Words of wisdom please re an installation condition report

[yorkshirelad]

I hope someone on here can help me with this.

My 25-year-old daughter is buying a house with her partner, they are just about to exchange and after a long delay, the vendor has finally provided an installation report dated 2015 carried out when they purchased the property.

What concerns me that there are multiple (10) C2's on there, and 6 C3's but there is no indication that the work has been done.

My concern on viewing the property was it didn't have a modern consumer board which I appreciate isn't a legal requirement and I know RCD's are also not essential on original wiring but looking at the report I'm more concerned about

'the absence of supplementary bonding in the bath or shower' etc.
'the absence of earthing at socket outlet',
'a ring final circuit having a discontinuous conductor'
'absence of a circuit protective conductor other than a lighting circuit, supplying class 1 equipment.
'unsatisfactory electrical connections, such as type, number and size of conductors unsuitable for the means of connection'
and 'adequacy of cables for current-carrying capacity with regard to the type and nature of the installation.'

Are these dangerous and should they be addressed or is this just the difference in what was previously okay but now isn't?

I understand the cost of rewiring is around £3k for a 3 bed-semi and that's more than they can afford, they're just weeks away from the exchange. If this moves forward I may be looking on here for a Harrogate based electrician.

Many thanks for your help

 

[MJPD29]

If your spending a large amount of money on a house I would be getting my own EICR done by an independent spark rather than relying on that. It's a very small cost on the grand scheme of buying a house.

 

[pc1966]

Can you post a copy of the report with any personal details redacted?

Also can you provide a couple of photos of the consumer unit (CU = fuse box), as well as anything else that looks now quite right?

Sometimes what is down as C2 is a bit dubious, but from the descriptions you have provided there are some things that need fixing. But remember you do not have to go with the person/company that did the EICR no (matter what they imply).

 

[pc1966]

My concern on viewing the property was it didn't have a modern consumer board which I appreciate isn't a legal requirement and I know RCD's are also not essential on original wiring but looking at the report I'm more concerned about

'the absence of supplementary bonding in the bath or shower' etc.

Without RCD protection then inadequate bonding in a bathroom (or similar special location) is a serious issue. However, a new board with full RCD protection is often in the £500-750 sort of region.

'the absence of earthing at socket outlet',
'a ring final circuit having a discontinuous conductor'

Both of these are serious issues, but normally cheap to fix by any competent sparky.

'absence of a circuit protective conductor other than a lighting circuit, supplying class 1 equipment.

Not sure of the details here. If it were lights then it is typical of a house wired pre-1966. It can be managed and there is guidance on this, but it is the sort of issue that usually points to a rewire as the best solution.

However, what you say suggests it is not lights so is, maybe, a simple fix but it could be more serious.

'unsatisfactory electrical connections, such as type, number and size of conductors unsuitable for the means of connection'
and 'adequacy of cables for current-carrying capacity with regard to the type and nature of the installation.'

More details needed here I'm afraid.

If you fancy some background reading then the Best Practice guide #4 covers EICR issues, and the BPG #1 has guidance for work where lights without a CPC (earth) can be handled.

Best Practice Guides | Electrical Safety First

Electrical Safety First produces, in association with other industry bodies, a range of Best Practice Guides which provide definitive information and guidance on a range of technical subjects.

www.electricalsafetyfirst.org.uk

But I would see what others on here say if you can give more info, and maybe someone local can take a look for an idea of the best/affordable options they have.

 

[timhoward]

I was typing a similar post to @pc1966
My opinion:
'the absence of supplementary bonding in the bath or shower' etc.
Becomes non-issue most of the time once a new consumer unit fitted and all circuits in room have RCD protection.
'the absence of earthing at socket outlet',
Can be anything from a wire fallen out to a bigger problem. Needs investigation to determine. Not normally too bad.
'a ring final circuit having a discontinuous conductor'
Needs investigation, if can't be easily resolved there are normally easy workarounds (split into two radials)
'absence of a circuit protective conductor other than a lighting circuit, supplying class 1 equipment.
This gives an idea of age of wiring - up to 1965 ish. If not lighting this needs looking at with urgency. It might be linked to the socket without earthing above.
'unsatisfactory electrical connections, such as type, number and size of conductors unsuitable for the means of connection'
'adequacy of cables for current-carrying capacity with regard to the type and nature of the installation.'
My reckless guess is these relates to size of main tails or earth. More info needed to determine. Quite often size of earthing and bonding on older installations are smaller than would be installed new. If it is that a board change would review these as part of the job.

In all circumstances I would plan on around £500-600 for a new consumer unit with RCD protection. That buys a lot of peace of mind while issues are investigated and plans made.
The last three issues are the main ones that concern me, the others can likely be sorted out or worked around.

 

[pc1966]

But remember you do not have to go with the person/company that did the EICR no (matter what they imply).

Just to clarify - I am not saying there is anything wrong with the report you have, or the honesty of the electrician behind it. Just raise awareness that it sometimes happens that is not the case, and you are free to get others to fix things if you want.

 

[littlespark]

I’m surprised the sellers lived in the house for 6 years knowing these C2’s were present and didn’t do anything about them.

 

[yorkshirelad]

Can you post a copy of the report with any personal details redacted?

Also can you provide a couple of photos of the consumer unit (CU = fuse box), as well as anything else that looks now quite right?

Sometimes what is down as C2 is a bit dubious, but from the descriptions you have provided there are some things that need fixing. But remember you do not have to go with the person/company that did the EICR no (matter what they imply).

Many thanks for all your replies, I've uploaded a copy of the report as requested by pc1966. I really appreciate all the answers, thank you for all your input

 

[yorkshirelad]

I’m surprised the sellers lived in the house for 6 years knowing these C2’s were present and didn’t do anything about them.

 

[yorkshirelad]

Yes, I agree. I'm still awaiting word back from the vendors but I would have thought if work had have been one they would have noted that on when they sent the report to the solicitors. Also if you had done work I would have thought they would have upgraded the consumer board.