Certificate to check earth arrangements.. ?

[Jaxo]

The town I live in has been getting old metallic water pipes replaced with plastic, the water board has issued everyone with letters recommending "that you have your electrical earthing arrangements checked as it is possible, particularly for older properties with metallic service pipes that the pipe is used as a means of earthing for some or all of the electrical installation."

What I`m wondering is what way would you check this and what certificate if any would you issue for checking the earthing arrangements.

Would you simply check the supply's earth or electrode and recommend an EICR if its due or would you check the whole earthing arrangements and issue a certificate.. If so Would you use an EICR and state it covers the earthing arrangements only, a minor works or could you even use use own letterheaded letter to say the earthing arrangements has been checked etc.

Obviously the best thing to do would be a periodic on the whole installation, but Ive been getting a few calls about this with people just wanting the "earth checked".. and I`m just wondering what way others would go about this..

 

[Engineer54]

Just for you!! or anyone else who wants a fabricated piece of paper!

View attachment 23545

Not for me, i don't need one but handy for others if and when they may need one. I basically fabricate ALL test report sheets and final test certificates for my projects. But nowadays, i basically just use the templates from other project i've worked on and just tweak them as required....


But you're fabricated earthing inspection certificate should be more than ample to fulfill/cover the OP's above situation....

 

[Knobhead]

Not for me, i don't need one but handy for others if and when they may need one. I basically fabricate ALL test report sheets and final test certificates for my projects. But nowadays, i basically just use the templates from other project i've worked on and just tweak them as required....


But you're fabricated earthing inspection certificate should be more than ample to fulfill/cover the OP's above situation....

If I was rotten I could read that several ways E54.

With test results I’d just check up on a sample out of a batch. Some used to tickle me, flagged up as “low IR”. A cable X00’s of metres long and they’ve just dabbed the test button for a couple of seconds. Even funnier was the idiot that removed the test leads before the cable discharged, everyone on site must have heard him squeal when he touched the cable.
All the records were on paper then, I was drowning in the stuff.

Important stuff was checked through.

 

[Badged01]

.... If I was rotten I could read that several ways ...

I hadn't even thought that on first read but you're right! Dont like the figure so I'll fabricate ones that I do ..... although I'm sure thats not what is meant!

 

[Engineer54]

If I was rotten I could read that several ways E54.

Haha, Yes i suppose it could well be taken the wrong way... lol!!

 

[NickD]

Last time I came across this was with a worried lady in her 80's. I went and tested the Ze before the water board came along and did the same after - the result was the same as it was a TNS.

I didn't charge, nor give any paperwork.

Building up trust for when you tell her she needs a rewire, surge arrest and lightning protection. Like it.

 

[AndyL]

Im unsure if its actually needed or not.. filling 8 pages for a earth loop test seems a bit off putting. Basically what Ive thought of doing is a ze test to see if the installation relies on the water pipes for its earth and if changing the pipe is going to effect their current arrangement, check bonding and advice on any probs and recommend a full eicr.. would this be enough though

Issue just the EICR(only 2 pages) without the usual schedules of inspection and test results.
Detail the extent covered in section D so there is no confusion

 

[Octopus]

Building up trust for when you tell her she needs a rewire, surge arrest and lightning protection. Like it.

Maybe, maybe not BUT when you do such a task when you driving past the end of the road, asking for my minimum charge seems more than a little OTT.

 

[NickD]

Maybe, maybe not BUT when you do such a task when you driving past the end of the road, asking for my minimum charge seems more than a little OTT.

I don't buy this poor little old lady argument as well. Remember Eva Braun would have ended up as a little old lady if she'd lasted that long.