Electrical Safety Check before selling.

kiddakidda

principlecounts wrote: »

(How annoying was that, I had a nice reply for you all and I accidently close the browser tab...grr)

Thanks for your replies folks, much appreciated - 'give and ye shall receive.'

To sum up:

- no need to bother with the EICR, leave that to the buyer.
- a new consumer unit should cost about £60 with new fuses and switches.
- with a new consumer fitted I should receive a certificate.

I did have a quote from an electrician for £300 to refit the consumer unit, my pockets weren't deep at the time, so I thought I come back to it later.

Someone said, photos:

Photo 1: (Covered - not opened)
http://snag.gy/gVzVF.jpg

Photo 2: (Lifting the lid)
http://s3.postimg.org/x6r58tz43/IMG_8684.jpg

Photo 3: (Fuse box exposed)
http://s28.postimg.org/vo0375oh9/IMG_8685.jpg

The actual install looks pretty modern (7-15 years) and appears to be properly earthed. I dispute the death trap claims from another poster.

However, there must be a proper cover for consumer unit, are you sure it's not stuffed in a cupboard somewhere?

If you can find it I would get it tested 'As Is'

Atomix

kiddakidda wrote: »

The actual install looks pretty modern (7-15 years) and appears to be properly earthed. I dispute the death trap claims from another poster.

However, there must be a proper cover for consumer unit, are you sure it's not stuffed in a cupboard somewhere?

If you can find it I would get it tested 'As Is'

The following is from a bbc article regarding such matters and I quote:
'Life threatening'
Housing officers begin inspecting the house in Ashford Road, East Ham.

Russell Moffatt, Newham Council's private housing manager, points to live wires spilling out from the mains electrical unit downstairs.

He said: "If anyone, like a child, put their fingers in there's a good chance they could get a full 230 volt shock, which is life threatening."

---- if it were night time and you had a crappy torch with the batteries on there way out (which happens in our house all the time) and you wanted to fiddle in there trying to fathom which fuse was gone - there is a very strong likelihood you could get 230v shock -

Atomix

Its a couple of hundred to potentially save a life, and peace of mind...

Just bite the bullet - the wires look good, just a new CU... C'mon people!!! This isn't India !!!!!!

Atomix

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-18923309

Links scroll down to 'life threatening'

It's not worth it - if it were anything else I wouldn't be here arguing the matter - but something as important as an exposed fusebox really matters - which is why there are such high regulation standards in this country - to avoid deaths and suchlike from examples such as this.

newbie1980

its a 1980/1990s board that seen hundres of times but is quite a good one and is actually upto date with the regs as all circuits have an rcd

go on ebay and look for a board the same only snag is the board cover normally goes all around box so you would have to cut front off board and screw onto your one

edit looks like a metal clad one

Owain_Moneysaver

Couple of issues:

Firstly, there's no front cover to the consumer unit. This looks like a "Mantel" or "Clifton" box which was a flush fitted consumer unit and is especially common on ex-council properties. These need a Skeleton Consumer unit to be fitted in the existing enclosure.

The cover has either been lost, or was omitted because a previous owner didn't want the cupboard door / decor disarranged.

It needs to be replaced urgently with a proper cover. There is a serious risk of electric shock or fire from the current installation.

https://www.mkelectric.com/en-gb/Products/CP/sentry/Skeletonunits/Pages/default.aspx

http://www.fastlec.co.uk/mk-sentry-consumer-units-mk-sentry-skeleton-mantel-units-c-89_115_150.html

A competent fabricator could make up a sheet metal cover that fixes using the existing 2 front fixing holes, but it wouldn't be type-approved as a consumer unit.

Second issue is that all circuits are on one RCD. This was acceptable under 15th Edition, deprecated under 16th Edtion, and not permitted under 17th (current) Edition of the wiring regulations.

Note that if using the 10-way loaded Skeleton unit linked from the fastlec site, the lights should be fitted to an RCBO on the non-RCD protected side of the unit.

principlecounts

Again, much appreciate the advice, although it is tempting to just leave it, I'm in a position where I want to sell the house in a fit state for the future and make sure the future buyer knows that. I've had to access the fuse box occasionally when the electrics have tripped, and have been careful, but the next person may not be so fortunate.

And yes, this is not India..lol, I've been to that part of the world, sure people get by, but people die because of sh*t left like this.

@Atomix - Yes, I'm just going to go for it and get this done, yes I've been told in the past, the wiring is actually ok, but just needs protecting better to pass any safety checks.

@knightstyle - feels a bit botched doing that. I think it's best I do it properly myself, I don't want problems in the legal process and it's not picked up in home buyers report (as it was on mine).

@kiddakidda - deathtrap is a bit subjective, as I think it depends on the person that's going to handle the electrics, I'm careful so I can handle it, but not everyone is the same, and I wouldn't ask anyone else to touch that fuse box apart from myself or an electrician. No consumer unit - I think they got rid of it for aesthetic reasons - which is a dumb reason.

To sum up again with additional notes:

- no need to bother with the EICR, leave that to the buyer.
- a new consumer unit should cost about £60 with new fuses and switches.
- with a new consumer fitted I should receive a certificate.
- the new consumer unit requires a skeleton unit
- make sure the fit is regarded as a consumer unit, and not some botched jobby.
- Ensure all circuits are not on one RCD as per 17th edition of the wiring regulations.

kiddakidda

Atomix wrote: »

The following is from a bbc article regarding such matters and I quote:
'Life threatening'
Housing officers begin inspecting the house in Ashford Road, East Ham.

Russell Moffatt, Newham Council's private housing manager, points to live wires spilling out from the mains electrical unit downstairs.

He said: "If anyone, like a child, put their fingers in there's a good chance they could get a full 230 volt shock, which is life threatening."

---- if it were night time and you had a crappy torch with the batteries on there way out (which happens in our house all the time) and you wanted to fiddle in there trying to fathom which fuse was gone - there is a very strong likelihood you could get 230v shock -

You need to stock up with batteries


Tell me where exactly are the live wires are spilling out of that install?

All wires are properly insulated, if we are being picky, trip one (cooker / electric shower?) could do with going in a little further.

I feel your article doesn't relate to the Op's situation.

The only thing the CU is missing is the front cover.

Owain_Moneysaver

It really does need to be sorted urgently. It is actually so bad that the electricity company would be able to mandatorily disconnect your supply.

If an electrician left the installation in that state they should be prosecuted for culpable and reckless conduct.

The live parts must be enclosed so they cannot be touched in an enclosure. The enclosure must be one that cannot be opened without use of a tool. The enclosure must be of fire-resistant materials and wood is not acceptable.

The cupboard door cannot be locked as an alternative as that restricts access in an emergency.

Any half competent surveyor who sees that will flag that up as immediately dangerous, which will frighten off buyers.

However as I said any competent fabricator should be able to make up a front panel. An electrician who repairs it will want to fit a new consumer unit with multiple RCDs to comply with 17th Edition regulations - which actually if the rest of the installation is ok would probably be the best solution, as it would give you a nice shiny new CU with certificate to show buyers. If you do choose to use an electrician, which is what I would recommend, phone them up and ask them if they have experience of skeleton conversions of mantell boards.

principlecounts

To sum up again with additional notes:

- no need to bother with the EICR, leave that to the buyer.
- a new consumer unit should cost about £60 with new fuses and switches.
- with a new consumer fitted I should receive a certificate.
- the new consumer unit requires a skeleton unit
- make sure the fit is regarded as a consumer unit, and not some botched jobby.
- Ensure all circuits are not on one RCD as per 17th edition of the wiring regulations.
- The live parts must be enclosed so they cannot be touched in an enclosure.
- The enclosure must be one that cannot be opened without use of a tool.
- The enclosure must be of fire-resistant materials and wood is not acceptable.
- A new consumer unit with multiple RCDs to comply with 17th Edition regulations.
- Experience of skeleton conversions of mantell boards.

Thanks again folks.