New EICR before installing new CU

[ImperialHammer]

I had an EICR earlier this year and a few items were highlighted as C2; No RCD on Circuits, CPC too small, CU made form flamable materials, and no mains smoke detection.

I have had another electrician since round to quote who stated he would need to perform another EICR before replacing the CU and if that highlights any issues he would then re-quote. He stated that it was in the regs as they cannot trust another engineers report.

Am I being had?

 

[Murdochcat]

I had an EICR earlier this year and a few items were highlighted as C2; No RCD on Circuits, CPC too small,

reasonable

CU made form flamable materials

Not a C2

, and no mains smoke detection.

Not part of an EICR

I have had another electrician since round to quote who stated he would need to perform another EICR before replacing the CU and if that highlights any issues he would then re-quote. He stated that it was in the regs as they cannot trust another engineers report.

Am I being had?

Find another spark is my advice, spark 1 isn't competent to do EICR's and spark 2 is talking nonsense

Us competent bunch review and act on other sparks EICR's regularly

 

[ImperialHammer]

Thank you for replying, it did strike me as odd that he wanted to do his own EICR first.

My understanding is that they could follow the recomendations made in the EICR and that they would have to test and certify the new CU after installation anyway?

 

[chivers67]

I'd certainly not dismiss another electricians Testing if the results look ok, some things are very personal in terms of C2/C3. Though I'd want to delve into an installation to fathom what requires updating/replacing/improving but I wouldn't bullshit someone by saying something was in the Regs that wasn't.

Effectively every circuit would be new and therefore need testing for sure and the supply of Test results would be required.

 

[ericmark]

@Murdochcat is correct, we are only testing for electrical safety, lack of smoke alarms is nothing to do with an EICR. And @chivers67 is also correct, much of it is personal, let's face it, 230 volts AC is potentially dangerous, how can anyone say it's not?

But an EIC is not the same as an EICR, the electrical installation certificate (EIC) needs to follow BS 7671 valid today, where the electrical installation condition report (EICR) as long as we know the date when the installation was installed we can see in this example

BS 7671:2008 Requirements for Electrical Installations was issued on 1st January 2008 and is intended to come into effect on 1st July 2008. Installations designed after 30th June 2008 are to comply with BS 7671:2008.

it is the date designed which is important, not what has changed since that date.

In real terms, the whole idea of the EICR is to keep you safe, in 2004 I would not be changing a bulb with the power switched on, I would burn my hand, today with LED bulbs, I could change a bulb with it switched on, not that I would, but things have changed.

One early version of the regulations said "Lighting fittings using filament lamps installed in a room having a non-conducting floor," at that time (13th edition) there was no such thing as LED lights, so what it refers to as "filament lamps" is not what we would consider today to be filament lamps. So there is a point when even if it did comply when designed, for your safety needs changing now.

So as @Murdochcat has pointed out, there are some items which others may not agree with, so I can see why he wants to test himself, and I can see if he follows the EICR, and then when doing the EIC, finds something does not comply, it could result in an unexpected bill, which clearly he wants to avoid.

I hate EICR's, as so often one does not agree with the other guy's findings. Where I work (volunteer) I really don't want to get involved with the electrics, as I do not agree with how things have been done. They are not wrong, just not done my way.

 

[ImperialHammer]

It's understandable that he would want to test himself but he was a little bit pushy that the electrician who did the EICR should also do the remedial work. I had fully intended to use Sparky 1 for the new CU but I had doubts about his testing and he came back with a high quote weeks later with little detail. I felt he just didn't really want the work.

 

[ImperialHammer]

I've managed to get a couple more quotes.
One has really stood out and he even noticed the distance to the gas pipe. I've only spoken over email sending photos and measurements and they're not the cheapest but they seem very competent.