Gas & Electric safety checks

panda21

I recently received my HomeBuyers Report for a flat I'm buying. Apart from a couple of things it was fine. It did recommend that I get gas and electric safety checks done on the flat. I have been told that surveys will always recommend this to be done, is it necessary? If so can anyone recommend a company who do these in the London area? Any advice would be appreciated.

Yorkie1

Surveyors are not experts in gas or electricity safety therefore cannot provide an expert opinion on these topics.

You need to make a judgement call depending on a whole load of things such as how old the boiler is, whether there is evidence of regular servicing of it and any gas fires (my plumber says they are far more risky appliances than boilers, albeit less expensive to fix), how old the wiring is, whether the sockets and switches look new (no guarantee of age), what sort of fusebox it is etc etc.

panda21

As you say they surveyors are not experts on these matters, they comment in the report that there is a modern electric consumer unit, modern wiring where seen and modern fittings.

The only gas appliances are the boiler and cooker, the boiler does seem modern and worked well when tested.

Yorkie1

Given those facts I wouldn't have bothered getting a separate report on the gas and electric, although I would get the gas appliances serviced once I moved in. But if you are concerned at potential outlay for a new boiler, get the sellers to agree for you to send a gas safe registered person round to do a gas safety check before you proceed further; that will help put your mind at rest.

ziggyman99

Yorkie1 wrote: »

Surveyors are not experts in gas or electricity safety therefore cannot provide an expert opinion on these topics.

But you will struggle to find a electrician or GSR engineer that would give an opinion. Opinions are subjective and therefore could leave the person that forms them open to being sued. As most leccys and gas engineers (in fact most tradesmen) don't have professional indemnity insurance it would be very risky to their wealth to give an opinion.

I looked at getting indemnity insurance. I stopped looking very quickly. :eek:

olly300

panda21 wrote: »

As you say they surveyors are not experts on these matters, they comment in the report that there is a modern electric consumer unit, modern wiring where seen and modern fittings.

Ask the vendors (if they are around) if they got the place rewired.

panda21 wrote: »

The only gas appliances are the boiler and cooker, the boiler does seem modern and worked well when tested.

Has the vendor got a recent gas safety certificate anyway?

If not, you can always ask them via your solicitor to service the gas appliances and provide you with one.

It's a buyers market so you may as well ask them.

G_M

But also bear in mind there is a difference between a gas safety certificate (inspection to check it is safe) and a service (keep it in good working order).

panda21

G_M wrote: »

But also bear in mind there is a difference between a gas safety certificate (inspection to check it is safe) and a service (keep it in good working order).

Yeah it's gas and electric safety certificates I've been advised to get by the survey, I'm just wondering if this is something worth doing or should I just get this done some time after I move in.

amblondon

By all means go for it if you want some reassurance, but gGas / elec safety certs are very hit and miss in my experience. We had one done in our prior place (flat conversion in period building) before buying, all came back good. Only after we had moved in did we discover that the boiler had been fitted incorrectly and would have cost a *lot* to fix (we sold up shortly thereafter, not for that reason though...!).

G_M

That's the point. A gas safety certificate tells you the boiler is safe.

Not how old it is. Or whether it is efficient. Or whether it is reliable/likely to break down. Or what condition it is in.

Just.... no, it does not emit CO2 or leak gas. That's it pretty much.

By all means get it checked, but be aware exactly what kind of information you are going to receive.