Certificates 4 Landlords - Smoke Alarms

Introduction

From the 1st October 2015 regulations require smoke alarms to be installed by qualified electricians in rented residential accommodation and carbon monoxide alarms in rooms with a solid fuel appliance. Changes are also made to the licence requirements in relation to houses in multiple occupation (HMOs), such as shared houses and bedsits which require a licence and also in relation to properties which are subject to selective licensing. The Regulations apply both to houses and flats. Failure to comply can lead to a civil penalty being imposed of up to £5,000.

These provisions only apply in England; not Wales.

EICR Electricians Glasgow

Who is affected?

The requirements are imposed on the immediate landlord. There is an exemption for providers of social housing. A tenancy includes a licence to occupy a residential premises and it also extends to subletting for these purposes.

In the case of a licensed HMO or where there is a selective licensing it is the responsibility of the licence holder to ensure that mandatory conditions imposed in relation to the installation of alarms are complied with.

The premises affected

These duties apply to residential premises which means premises all or part of which comprise a dwelling. Thus, it will apply to a flat over a shop. If the property is a licensed HMO or subject to selective licensing there are mandatory conditions imposed on licences.

The premises must be let under a specified tenancy or a licence. This is a tenancy or licence of residential premises which grants one or more persons the right to occupy premises as their only or main residence. Rent or a licence fee must be payable.

There are various exemptions:-

• A tenancy under which the occupier shares any accommodation with the landlord or a member of the landlord's family. There must be a sharing of an amenity which includes a toilet, personal washing facilities, a kitchen or a living room but excludes any reference to storage or access.
• A tenancy which is a long lease or which grants a right of occupation of the premises, i.e. for more than 21 years.
• Student halls of residence.
• Hostels
• Care homes
• Hospitals
• Accommodation relating to health care provision

Requirement for Smoke alarms

During any period beginning on or after 1st October 2015 while the premises are occupied under a tenancy (or licence) the landlord must ensure that a smoke alarm is equipped on each storey of the premises on which there is a room used wholly or partly as living accommodation. A living room will include a lounge dining room and kitchen as well as a bathroom or toilet. It also includes a hall or landing. This means that a smoke alarm must be provided in working order on each storey. The RLA takes the view that mezzanines are caught by this legislation where they contain a room used wholly or partly as living accommodation, including a bathroom or toilet. As regards individual flats located on one floor then there will have to be at least one alarm within the flat itself or alternatively are provided outside the flat on the same floor of the building, i.e. a communal alarm.

Likewise, for flats comprising more than one storey there will need to be a smoke alarm on each floor.

It is the location of an alarm which sounds which is crucial; not the positioning of detectors.

The Regulations do not stipulate what kind of alarm is required. Ideally it should be a hard wired alarm system. It can, however, be a single standalone alarm. Landlords are recommended by the RLA to fit ten year long life tamper proof alarms, otherwise there is a problem of batteries being taken out and not being replaced.

As a final note, heat detectors are not considered sufficient. It will have to be a smoke detector.

Carbon monoxide alarms

Additionally, landlords must ensure that there is a carbon monoxide alarm fitted in any room that is used partly or wholly as living accommodation which also contains any appliance which burns, or is capable of burning, solid fuel. This would include log and coal burning stoves and open fires, even if they are not normally in use, but does not include gas and oil boilers. If an open fireplace is purely decorative and not useable then it is not covered by the regulations.

Gas is not a solid fuel and so there is no requirement to fit one near a gas boiler. It is still advisable as best practice however.

Checks

The landlord is specifically required to carry out a check to ensure that smoke alarms or carbon monoxide alarms installed to comply with the Regulations are in proper working order on the day a tenancy begins where it is a new tenancy. A new tenancy is a tenancy granted on or after 1st October 2015.

For these purposes a new tenancy does not include a tenancy which was granted where the original agreement was entered into before 1st October 2015; nor does it include a periodic statutory tenancy which arises when a fixed term shorthold tenancy ends. It does not apply to a tenancy which starts at the end of an earlier tenancy where the landlord and tenant are the same as under the earlier tenancy and the premises are the same (or substantially the same) as those under the earlier tenancy. Therefore this express requirement to check does not apply to the renewal of a tenancy for the same premises by the same landlord to the same tenant. This should not be confused with the requirement to install detectors and alarms which applies to tenancies in existence before October 1st 2015.

In our view, landlords should not be under a false sense of security because of this provision. Our reading of the regulation is that there is an ongoing obligation to ensure that any smoke alarm or carbon monoxide alarm installed to meet these requirements is in working order. Alarms should therefore be checked periodically to see that they are working properly. There is no reason why this responsibility should not be placed on the tenant and the government guidance does suggest the tenant check monthly. However, the landlord will then have to make sure that the tenant does actually carry out the checks. If challenged, a landlord could have to show that a proper system has been put in place to check alarms regularly.

Placement of Alarms

The regulations do not tell landlords where to place the smoke alarms, instead the guidance suggests the landlord follow the manufacturer's instructions which will typically be at head height between 1-3 meters away from the solid fuel burning source for carbon monoxide alarms and in a circulation point for smoke detectors.

HMOs and Selectively licensed properties

As from 1st October 2015 new licence conditions will be included requiring the provision of smoke alarms and fire detectors. In the case of HMO licences they already contain provisions for alarms in any case. The regulations themselves are not applicable in this kind of accommodation.

Enforcement

The local authority is responsible for enforcement.

A local authority must serve a remedial notice within 21 days where they have reason to believe that the landlord is in breach of any of these duties relating to smoke alarms or carbon monoxide alarms. A remedial notice must specify the action to be taken within 28 days of the date of the service of the notice. It allows the landlord 28 days to make representations against the notice.

The landlord must then take the required action within the period allowed. There is an excuse for a landlord for non-compliance with the notice if the landlord can show that he has taken reasonable steps to comply with the duty, but the landlord is not required to take legal proceedings. This could cover a situation where the tenant refuses access to allow the work to be done.

If the landlord fails to take action then the local authority must, if it has the necessary consent to do so, arrange for the work required to be undertaken within 28 days of consent being obtained if consent of the occupier of the premises is required. Therefore if a local authority is also refused access by the tenant it cannot take the necessary steps itself.

Penalties

If the landlord is in breach the local authority may require the landlord to pay a penalty charge up to a maximum of £5,000. It has discretion whether or not to impose this charge. If it intends to impose a charge it must serve a penalty charge notice within six weeks from when it is first satisfied that a breach has occurred. A right to make representations against the penalty notice is given and the local authority may reduce the charge for prompt payment.

Appeals

If the local authority upholds a penalty charge notice there is a right to appeal for the landlord to the First Tier Tribunal. The Grounds of Appeal are:-

• Local authority has made an error of fact or law
• The amount of penalty charge is unreasonable
• The decision to impose a penalty is unreasonable for any other reason

Payment of the penalty is suspended pending any appeal.

Local authority penalty policy

Each local authority must publish a statement of principles which will be followed in determining the amount of any penalty charge. This statement will be taken into account in deciding on an individual penalty for a particular case.

electricians westend glasgow

Main Consumer Units

Fired-up over consumer units

A number of fire investigators throughout the UK have noticed a recent trend with an increasing number of fires involving plastic consumer units.

In the last five years, the Glasgow Fire Brigade has investigated 107 fires (October 2006 to October 2011), and in the last 12 months it has identified a 100% increase in these incidents, with 45 investigations concluding that the fire originated within a plastic consumer unit. 

There are several types of fault that lead to the ignition of the plastic enclosure/casing. The most common is localised resistance heating at the connection of the neutral link (solid or flexible) terminal connection bar. These conductors are used to connect the main isolation switch and the neutral connection/terminal bar. Other areas where a neutral connection fault can occur are additional neutral conductor links to connect other components (such as the conductor linking the main neutral connection terminal bar to the Residual Current Device (RCD[s]).

In general, electrical installation contractors may perceive neutral connections as less hazardous than the live connections. However, in a single-phase consumer unit the total current for the final circuits is flowing through the main neutral connections, which are just as susceptible to poor connections as the live connections. Other locations of defective connections that have resulted in the ignition of a plastic consumer unit are the connections at the input or output of a main isolator switch or the connections of an RCD.

What are the problems that lead to these defective connections? 

Poor workmanship by the installer is a one factor. The use of inappropriate tools, distraction when making final connections, not re-checking connections (particularly on larger conductors) or not checking the tightness of factory made connections can all lead to localised resistance heating. 

The actual construction of the connections by the manufacturer is another potential issue. Indeed, Nick Carey has noticed a significant change in the construction of connections/terminations within consumer units over the last 10 to 15 years. 

The use of one fixing screw per connection instead of two screws, the use of plated steel fixing screws instead of brass screws, quality issues with threads and quality issues with burrs of metal at the end of screws that limit the conductor/screw contact area. There has also been a change from rigid plastics to more aesthetically pleasing moulded plastic enclosures. 

The change with enclosure construction has also coincided with a product that electricians find easier and quicker to install, with soft plastic openings that are simple to remove and adapt for cable entry points.

Another more recent problem affecting several brands of consumer unit is a manufacturing defect within Miniature Circuit Breakers (MCBs) leading to resistance heating at the switching contacts area.

What are effects of these fires? 

The changes to the type of plastics used to construct consumer unit enclosures in the last 10-15 years and pressures on manufacturers to be environmentally friendly has led to a reduction or even an omission of fire retardants in the plastic used to construct the enclosures.

The results of fire investigations where physical evidence has identified the fire originating within a plastic consumer unit is that defective connections have led to the ignition and destruction of the plastic enclosures. The fire often develops to involve the entire plastic enclosure with burning droplets of plastic falling to the floor that on occasions can start secondary fires below. Other items stored or installed adjacent to the consumer units determine how the fire develops from this point. Some of the fires have also involved gas pipes, which has significantly increased the fire development. 

The fires have also injured a number of occupiers. Typically the injuries are smoke inhalation but there have been some burn injuries. Fortunately, to date, there have not been any recorded fatalities. However, there have been a number of near misses with the fire service rescuing occupiers trapped by the fire within their properties.

In one recent case, the consumer unit was located under the stairs in a terraced three-storey house (as shown in figure 1). The quantity of storage within the cupboard and the involvement of the timber staircase ensured the fire spread to the top floor. The fire was discovered by one of the occupiers at 1am and the other nine occupants were quickly alerted to the fire and they all successfully evacuated. The damage to the consumer unit was so extensive that it was not possible to identify the product brand.

Fires involving plastic consumer units often only leave the remains of the main switch, RCDs and MCBs with the remains suspended by the final circuit conductors. The plastics used in the casings of the main switch, RCDs and MCBs contain flame-retardants and are designed to withstand significantly higher temperatures than the plastics used in the enclosures. 

Figure 2 details the typical fire damage to the enclosure of a plastic consumer unit in a fire confined to the under stairs cupboard of a two storey house.

Ignition tests

A recent series of ignition tests was undertaken on five brands of plastic consumer units. The tests were initiated by the Glasgow Fire Brigade and undertaken with the collaboration of Bureau Veritas Solutions and the Electrical Safety Council. Initial tests identified that three of the five plastic enclosures did not use a flame retardant in the plastic. The other two brands used enclosures with a flame retardant incorporated in the plastic.

The first series of tests were confined to replicating the hot wire material test as specified in BS/EN 60947-1: 2007 + A1:2011. Criticism could be raised by the manufactures of consumer units as BS/EN 60947 is not a ‘product test’. However, the test successfully identified the ease in which the plastics used in the construction of the enclosures were ignited. A pre-conditioned hot wire is wrapped around a plastic sample and the wire is then energised with prescriptive electrical limits for up to 30 seconds. In these tests a maximum wire temperature of 550°C was measured.

The results of the hot wire tests were that with the exception of one sample of plastic that had a flame retardant, all of the plastic samples ignited irrespective of whether they did or did not have a flame retardant incorporated in the plastic. The shortest time to flaming ignition was 11 seconds for a plastic sample without a flame retardant and 16 seconds for a plastic sample with a flame retardant. 

All five plastic consumer unit enclosures were subjected to a needle flame test in accordance with the EN 60695-11-5:2005 standard. The needle flame was introduced into the consumer unit via a small opening to enable access to the main neutral connection at the neutral connection bar.

One of the consumer units with a flame retardant did not ignite and the flame was applied at four additional areas, again without ignition. The second consumer unit with a flame retardant ignited and once the needle flame was removed, the flame self-extinguished within eight seconds. 

The remaining three consumer unit ignition tests resulted in fires that spread from the initial needle flame to involve the entire plastic enclosure. The shortest time from needle flame application to the ignition of the plastic was eight seconds. Two of the ignition tests had to be halted after four minutes as the smoke being produced by the fire began to overwhelm the dedicated extraction system of the test facility (figure 3). 

Plastic Consumer Units in the UK have to be constructed in accordance with BS EN 60439 (replaced in 2011 by BS EN 61438). The plastic enclosures have to withstand 660°C glow wire product tests. The opinion of the author is that this test is not sufficient to ensure the safety of the occupiers in properties where plastic consumer units are installed. 

The data previously detailing fires that have originated within consumer units in the Glasgow area, resulting from various types of defective electrical connections, shows an increase in these life-threatening fires. 

The plastics used in the construction of consumer unit enclosures should therefore be more resistant to ignition from an internal defective electrical connection. In addition, the product should be constructed to ensure that any localised heating within the consumer unit should be contained within the product.

HOW TO REPLACE YOUR FUSEBOARD

What you MUST know before replacing your fuse board

Having made the decision to replace your old fuse board, it is important to ensure that this important job is completed by a competent electrician.

Think of your fuse board as the main hub of your home – its the ‘thinking centre’ to all electrical aspects in your home. If the job is carried out incorrectly, your home will be in a dangerous condition and your family is then at risk from electrical harm.

Firstly, I will outline the main reasons why you may need or want to upgrade your old fuse board to a new 17th Edition Consumer Unit:

• You are having some other electrical work carried out and need to comply with the regulations.
• Your old fuse board is overloaded and starting to cause problems for the remainder of the installation.
• Your wiring installation is in poor condition but you cannot afford a rewire, changing to a 17th Edition Consumer Unit will offer some protection.

Whatever the reason upgrading an old consumer unit to one incorporating two residual current devices (RCDs), is a job that many people will now have to consider at some point.

The above points may have been raised by another tradesperson in your home such as a builder if are having a large building project undertaken.

Please DO NOT be tempted into hiring anyone who IS NOT a qualified electrician to carry out electrical work in your home, even if they offer to carry out the work for a fraction of the price because ‘they know all about electrics’

It’s not just the price that counts, a competent electrician will be fully qualified, Part P compliantand fully insured to do the job AND have a lengthy guarantee on the job for years to come.

If the person fitting the consumer unit is not qualified, Part P compliant, and is not insured, it really is better to walk away. These people are not interested in your safety or future well being, they are only interested in your cash!

Yet over the years I have come across the same objections about price when quoting for a replacement consumer unit /fuse board. They normally go as follows…

• I can buy one myself for £80 in a well known DIY Shop
• My mate that works for %%%%%% can do it for £xxx
• I’ve had a quote from my builder and he reckons he can do it for £xxx
• Mick down the pub said if I get the board he’ll fit it for £50

Please don’t believe anyone who say you don’t need a certificate or dis-regards the importance of certification. Not only if an electrical certificate your peace of mind that your home is safe, it is also an important document that is needed should you wish to sell or let your home in the future.

It is not simply a peace of paper signed by the electrician, it is a legal document and the electrician needs to carry out several tests on the installation before they can issue a certificate.

The Electrician who carries out the installation should also issue the certificate. BEWARE some ‘electricians’ employ someone else to issue the certificate. This practice is NOT APPROVED and means your electrician is not Part P compliant.

So having obtained a quote from a genuine electrician, you might be wondering how they arrive at the cost.

So what is the Cost?

When you ask an Electrician to quote for a Fuse Board/New Consumer Unit, there are a number of things he will take into consideration, therefore costs will vary. You should be aware of these:

The materials involved

You can now go to a high street hardware/DIY shop and buy new Consumer Units for a reasonable amount of money, they come preloaded with MCBs, which may or may not be the right rating for your circuits, you will have to add to that the cost of Meter Tails and the fact that if anything goes wrong with the unit you will need to pay to have it removed and a new one refitted.

On the other hand your electrician will have accounted for all necessary items required and if he supplies the board it will be of good quality and if anything goes wrong with the unit he will have to replace it at no cost to you. You only Pay Once.

Checking earthing and bonding arrangements

Before the consumer unit is changed, the electrician will have checked the distributor’s equipment at the origin of the installation (where your meter is) along with the earthing and bonding arrangements. This is to ensure that they are properly connected, safe and that they comply with the regulations. If they do not then work may have to be postponed until the distributor rectifies any issues highlighted.

The time involved for installation

This will depend on the size of the property, number of circuits and location of the old fuse board. Stripping out the old, marking up cables ensuring they are in good condition and long enough then installing the New Consumer Unit.

The time involved in Testing

All of the circuits in the property will have to be tested, there is a series of predefined tests that must be applied to each of the circuits, and the results of this testing form a big part of the certification you will receive.

This is perhaps the most important part of changing a Fuse Board, however it is often the part that is not carried out correctly or at all by those who charge below market value for installing a new Consumer Unit. Often they will Fudge the test and fake the certificate, because they haven’t allowed time in their cost to do it correctly or they just are not capable of testing to the correct standard.

Allowance for Fault Finding

A good electrician will have built in an allowance for some Fault Finding because experience tells us that there are often minor issues that need to be resolved, if this has been built into the cost then often the electrician will not bother you with the detail, but will just rectify simple faults as found. Major faults would be notified to you and be discussed as a separate Job.

Again someone who is quoting below market value will not have factored in time for fault finding and you run two serious risks here. The first is that you are likely to be presented with an “Extras” bill at the end which could be substantially higher than your original quote or secondly the “electrician” will bodge the job in order to make it work so he can get paid his original fee, the result is you are left with a potentially dangerous installation.

Certification and Registration

Electricians have to comply with strict regulations, a change of consumer unit is a serious undertaking and must meet all of the relevant Standards and Regulations, in order to comply with these Electricians will issue Certification for both the Electrical Installation and for Compliance with Part “P” of the Building Regulations. Apart from the fact that doing this properly takes time, it also requires the electrician to be registered with an awarding body and all the associated costs that go with that, such as ongoing training, insurance, membership fees.

Profit

And finally we get to Profit, which is after all why any Electrician is in Business. A good electrician who runs a good business will have built in a profit margin into his quote for the job, this is how he stays in business and can provide a good service to his clients, he will be happy to take payment in any legal manner.

Your cheep quote electrician, will not have factored in profit, because in his mind it is pretty much all profit, he will supply a cheap quality consumer unit, fudge the test results, hide any faults that show up and then tell you he prefers to be paid in cash.

He is likely not registered, not insured and possibly not even qualified. If anything goes wrong and it will you have absolutely no comeback.

Conclusion

When you take all of the above into consideration, you will appreciate that there is a big difference between what you can buy a Consumer Unit for off-the-shelf in a well known DIY Chain, and the cost of a fully installed fully certified and fully guaranteed Unit. You should ask yourself when you get a cheap quote “How can he do it so Cheap”?…what is not getting done…

Most reputable electricians would agree that anything below £350 is too cheap and something is being missed and anything above £550 for a standard domestic board is too high (unless there are mitigating circumstances).

Electrical Safety Advice GLASGOW

ELECTRICIANS WESTEND GLASGOW

Electrical Tips from a local Electrician in the westend of glasgow

Don’t remove a plug from a power point by pulling on the cord; pull the plug instead.

Never plug adaptors into adaptors and avoid using adaptors filled with plugs where possible.

Switch off electrical items that are not in regular use at the plug and ensure that when we are away from the house for any length of time that you unplug and switch off electrical items as items left plugged in can be a fire risk and waste energy if left on standby.

Do not use any electrical items in the bathroom unless specifically designed for use there, eg. Shavers and electric toothbrushes. Even with these items however, take care not to get wet and avoid plugging and unplugging with wet hands.

Do not use items with damaged cords so that the wires are exposed. Either repair or replace. Check items regularly.

Do not use damaged sockets, replace with care when necessary.

Always turn the electrics off at the mains if carrying out any electrical repairs and only attempt repairs if you know what you are doing.

Ensure any electrical items are approved standard when purchasing and keep them correctly maintained where necessary. Look for the BEAB seal of approval.

Do not use electrical equipment outside if it’s raining.

Use the correct wattage light bulb for all light fittings.

Circuit breakers and fuses should be the correct size current rating for their circuit.

CALL US TODAY 01418405236

electricians giffnock clarkston Glasgow

ELECTRICAL CONTRACTOR WESTEND GLASGOW

working the weekend usually is the ideal way to spend you saturdays, i would rather be attending some sporting occassion or heading to the cinema for some nachos and popcorn. But when rewires come up its important to have a rewire comeplete as soon as it is possible to do so.

Wes electrical rewiring a 4 bedroom house in clarkston glasgow, it has took us 4 days to get it ready to test, which is the part of the job that can be most enjoyble but it also tells you any mistakes that have been make or other wise so you can understand that this is an important part of the job.

firstly going to test the final ring circuit of the downstairs ring circuit, we have 10 sockets on this ring with no spurs off of it. Going to test 1. insulation resistence 2 earth loop impedence 3 continuity 4 polarity.

this test can take up to 40 min to complete and record.

i am then going to repeat this on the upstairs electrical ring circuit.

Once the testing is complete you can the turn the power back on sign the document and hand over the report and at this point this is when you are looking to get paid.

Electrician Clarkston Glasgow

www.weselectrical.co.uk

electricians scotland

hi there havent posted for a while the econemy seems to have picked up here in Glasgow, as i have been non stop. dont get me wrong its a good thing i just wish it would be more evenly spread out over the year instead of just hitting with chunks of work here and there. but cant complain, got a busy day 2moro finishing off a electrical rewire in glasgow, then off to the westend to fit a consumer unit for a customer that looks like it is an emergency, but they wont be in there tonight and we have isolated the electricity for tonight untill i get the work done 2moro. well off to sleepys for me night all iain

electrical contracting glasgow scotland

Welcome to the website of SELECT – Scotland’s trade association for the electrical industry. Founded in 1900, SELECT is an independent and autonomous association representing the interests of Members, driving up industry standards, ensuring that work carried out by Member companies is of the highest quality and training the electricians of the future. This website is to give you the information you need about who we are and what we do. Please have a good look at what we offer. www.wesuk.co.uk

Electrical contractor Glasgow

Electrical Contractor Glasgow LIKE US ON FACEBOOK T. 0141 8405236 M. 07790144057 Welcome to W.E.S Electrical, We are leaders in the Electrical contracting industry in Glasgow and the west of Scotland. If you're looking for a reliable Professional Glasgow electrician, Electrical Contractor, or a 24 hour call out electrical contractor or an Electrical Testing engineer in Glasgow, Westend glasgow ,Paisley or in Renfrewshire, you've come to the right place. Our small team of Qualified electricians offer a 1 hour turn around time for a call out if required and your located within a 10 mile radius of our Head Office Located In Braehead, Renfrewshire. We offer an 1 hour response 24 hour electrical service for our professional electricians to attend your home or place of business if needed in the Glasgow - Renfrewshire area. If your based outside of the Glasgow or Renfrewshire area and need an Professional Electrician or electrical contractor, we can offer a two hour call out service to give you peace of mind. We have customers who specifically come to us to carry out full electrical rewires because of our reputation to carry out and complete the job on time and on budget. We have carried out projects for councils to shop rewires, to 6 bedroom homes all wiring is tested inspected by our 17th edition fully qualified electricians.If you are in need for a free quotation for an electrical rewire call us to arrange a survey of the work needing done. T.01418405236 It is no hassle for us to come out and see you after working hours or the weekend. We also offer 24 hour emergency electrician call out throughout the night and at weekends. If you do have an emergency electrical situation dont hesitate to call us and in most cases offer a 1 hour response. W.E.S Electrical provides unparalleled Mechanical and Electrical Services in the Commercial, Industrial and domestic sector. From minor lighting, Audio Visual installation, shower installations and power alterations, to the installation of M & E services in industrial / commercial units - we cater for both large and smaller contracts around scotland. All our electricians are fully qualified 17th edition electricians, and our apprentice electricians are hand picked and attend electrical college 20 weeks a year to become qualified Electricians this is so our customers can have peace of mine that they have qualified professionals carrying out installation, Repairs or electrical testing.

We offer fast 24 hour emergency response. Based in Glasgow and operating throughout the region, we offer a friendly and professional service. Operating within the Domestic , retail (Shops,shopping centers,store outlets), commercial, and industrial Sectors,WES Electricals ability to deliver Contracts and projects on time and within costs agreed with the client, As well as unparalleled maintenance services across Scotland has enabled WES electrical to become one of Scotlands leading electrical contractors and is somthing that we pride ourselfs in. Electrical and Maintenance Tips If purchasing an antique light or a metal light fitting always ensure that a fully qualified electrician has tested to confirm the existence of an earth to prevent against shock. Prevent against overheating in lighting transformers for low voltage fittings by ensuring cavity and loft insulation are kept well away from the fitting and from the transformer itself. To avoid flickering on low voltage down lights when dimmed check the overall rating of the lamps against the capacity of the dimmer for example if you have 8 x 50w lamps a 300w dimmer switch would burn out upgrade it to a 400w dimmer switch. If the total slightly exceeds the dimmer's capacity, use 35W lamps instead of 50W. If you have a socket underneath a or neath a washing maching or sink put this circuit on a 20 amp RCBO, to prevent all of your sockets being effected incase of mosture ingress. To prevent electrical showers burning out always pull the pull cord / 45amp switch to the off position. If you feel you do not have enuff sockets in your house, or you house has skirting sockets or are all single sockets in the rooms consult an electrician to test the installation it is more than likley over 25 years old and in todays world it can be hazardous as we consume so much electricity. ITS FOR YOUR OWN SAFTEY. If you feel unsure contact a fully qualified electrician.