Hello everyone. My name is Roy and I came across this forum whilst searching for EICR related problems. I am not a tenant or a Landlord but I believe I can give unbiased and professional advice in the interest of weeding out rip off EICRs and correcting any misinformation given by unscrupulous electricians who carry them out. Please feel free to post and I’ll do my best to give you correct and honest advice. It is my passion to help destroy myths and bs surrounding these reports. Thank you.
As an example, an Electrical Installation Condition Report (EICR) is a report. It is not a certificate, a landlords certificate, a safety certificate or any other label that gets used for these reports.
There is no such thing as a pass or fail. This is wrong. There are only two official outcomes of a test and inspection. SATISFACTORY or UNSATISFACTORY.
Yes Colin. If you get an EICR that does not have ‘satisfactory’ or ‘unsatisfactory’, its not correct. Electricians don’t fail or pass an electrical installation. Its pedantic, yes, but necessary because its how the Regulations require it to be worded. BS7671 is the overriding regulations for wiring. Its not an exam!
Its common practice amongst unscrupulous electricians to say ‘it doesn’t comply with latest Regulations’. Anyway, I hope to be able to help in some way towards preventing rip off reports and this type of thing.
Welcome! And thanks for offering your services. Here’s one for you….can cables be run in cavity? (Installed c.1980) My understanding is that this is acceptable?
Also, the consumer unit has to be “easily accessible”. Would being located in kitchen cupboard which requires getting on knees and reach to back to access be classed as such?
Can MCB and RCDs be used from different manufacturers in the same unit?
Hi Mark. Cables in the cavity of a cavity wall? Its unusual but does occur in ‘older’ properties. Sometimes could be used as a solution to overcome an otherwise more difficult alternative. Its not unsafe.
Accessibility of CUs is not always easy to maintain. They get covered by cupboards or clutter but as long as its possible to reach to turn off the main switch or individual circuits, it is accessible. More formal guidance has been issued in later editions of the Regs to regulate heights. Its more of an issue for less abled people. It could be very difficult job to move a CU.
As for components of a CU they should really be of the same make else there are compatibilty issues with the connection to the busbar or alignment with the front opening. Its very poor practice to mix them and its best not to. Often CUs become obsolete and components are no longer available.
Thanks for reply…Yes - cables are in an outside wall cavity. I had an electrician advise on some remedial work requirements but my gut was he was pushing for work on some things. Looking at the CU on a recent property it looks like the case is from one unit and inners from another. What would amount to being “unsafe” in respect of the fit of the plastic CU casing? It would be hard to change without removing kitchen units.
Hello Mark. If, as you say, the internal components are all of the same make then I should say there is no safety issue at all for being inside an enclosure.