Cowboy Electricians and Installation Certificates

[J L]

My uncle had his house re-wired but received no EIC or indeed any paperwork a few years ago, I want to know the best way I can help fix the situation, the rouge sparkies left no trace of who they were so he is left with this potentially dangerous situation. I am a new qualified sparkie worked with electrics for years and now qualified to 17th edition and have full scope Stroma certification for domestic dwellings and I want to help him, so legally I can do the work but what is recommeneded way forward?, do I carry out a EICR to certify the installtion is safe?, is this the best way to generate the paperwork for this installtion to prove it is safe?

 

[Octopus]

You can't use an EICR to notify for part P.

You can use an EICR to put your uncle's mind at rest, but as you are newly qualified do you think you have enough hands on experience?

 

[Pete999]

You can't use an EICR to notify for part P.

You can use an EICR to put your uncle's mind at rest, but as you are newly qualified do you think you have enough hands on experience?

As the OP only seems to have the 17th qualification, I personally don't think he would have the required qualification and experience to conduct an EICR.

 

[Alex W]

I would agree that an EICR is a good place to start, that will flag up any remedial work that needs doing.

As others have said, if newly qualified it might be worth getting a more experienced spark in to do an EICR

 

[Octopus]

Experience is tough to come by, so doing testing on an unknown installation would be worth while if he did it for free.

Where is he based?

 

[Des 56]

My uncle had his house re-wired but received no EIC or indeed any paperwork a few years ago, I want to know the best way I can help fix the situation, the rouge sparkies left no trace of who they were so he is left with this potentially dangerous situation. I am a new qualified sparkie

do I carry out a EICR to certify the installtion is safe?, is this the best way to generate the paperwork for this installtion to prove it is safe?

You initially state its a "dangerous situation"
How did you determine it is dangerous?

You then ask how you can "prove its safe"

Other than reams of paperwork,What reason do you give for the "dangerous" statement

As post 2
It is recommended by the Iee that the person carrying out a test and inspection
"Has above average knowledge and practical experience of the type of installation to be inspected"

 

[J L]

He is based in the Rochdale area and I would be doing for free as is safty is paramont, with respect guys I have proven my competance like you have, Stroma is part-p certification I can do all work in a dwelling i.e. installation, inspection and testing in the couple of lines I have written it is wrong that I am assumed to not be competant by daring to say newly qualified sparkie, but I am not new to electrical engineering, so 35 years in, it's annoying that some sparkies assume they are know more tah other or dare I say think they are better in some way, I might be a newly qualified to sparking but have a lot of electrical engineering qualifications to my name, I would wager more than thou to the same level as the IET guys writting the big yellow book that you all have to follow, yes that is CEng and more.

 

[J L]

I said "Potentially Dangerous" as no compliance has been proven by the installers

 

[rolyberkin]

Speak to and take advice from the local council building control, your uncle will probably have to pay a regularization fee to register works with them. Are you registered with Stroma for EICR's?

 

[Des 56]

Why then did you emphasise "newly qualified"

In all due respect,related disciplines are fine for a grounding in a new skillset ( which house bashing is to you by all accounts) but it cannot replace years of post qualification experience

If I may go back to the thread question
You have probably experienced, in electrical systems throughout the land,and in many sectors the paperwork trail is a hit and miss affair

Was it ever produced in the first instance?(I would say that a large proportion of electrical systems in the UK, in many sectors,they may never had paperwork issued on completion
In the domestic sector there are occasions where it issued to the person ordering the work and gets lost in transactions or it is as you say not bothered with by the installers

If these are to be regarded as potentially dangerous then this country has one very big problem and a lot of eicrs to catch up on
The paperwork rectification may be a unnecessary( because of notification time periods) a futile excersise
A eicr will always be of merit depending on the level of competence the person carrying out the eicr has gained

 

[DPG]

it's annoying that some sparkies assume they are know more tah other or dare I say think they are better in some way, I might be a newly qualified to sparking but have a lot of electrical engineering qualifications to my name, I would wager more than thou to the same level as the IET guys writting the big yellow book that you all have to follow, yes that is CEng and more.

I would re-read this post - it comes across as a bit arrogant and superior.

 

[J L]

Ok thank's

 

[David M]

He is based in the Rochdale area and I would be doing for free as is safty is paramont, with respect guys I have proven my competance like you have, Stroma is part-p certification I can do all work in a dwelling i.e. installation, inspection and testing in the couple of lines I have written it is wrong that I am assumed to not be competant by daring to say newly qualified sparkie, but I am not new to electrical engineering, so 35 years in, it's annoying that some sparkies assume they are know more tah other or dare I say think they are better in some way, I might be a newly qualified to sparking but have a lot of electrical engineering qualifications to my name, I would wager more than thou to the same level as the IET guys writting the big yellow book that you all have to follow, yes that is CEng and more.

Nobody claims to be any better than you. They were asking if you have the necessary "experience" to conduct a suitable EICR for this type of installation. By your own admission you stated that you were newly qualified in this area. You then state that the installation could be "potentially dangerous" . Yes it could well be so, but this comes across a bit strong since no inspection and test has been carried out.
The point is the folks here are trying to help and advise you, to do that properly a little bit of back ground and information is needed.
There are many people who have higher qualifications than their jobs require, but in reality experience out ways any qualification ten fold.

 

[Gavin John Hyde]

your best bet would be to contact building control for a regularisation sign off, will likely cost a couple of hundred at most, they typically get a electrician in to do a EICR and will on receipt of the report direct any issues to be put right- which in theory you could do and then certify. together with any remedial certificates and the EICR building control would issue a certificate of compliance.

 

[Pete999]

Experience is tough to come by, so doing testing on an unknown installation would be worth while if he did it for free.

Where is he based?

Sheffield I think

 

[Taylortwocities]

Are you registered with Stroma for EICR's?

I don’t know about Stroma, but many CPS require an additional qualification (2391 eg) and that you take out Professional Indemnity insurance, if you are carrying out EICRs and other test and inspection work.

 

[Spoon]

I'm a bit confused by this thread. If the OP knows how to do a EICR properly then I don't see the problem.
It does sound like some of you are saying a person who has been doing EICR's for 10 years is better than someone doing them for 8... Yes every day is a learning day but if you know how to do a job properly then how long you have been doing it doesn't always count.

 

[westward10]

I think the simple answer is yes carry out an EICR. This can be done by yourself if you feel it is within your scope of knowledge/experience or by a third party although the latter will obviously cost money.

 

[Taylortwocities]

You need to decide what the EICR is for.
As above, if it’s to check it out for your Uncle then go ahead.
If he/you wants to regularise the installation with LABC, then you need to check with them if they will accept your report, and what the cost is.

 

[The Ghost]

Why do you think the installation is dangerous?