PERIODIC INPECTION REPORTS WESTEND GLASGOW LANDLORD CERT

Periodic Inspection Explained

All electrical installations deteriorate with age and use. They should therefore be inspected and tested at appropriate intervals to check whether they are in a satisfactory condition for continued service. Such safety checks are commonly referred to as 'periodic inspection and testing'.

A periodic inspection will:

• Reveal if any of your electrical circuits or equipment are overloaded.
• Find any potential electric shock risks and fire hazards.
• Identify any defective electrical work.
• Highlight any lack of earthing or bonding.

Tests are also carried out on wiring and fixed electrical equipment to check that they are safe. A schedule of circuits is also provided, which is invaluable for a property.

How often is a periodic inspection required? Your electrics should be inspected and tested every:

• 10 years for an owner-occupied home.
• 5 years for a rented home.
• 3 years for a caravan
• 1 year for a swimming pool.

Other times when a periodic inspection should be carried out are:

• When a property is being prepared for letting.
• Before selling a property or buying a previously-occupied property.

Who should carry out the periodic inspection and what happens? 
Periodic inspection and testing should be carried out only by electrically competent persons, such as registered electricians. They will check the condition of the electrics against the UK standard for the safety of electrical installations, BS 7671 – Requirements for Electrical Installations (IEE Wiring Regulations).

The inspection takes into account all the relevant circumstances and checks on:

• The adequacy of earthing and bonding.
• The suitability of the switchgear and controlgear. For example, an old fusebox with a wooden back, cast-iron switches, or a mixture of both will need replacing.
• The serviceability of switches, sockets and lighting fittings. Items that  may need replacing include: older round-pin sockets, round light switches, cables with fabric coating hanging from ceiling roses to light fittings, black switches and sockets mounted in skirting boards.
• The type of wiring system and its condition. For example, cables coated in black rubber were phased out in the 1960s. Likewise cables coated in lead or fabric are even older and may well need replacing (modern cables use longer-lasting pvc insulation).
• Sockets that may be used to supply portable electrical equipment for use outdoors, making sure they are protected by a suitable residual current device (RCD).
• The presence of adequate identification and notices.
• The extent of any wear and tear, damage or other deterioration.
• Any changes in the use of the premises that have led to, or may lead to, unsafe conditions.

The competent person will then issue an Electrical Installation Condition Report detailing any observed damage, deterioration, defects, dangerous conditions and any non-compliances with the present-day safety standard that might give rise to danger.

If any dangerous or potentially dangerous condition or conditions are 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.

If you would like to arrange for a Periodic Inspection to be carried out, the following leaflets may be helpful:

electricians glasgow

NEW CONSUMER UNIT FUSEBOX GLASGOW

Fuseboxes explained

 

Your Fusebox – the fusebox also known as consumer unit should be easy to find. You should make sure you know where it is in case you ever need to turn the electricity off in an emergency. It usually contains three things, and they are used to control and distribute electricity around your home. They are: The main switch; Fuses and/or circuit breakers; and Residual Current Devices.

A) Main Switch – this allows you to turn off the electricity supply to your home. You might have more than one mains switch, for example if your home has electric storage heaters. In this case you may have a separate fusebox.

B) Residual Current Devices (RCD) these are switches that trip a circuit under dangerous conditions, and instantly disconnect the electricity.

If your home has one or more RCD, test them regularly. Just follow the instruction label, which you should find near to the RCD. It should read as follows:

“This installation, or part of it, is protected by a device which automatically switches off the supply if an earth fault develops. Test every three months by pressing the button marked ‘T’ or ‘Test’.”

Testing the button every three months is important. The device should switch off the electricity. You should then switch it back on to restore the electricity. Do not hold the test button for a long period if the RCD does not trip. If it doesn’t switch off the electricity when you press the button, contact a registered electrician.

C) Circuit Breakers – these are automatic protection devices in the fusebox that switch off a circuit if they detect a fault. They are similar in size to fuses, but give more precise protection. When they ‘trip’, you can simply reset the switch. But make sure you correct the fault first.

Fuses  (not on the image, may be found in place of circuit breakers) –rewirable fuses have a piece of special fuse wire running between two screws. When a fault or overload current flows through the fuse wire, it will become hot and melt. The melted fuse breaks the circuit, disconnecting the faulty circuit and keeping you safe.

If your fusebox has a wooden back, cast iron switches, or a mixture of fuses it is likely that it dates back to before the 1960s and will need to be replaced.

electricians westend glasgow

WESTEND GLASGOW ELECTRICIANS

RCDs Explained By   a Professional Electrician

An RCD, or residual current device, is a life-saving device which is designed to prevent you from getting a fatal electric shock if you touch something live, such as a bare wire. It can also provide some protection against electrical fires. RCDs offer a level of personal protection that ordinary fuses and circuit-breakers cannot provide.

Below are the questions most commonly asked about RCDs (click to expand answers).

What does an RCD do?

An RCD is a sensitive safety device that switches off electricity automatically if there is a fault.

An RCD is designed to protect against the risks of electrocution and fire caused by earth faults.  For example, if you cut through the cable when mowing the lawn and accidentally touched the exposed live wires or a faulty appliance overheats causing electric current to flow to earth.

How does it work?

An RCD constantly monitors the electric current flowing through one or more circuits it is used to protect. If it detects electricity flowing down an unintended path, such as through a person who has touched a live part, the RCD will switch the circuit off very quickly, significantly reducing the risk of death or serious injury.

What are the main types of RCD?

Fixed RCDs

These are installed in the consumer unit (fusebox) and can provide protection to individual or groups of circuits. A fixed RCD provides the highest level of protection as it protects all the wiring and the sockets on a circuit, and any connected appliances.

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Socket-Outlet RCDs

These are special socket-outlets with an RCD built into them which can be used in place of a standard socket-outlet. This type of RCD provides protection only to the person in contact with equipment, including its lead, plugged into the special socket-outlet.

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Portable RCDs

These plug into any standard socket-outlet. An appliance can then be plugged into the RCD. They are useful when neither fixed nor socket-outlet RCDs are available but, as with socket-outlet RCDs, they provide protection only to the person in contact with the equipment, including its lead, plugged into the portable RCD.

• What are the main types of RCD?
• Why is RCD protection important?
  RCD protection can save lives by protecting you and your family from fatal electric shock, and can provide some protection against fire.

  Every year in the UK around 70 people die and 350,000 are injured as a result of electrical accidents at home.  A Government report also indicated that, each year, about 4,000 fires caused by electricity in homes might have been prevented if RCD protection had been fitted in the consumer unit.  Despite this, more than half of UK homes – that’s 13 million - don’t yet have any, or an adequate level of, such additional protection.

  RCD protection is particularly important whilst using mains-powered electrical equipment outdoors, where there is an increased risk of electric shock.

  (To provide additional protection against electric shock, an RCD must have a rated tripping current of no more than 30 mA. The rating will be marked on the RCD.)

How much will RCD protection cost?

A plug-in RCD can cost as little as £10. A fixed RCD will cost more, but will provide a greater degree of protection to help keep your family safe. Installation costs will vary, so we recommend getting several quotes before proceeding.

How do I check whether I already have fixed RCD protection?

To check if you have fixed RCD protection, go to your consumer unit and have a look to see if there is a device with a pushbutton marked ‘T’ or ‘Test’. This ‘test’ button is part of an RCD. If an RCD is fitted, there should also be a label on or near the consumer unit stating ‘test quarterly’.

If you have an RCD, you should check that it is functioning properly by pushing the test button every three months. When tested, the RCD should switch off the power to the areas of the home it protects. 

The RCD (or RCDs) in your consumer unit may not cover everything in your home, such as the lighting circuits, so it’s a good idea to check - while the RCD is off - which sockets and lights are no longer working, showing that they are protected by that RCD.

Switch the RCD back on to restore the supply.

If your RCD does not switch off the electricity supply to the protected circuits when the test button is pressed, or if it does not reset, get advice from a registered electrician.

If you don’t have RCD protection fitted in your consumer unit, the best way to protect yourself in the short term is by using a portable RCD, which you can find in most DIY or gardening stores.  All you have to do is plug it into a socket and plug the appliance into the RCD.  The appliance will then be safer to use.

However if, for example, you damage a hidden cable when fixing something to a wall, you won’t be protected against electric shock unless you have an RCD in your consumer unit protecting that circuit.

Is it a requirement to install RCDs?

In 2008 a new edition of the UK standard for the safety of electrical installations, BS 7671, came into effect. This standard calls for virtually all electrical circuits installed in homes since then to be provided with additional protection by means of an RCD.

The Electrical Safety Council has electrical safety advice on a range of issues regarding home electrics and other areas.

if in doubt contact an electrician westend glasgow