Rewire Required?

[tomrobo728]

Hi,

I am looking at a potential property for purchase and have been given the latest ECIR and installation certificate for new CCU. I'm just trying to work out if a full rewire is likely to be required, but I don't know a huge amount about electrics!

I'd appreciate any advice on what the likely work required would be.

This is the lastest ECIR:

This is the old unit (new replaced with a modern one:

There's plenty of other information I can share, so if anything else would be of use to determine the condition of the electrics please let me know

Thanks in advance for any help!

 

[Murdochcat]

Why was the new CU fitted? And by whom?

The EICR has no sensible IR readings - rendering the report worthless

That wiring looks to be 1970’s - how old is the property?

 

[tomrobo728]

Why was the new CU fitted? And by whom?

That wiring looks to be 1970’s - how old is the property?

Hi thanks for your response.

The believe the CU was fitted due to the C2 fault of thee old CU being made of 'combustable material'.

The property is late victorian and has not had any major rennovations for more than 30 years most likely. There is a smoke detector circuit running externally and some unknown wires also running along walls.

This is the new CU, fitted by the same elctrician who performed the ECIR.

And here you can see the external smoke detector circuit:

Thanks!

 

[Murdochcat]

When was the CU fitted and what documentation was provided?

 

[tomrobo728]

The CU was fitted in 2022 (a year after this report) and a certificate of installation was provided:

 

[endecotp]

The second report appears to indicate that the issues described in the first report are at least somewhat resolved.

Did someone specifically commission work to resolve the identified problems? What about e.g. the “cracked light switch”?

 

[plugwash]

The installation circuit seems to reference the ID number of an EICR, presumablly this is the EICR you have? it would have been better if the electrician had spelled out the works more explicitly but I suspect "all points C1 and C2" means that the serious issues identified on the EICR were investigated and remediated.

 

[flameport]

That report and the previous one is a total crock, so suggest you place it in the shredder where it belongs.

The photo of the old fusebox shows PVC insulated wiring, so that is unlikely to require replacement.
However 1970s installations typically had one light, one switch and one socket outlet per room - fine for half a century ago, but nowhere near enough for today.
Unless there have already been significant additions, it's very likely that a lot more socket outlets will be required.
There is no circuit for any cooking appliances, water heating, space heating or anything else other than sockets and lights, so this further indicates that the installation will need non-trivial extras adding to make it suitable for modern living.
While you can extend and add, there is a point where it's just easier and cheaper to just install new circuits rather than extending old ones which have next to nothing attached to them.

 

[sparkwright]

'Bunching to circuit 1'. What's the problem?

 

[tomrobo728]

The second report appears to indicate that the issues described in the first report are at least somewhat resolved.

Did someone specifically commission work to resolve the identified problems? What about e.g. the “cracked light switch”?

Yes I believe the immediate issues from the ECIR were resolved. The property is currently rented to tennants so requires all C1 and C2 faults to be fixed. The installation certificate relates to work commissioned directly off the back of the ECIR - it quotes the origional ECIR reference.

I believe the cracked light switch as been fixed

 

[tomrobo728]

The installation circuit seems to reference the ID number of an EICR, presumablly this is the EICR you have? it would have been better if the electrician had spelled out the works more explicitly but I suspect "all points C1 and C2" means that the serious issues identified on the EICR were investigated and remediated.

Yes the EICR reference matches the one quoted in the installation certificate. The works were completed a year apart though, which seems like a long time to wait but perhaps they had to wait for a break in rental contracts

 

[tomrobo728]

That report and the previous one is a total crock, so suggest you place it in the shredder where it belongs.

The photo of the old fusebox shows PVC insulated wiring, so that is unlikely to require replacement.
However 1970s installations typically had one light, one switch and one socket outlet per room - fine for half a century ago, but nowhere near enough for today.
Unless there have already been significant additions, it's very likely that a lot more socket outlets will be required.
There is no circuit for any cooking appliances, water heating, space heating or anything else other than sockets and lights, so this further indicates that the installation will need non-trivial extras adding to make it suitable for modern living.
While you can extend and add, there is a point where it's just easier and cheaper to just install new circuits rather than extending old ones which have next to nothing attached to them.

Hi thanks for taking a look what makes those reports look poor to you?

It appeares that more sockets have been added as most rooms have more than one socket. It's interesting though as the boiler and ovens appear to have dedicated switches for them. Would they be wired into circuit 1 or 2 along with regular sockets?

Ideally I would like to add one or two more sockets and potentially adjust the position of one or two slightly.

Thanks for you help!

 

[tomrobo728]

'Bunching to circuit 1'. What's the problem?

Not too sure about that one - seems to have been indicated as fixed in the follow up installation certificate

 

[flameport]

Hi thanks for taking a look what makes those reports look poor to you?

Some examples from the new consumer unit document:

Part 6 System Type - all marked N/A. It must be one of the options provided.
Nature of supply - PFC and loop impedance not completed, these cannot be N/A. This is essential information for any electrical installation.

Part 9 Schedule of inspections - all items are ticked. Many of those will not apply to a domestic installation, and even for those that could, some will not exist.
Such as 2 - other sources only applies if there is solar, batteries or a generator.
3e RCDs for fault protection - only on TT installations which this one almost certainly isn't.
6 - SELV and PELV are unlikely to be used, double/reinforced insulation will never be used on a domestic install.
7.12 adequacy of AFDDs - there are none of those in the consumer unit.
8.4 cables correctly erected - impossible for them to know this unless they have taken up every floorboard and hacked holes in walls to inspect the cables, or they have completely rewired all of the circuits.

Part 10 circuit details
Reference method A indicated for all circuits - this is wiring in a conduit system that is installed in an insulated wall - highly unlikely.
Disconnection time for all circuits shown as 5s, this should be 0.4s
Insulation resistance tested at 250V, should be 500V unless there is equipment vulnerable to damage, which it isn't as they have indicated as N/A for that
Polarity for lighting circuit 3 is N/A - this can only be yes or no, never N/A

The whole thing has been done by someone who doesn't know what they are doing, or someone who is incredibly careless and doesn't actually look at what they are filling in.
Either way it's completely worthless.

 

[ericmark]

I started to comment on the findings

But as I worked down the list, so much did not make sense, I stopped. And 9 says failed insulation resistance but this

seems to show all is OK.

Seems likely a new consumer unit will be required, but £1000 compared with price of house is nothing. And it took me 6 months to upgrade mine when I moved in here.