Hi all you electrical specialists out there. Following a five-year fixed electrical test, it has been noted we need to change our fuses for our lighting and socket circuits, for the RCD type.

This issue was not picked up on the last inspection /test (4 years ago) and I didn’t think that changes to legislation and codes of practice are generally intended to be retrospective. Is this a case that they are retrospective and the last person missed this issue or are the new company taking us for a ride?

Is there something official I can refer to either way, when either going back to the company or convincing those upon high to agree this work.

Thanks for any help

Chris

Chris42,

Where in the country are you please?

Can you PM me with an email address, and send me the report & I will willingly make comments on the EICR.

Yes, I am more than competent to do this, and actually undertake the EICR if needed.

However, I am not looking for the work, what I HATE, is contractors who potentially drum up work from false requirements from remedials that are not required.

I am not stating that this is what has happened, but, it is not unknown.

It will be awkward to discuss this in open forum, as it will mean publishing the document and thus identifying all parties involved, which would be unfair.

Obviously the decision is yours, but, I am offering to do this for you as a fellow IOSH forum member, in the interests of trying to show that not all electrical people are out to tuck their customers up.

The requirement for change depends on the exact specification of the installation, it is not black and white.

There have been changes that have increased the requirement for coverage by RCD's, across both sockets & lighting, however, without seeing the reasons, and having more information on the installation then it is impossible to state what is required.

Originally Posted by: RayRapp

As an aside and apologies to Chris for hijacking his post, but what is a reasonable timescale for C2 & C3 remedial works from an EICR to be carried out i.e. days, weeks, months?

Ray,

This is a mute point, there is no defined timescale.  In fact a C3 does not even require any redress what so ever, as it would not result in an unsatisfactory situation on an EICR.

I have heard that some insurance companies are requiring C2's to be remedied in months, so < 1 year, but, that is hearsay, not official, and there is no guidance, it would be down to the competent persons engineering judgement as to how dangerous the C2 is, as it were.

C2 is potentially dangerous, in that it would require two simultaneous faults or actions to be dangerous, for example.

A simple C2 that many can understand would be a gas or oil pipe providing the means of earthing for the installation.  This is a latent defect, i.e. a fault, as it is not allowed, however, it does not become a real and present danger until there is a second fault in the installation allowing current to flow down the earthing system to earth through the gas/oil pipe, with all the, then, dangers of using a pipe carrying a flammable substance to carry the prospectively high fault currents that should be generated in the event of such a fault to instigate ADS in the electrical system.