ELECTRICAL INSTALLATION CONDITION REPORTS
All electrical installations deteriorate with age and use, and a working installation is not necessarily the same thing as a safe installation. They should therefore be inspected and tested at regular intervals to check whether they are in a satisfactory condition for continued use. Such safety checks are commonly referred to as 'periodic inspection and testing’ however the correct terminology is Electrical Installation Condition Report (EICR).
Depending on property type the time between EICR’s should be as follows:
10 years - owner occupied home
5 years - rented home
3 years - caravan
1 year - swimming pools
In addition, it is required of landlords that an EICR be carried out when a rental property changes occupancy. It is also recommended before selling a property so that buyers know the condition of the electrics.
An EICR will reveal if any circuits or equipment are being overloaded, find any potential electric shock risks or fire hazards and will also identify any defective electrical work or lack of earthing or bonding.
A thorough EICR will check every aspect of your electrical installation. This can take anywhere from a few hours to a day for domestic properties (depending on size and circuit count) and will require the installation to be powered down for most of this time.
An EICR begins with a thorough visual inspection of the installation. This takes into account all relevant circumstances and checks the adequacy of earthing and bonding, suitability of switchgear and controlgear, the serviceability of switches, sockets and light fittings, and the type of wiring system and its condition. It will also check for the presence of adequate identification labelling and notices, extent of any damage or deterioration, and any changes in use of the premises that could lead to unsafe conditions.
After the visual inspection, every circuit undergoes a variety of electrical tests both dead and energised to confirm condition. During this process all loads will need to be removed from sockets, light fittings etc. in order to produce accurate readings. As such we ask that on the day of the EICR consideration be given to access to all sockets and light fittings. We then make sure all protective devices operate correctly and within specified times. The adequacy of the earthing and bonding of the installation is verified directly by measurement and a full report is produced detailing our inspection and test results. If anything dangerous or potentially dangerous is found, the overall condition of the electrical installation will be declared to be 'unsatisfactory', meaning that remedial action is required without delay to remove the risks to those in the premises.
We deliver your EICR as a PDF document which can be provided to your insurer or tenant if required. This document includes a twelve section detailed report, the schedule of visual inspections (to which we can attach photos of any damage found), and the schedule of test results.
This document should be filed safely, as in the event of any injury or damage to property caused by the electrical installation, a court, inquest or insurance company will want this report. They will use it to try and establish the condition of the electrical installation at the time of the incident. The document also demonstrates to the authorities your commitment to electrical safety as a responsible person.
BUYER BEWARE! A quality EICR is an investment in your own safety and that of your entire household. There are plenty of electrical companies offering cheap EICR’s. The tactic here is to find as many faults as possible on a quick visual inspection resulting in an ‘unsatisfactory’ report, and then make the money back on overpriced remedial work that is deemed necessary. Often the most inexperienced and low cost personnel will be assigned to the job. We believe in producing an accurate, thorough and honest report that you can be confident will give you peace of mind about the safety of your electrics. A wise investment in your own future.