I live in Croatia but own a small cottage in Scotland that I rent out. My Landlord Registration is due for renewal soon and I have to provide various documents including an electrical safety report. I got an electrician to inspect the property but he has found various defects. His estimate for rectifying these is £1650 including VAT. A big chunk of that is for renewing 3 consumer units. There is one for the main house, one in the garage and one in an attached outbuilding which houses the gas boiler. The one in the garage is a purpose made Screwfix garage CU with RCD and MCBs for lights and sockets. He says that should have a metal enclosure and the RCD and MCBs should be the same make (one MCB is Volex, I think the rest is Protek). The other 2 are older and I think are still fuseboxes, with no RCD. He says RCD protection is required because of regulation 522.6.202/203. This regulation concerns cables behind plaster, panelling or whatever. Has this regulation been applied retrospectively, to old installations? If so, it implies that every home with no RCD protection is deemed unsatisfactory.
Does Every Home Require RCD Protection?
- Thread starter fidom
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If your renting out, it is probably very wise to have an RCD and a new main CU.
I think its a bit silly having new CUs in the out buildings however. Dends on cost&labour I guess
I think its a bit silly having new CUs in the out buildings however. Dends on cost&labour I guess
The fact that there is three consumer units that tells me your original CU is ancient and can't be altered. So either you or someone else decided to save money and cause problems in future.
Debatable.
True. However a new consumer unit won't be needed, just a replacement of the MCB will be fine.
What code does the EICR say about this? Send a picture.
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There shouldn't really be a debate it's a C3
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EICR Myths
electrical.theiet.org
D
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Yeah I did pinch that lol..Copycat
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In 2008 the rules on bonding in a bathroom changed, what is required depends on if RCD protected or not, and it is getting harder and harder to ensure bonding complies with pre-2008 rules. So the only safe way is all circuits to be RCD protected.
If an RCD trips, that can cost you in call out fees, so in real terms you want a system in which the RCD is less likely to trip, and if it should trip, less likely to result in a call-out. So it is likely prudent to go down the all RCBO route, even if one can technically get out of it, not worth the hassle a twin RCD system can cause in the future.
As to surge protection devices, (SPD) we are support to explain the advantage of having them fitted, but the owner can refuse them. The problem with that, is as a retired electrician I am not convinced we need them, so how can I persuade someone else? It seems likely they can reduce LED lights failing etc, but not seen anything which proves that.
As to if you must fit RCD protection, I would say, would I want to stand in court and try to argue they were not required, if something goes wrong, and the answer is no, I would prefer to say I did all I could to make the home safe. The phrase is "potential danger" can we ever say 230 volt supply is without some potential danger? Of course there is danger, people will do silly things,
why would anyone put a plug in a socket like that to open the shutters, would I ban all socket extensions of that design, no I would not, but I have seen where people have got very worried about unshuttered sockets. Some common sense is required, and the risk assessed.
If an RCD trips, that can cost you in call out fees, so in real terms you want a system in which the RCD is less likely to trip, and if it should trip, less likely to result in a call-out. So it is likely prudent to go down the all RCBO route, even if one can technically get out of it, not worth the hassle a twin RCD system can cause in the future.
As to surge protection devices, (SPD) we are support to explain the advantage of having them fitted, but the owner can refuse them. The problem with that, is as a retired electrician I am not convinced we need them, so how can I persuade someone else? It seems likely they can reduce LED lights failing etc, but not seen anything which proves that.
As to if you must fit RCD protection, I would say, would I want to stand in court and try to argue they were not required, if something goes wrong, and the answer is no, I would prefer to say I did all I could to make the home safe. The phrase is "potential danger" can we ever say 230 volt supply is without some potential danger? Of course there is danger, people will do silly things,
D
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Good job it's you lol.
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An update on this. I submitted the inspection report as it was, together with various other documents to support my application for landlord registration renewal. Today I had an email saying the registration is approved. I don't know whether that means I will hear no more for another 3 years or will they still come back and demand the (alleged) electrical defects be put right?
An EICR is a snapshot of the installation on a particular date. If you EICR today says "Satisfactory" then that is it, for now.
HOWEVER (there's always at least one)
The Electrical Safety Standards in the Private Rented Sector Regulations 2020 require that an EICR is carried out at an interval of at least every 5 years. It is recommended also that an EICR is done at change of tenancy.
HOWEVER (there's always at least one)
The Electrical Safety Standards in the Private Rented Sector Regulations 2020 require that an EICR is carried out at an interval of at least every 5 years. It is recommended also that an EICR is done at change of tenancy.
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Applies to England.
I have the same problem here in Wales, our rules and regulations are similar to England, but not the same.
If I do a google here for if repeater signs are needed to 20 MPH speed limits, I get
Has it detected I live in Wales?
But continue reading, and it says
so I am non the wiser!
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Why have we gone from EICRs in Scotland to speed sign rules in Wales?
Typical electrics forum behavior.
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