Many people don't realise that just like their car they should have their electrical installation of their property checked out by a qualified electrician to make sure it's electrically safe, the good news is that unlike your car this doesn't have to be done every year but (providing it's in a good condition) every 10 years.
The electrical installation check is known under a few different names such as;
- Electrical Safety certificates.
- Landlords safety report.
- Landlords safety certificate.
- Electrical safety test.
- Periodic Inspection & Test
Periodic Inspection Reports
What is a Periodic Inspection Report? PIR
A periodic inspection report is a report on the condition of an electrical installation, it is not as sometimes mistakenly known a safety certificate but a report on how safe the electrics are. It is essentially an MOT for your properties electrics. The report is usually a six page document (depending on the size of the property to be inspected & tested) and consists of
• Details of the electrical installation,
• Items inspected and tested and
• Observations & recommendations.
Why Have a Periodic Inspection Report?
As with cars the electrics within a property degrade due to general wear and tear and age or what was safe working practice 40 years ago is not today, therefore it is advisable to have a PIR completed on a property to check to make sure it’s ‘road worthy’. There are many things that are either are not seen or known about the general state of an electrical installation and these should not be overlooked, Just because a light comes on when a switch is flicked does not mean that it is 100% safe. A wire may be loose, a fuse or MCB (Miniture Circuit Breaker) may be over rated and not protect the cable which may overheat (this especially happens when too many adaptors are used in one socket) or it could be a DIY attempt gone wrong, all of these could start a fire. After having a PIR you may find it would be better and safer to have a house rewire, take a look here for having your house rewired
What is involved in a Periodic Inspection?
Firstly and most importantly an inspection of the electrics is carried out. Are there signs of damage, wear and tear or ageing components? The consumer unit or fuse board, main supply, earthing, sockets, switches and light fittings are checked to make sure the cables supplying them are installed properly and are suitable for the intended purpose and continued use. Cables that are concealed in walls under floors or in conduit or trunking however are not inspected, as this would not be practical. Any observations that are made during the inspection are noted and given a code, listed below:
• Code 1 Requires urgent attention
• Code 2 Requires improvement
• Code 3 Requires further investigation
• Code 4 Does not comply with British Standard 7671 this does not mean it is dangerous
After the inspection a test of the installation is carried out and the results noted on the report.
When Should I have a Periodic Inspection Report?
If you don’t have a PIR for your property then it would be advisable to have one done sooner rather than later. But generally a Domestic property should have a PIR every 10 years or change of occupancy. The frequency that a PIR should be carried out on other types of properties varies dependant on use and can be anything from 1 –5 years.
I hope you found this post useful
Paul Jennings
7 comments:
Everytime I use any of the 2 showers in my house there is a very toxic electrical smell as if something is burning which last for about 6-8 hours.if you are only in the shower for a couple of minutes nothing happens but 5 minutes and over is when the trouble starts.the one shower upstairs is part of a modernised bathroom the shower room downstairs has been there for a long time but I have changed the shower unit twice in the past 9years
Hi,
firstly I'd suggest that you 1. don't use the showers and 2. get a qualified electrician in to have a look.
This could be one of 2 things, either you have underrated cable for the size of the shower so every time you use the shower the cable gets hot and starts to melt or there is a loose connection either of which can cause a fire.
I have found these two problems with my customers installation to be more common than people think.
Paul, I've read your advise and wondered if you can help me. We are selling my mum's house in Northern Ireland (she died last year - my blog www.homecarecharges-apersonalexperience.blogspot.com
There is a buyer interested and I attach an e-mail I forwarded last night to the Estate Agent acting on our behalf. They rang my sister saying the purchaser wanted an electrician to check the electrics and read below to see what happened.
'Keith/Lindsay,
I'm contacting you via e-mail as Glynis has rung tonight. She is extremely upset by the way the electrics in the house were checked tonight. The proposed purchaser with her boyfriend, his younger sister and his father arrived. Glynis was content to let them have free access around the house but it was only when she heard (the father) rifling through items in the electric box (without asking) in order to examine it, that she went in to see what was happening. They came with two screwdrivers. They took a screwdriver from the electric box and the proposed purchaser then asked if it would be okay to use it. The father unscrewed and pulled away from the wall the kitchen light switch then replaced it. From there they went into the front hall and unscrewed and also pulled away the light switch which he had a some difficulty replacing.
Then they went upstairs to the side bedroom where the father lay on the floor and extricated a low level plug socket. He was at it so long he couldn't remember which way the switch operated and his son had to switch on the T.V to check that his father had left it in working order. In the same bedroom the father also tried to extricate the light switch. From there they went into the 'blue' bedroom and while the father was at the light switch he asked his son to unscrew the ceiling rose. Because the son was overstretched he could not unscrew it so the father actually started to look for something for his son to stand on. (Glynis may as well have been invisible). The father was intent in doing what he came to do. The light was on during this time and Glynis actually commented that 'somebody is going to get electrocuted here'. The younger girl remembered that there were step-ladders in the hot press so the father went there and decided to work at that ceiling rose instead.
We don't know what this chap's credentials are- it wasn't what we were expecting, WE BOTH FEEL THE 'INSPECTION' EXTREME AND POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS. I AM ALSO EXCEEDINGLY WORRIED THAT THIS CHAP HAS MADE THE HOUSE UNSAFE. Only the proposed purchaser apologised a couple of times to Glynis and mentioned she couldn't wait to 'get in' but Glynis was so taken aback by this 'irregular inspection' that she replied 'we are in no hurry to sell' and I reiterate that wholeheartedly. The father should not have been ripping apart/interfering with the electrics. I do not want any further access until the house is sold. If the sale falls through we are left with the situation where this person has interferred with the electrics. I am extremely concerned'.
I would appreciate your comments.
Regards
Alana
Hi Alana,
I must say this does sound strange and un professional, being so far away and unable to have a look at what they may have done myself it would be hard to say whether it has been left in an unsafe condition even so it would be hard to know what they may have done or how it was before.
If you take a look at my businesses website here http://www.electrical-concepts.co.uk/index.php?page=testing it says about what happens in a Periodic Inspection Report (an electrical safety check).
Taking switches and sockets off is certainly normal however you do need more than a couple of screw drivers to do this along with an electrical tester!
Normally an electrical safety inspection will take around 3 -8 hours depending on the size of the house and the owner should be given a copy of the 3 page electrical report.
If you are really concerned about the state of the electrics I would call an electrical contractor in to have a look at it.
I hope this helps.
Paul
Hi Paul,
Like everybody else that contacts you i am looking for some advice, i am in the middle of buying my first house, for my sins it is a reposession!
I am doing it a little blind as i have very little knowledge of buying and especially works.
I am obviously going to get an electrical check carried out, but i do worry about beingtaken for a ride, is there such a thing as (or advantage using) a company that do tests but not remedial works. Would this ensure a more accurate report or is it a false economy
Thanks for your help - the site is great and just what people need!!!
Hello,
I suppose there could be an advantage to just using a company that only tests, It would be a good idea for you to call several companies find out their prices for a Periodic Inspection Report (electrical Test) in your area.
You don't have to use the company that does the electrical report and after they have done it you can get other companies to quote for the required remedial works.
I'd be more worried of a company that doesn't do a proper electrical inspection! if they say it'll only take 1/2 an hour then stay away, a 3 bed house will take around 1/2 to a full day depending on the number of circuits.
It will come down to whether you trust the electrician/ electrical contractor doing the report, personally I'd never suggest unnecessary work and despite how the media portrays traders I think their are more honest people than Rogues. Look for a company that is TrustMark Registered
http://www.trustmark.org.uk
or a company from the UK consumer Protection Agency.
http://www.consumerprotectionagency.co.uk/
If you'd like send me your details through our website contact form and I can give you a call
http://www.electrical-concepts.co.uk/index.php?page=contact
,further more if after you have the report done scan and email me the electrical report and I'll be happy to comment on it.
Paul,
Thank you so much, i shoudl complete next friday so i will definately be in touch!
Can't thank you enough for help, it's really appreciated, and really refreshing!!!
Lyndsey
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