install to BS7671:2018 wouldn't have a single code, even a C3 - as that would be a deviation, however small.

 

[Soi disant]

Quite a lot - it's 560 pages...

What it doesn't say in any clear or definitive way is whether existing cabling less than 50mm deep in a wall is a C2 or a C3.

Since it covers requirements for new installatons, almost by definition an install to BS7671:2018 wouldn't have a single code, even a C3 - as that would be a deviation, however small.

None of that is what I meant, really.

Saying that it is always a C2 is in effect saying RCD is required on all domestic properties, since there are very few with any armoured or other suitable cabling - or indeed with the cable >50mm deep.

But an RCD is required on all domestic properties.

One may debate the coding, but not that it is not a contravention or non-conformance.

 

[telectrix]

couple of C2's there that should not be. e.g. C2 for cables in walls with metal parts????

C3 for no RCD luminaires.