Electrical Periodic Inspection repair bill

Toiletduck

Hi,

I had an electrical survey done on my house before I bought it and some electrical repairs/upgrades were identified which I used to reduce the price. The repairs and costs were as follows:

New RCD/MCB consumer unit, new meter tails and 100A isolater : £250
New equipotential bonding connectors to water pipe, bathroom and kitchen sink, bathroom radiator and central heating pipework. £137.50
Bathroom lighting point is a CRP and is positioned inside zone 2. £30
No phase ID sleeving fitted at lighting points and switches, no CPC ID sleeving fitted at some lighting points and switches and no R1 + R2 continuity on the lighting circuit. £85
Removal of redundant fused spur: £25
Installation of 2 mains smoke alarms. £145
Fit grommets to metal back boxes, no CPC sleeving at some CPC conductors. £25.

Does this seem reasonable? Also is it all strictly necessary? I understand that an RCD unit would be a good idea but Im quite happy with battery powered smoke alarms, seems alot to pay to save on battery's.

p.s. The report did uncover a serious fault which the then owner had fixed on the spot, whilst the wiring was all up to spec there was no earth fitted to the fusebox! Definitely worth paying for one of these inspections on an old house.

cheers

Andy

Lorian

I wouldn't pay anyone to remove a redundant spur, unless it was in the way or dangerously wired. If you ever want a spur there again its more cost.

Toiletduck

Lorian wrote: »

I wouldn't pay anyone to remove a redundant spur, unless it was in the way or dangerously wired. If you ever want a spur there again its more cost.

Oh ok I didnt think of that, just looks a bit unsightly i guess having a fused plate in the middle of a wall.

I was wandering about the equipotential bonding, the incoming gas and water pipes are already done, isn't this enough? Seems alot of money just to earth the pipes, perhaps im being a bit naive here but arnt they all earthed together through the boiler anyway?

Cheers

Andy

Lorian

IANAE, but if they are not earth bonded they should be.

The clips cost little and are easy to fit, but if the earth cables need to be run that's where the cost is. Personally I'd pay the £137 and get this done, as it's a safety issue.

robby-01

Toiletduck wrote: »

Oh ok I didnt think of that, just looks a bit unsightly i guess having a fused plate in the middle of a wall.

I was wandering about the equipotential bonding, the incoming gas and water pipes are already done, isn't this enough? Seems alot of money just to earth the pipes, perhaps im being a bit naive here but arnt they all earthed together through the boiler anyway?

Cheers

Andy

When the consumer unit is upgraded the meter tails must also be as the rating of the main switch on the new unit will be higher than the old.
The bonding to the water and gas pipes will at the same time usually need upgrading to a larger sized cable (10mm) this is as a requirement when upgrading a consumer unit.
If any work is being done in the bathroom then equipotential bonding will need to be upgraded or installed

Toiletduck

robby-01 wrote: »

When the consumer unit is upgraded the meter tails must also be as the rating of the main switch on the new unit will be higher than the old.
The bonding to the water and gas pipes will at the same time usually need upgrading to a larger sized cable (10mm) this is as a requirement when upgrading a consumer unit.
If any work is being done in the bathroom then equipotential bonding will need to be upgraded or installed

Ah I understand now, I didnt quite see how replacing a few more clamps could be so expensive. Currently the clamp to the incoming water supply is fed into the earth to the downstairs sockets, is this no longer acceptable? A new run of earth cable is required back to the fusebox then?

Cheers

Andy

spark1

All main services ie Gas pipe / Water pipe / Metallic soil stack have to be bonded back the main earth at the origin, all metallic pipe work and wiring circuits in the bathroom have to be bonded together, kitchen sinks dont need bonding. If you had a periodic test & inspection report carried out, all the information regarding the condition and recommendations of the electrical installation would be on it, then you would beable to see what work needs doing urgently.

brightontraveller

rules for uk and Scotland changed 1st Jan and become statutory in June for bathrooms and circuit protection the new 17th edition so if your going to get it rewired you should think about meeting those new regs not the ones now


Chapter 1 Regulation 131.6 Requirements added to protect against voltage disturbances, electromagnetic forces are the focus.
Comment mostly affecting the equipment connected that it connected to the installation so CE mark on it should and I repeat should mean the equipments meets guidelines
Regulation 132.13 Documentation for every installation as per chapter 51 and part 6.
Think this may mean old installations require the documentation as well as new, only time will tell
Chapter 35 Draws attention to other statutory requirement such as building regulations and others affecting amongst others fire escapes, extraction, emergency lighting.
Could mean a nervous few months as installations will be considered with regulations other than outlined in BS 7671, should have always, but now it seems fresh impedance will put on this.
Chapter 36 Requires consideration of the life of each to be took into consideration.
Not to sure what this means apart from the obvious.
Chapter 41 Direct contact now refers to basic protection and indirect contact is called fault protection
RCD required for sockets for general use as well as mobile equipment
Looks like RCD required on all the sockets in a dwelling not just the downstairs
New tables based on nominal voltage of 230 volts rather than 240 volts
new tables on RCD BS EN 61008 and BS EN 61009
Chapter 54 Allows the use of metallic pipe as an earth electrode provided precautions against removal are in place
Could be useful
Chapter 56 Inspection and testing and periodic inspections changed for safety service such as emergency lighting
Part 6 insulation resistance measurements changed for SELV and PELV circuits
Part 7
Section 701 Bathrooms, Each circuit to require a 30mA RCD
1.Changes in zone definitions for swimming pools and other basis and sauna ZONES A B C are changed for zones 0, 1 ,2,3 respectively.
New special location added
709 Marinas
711 Exhibitions
712 Solar power systems
717 Mobile units
740 temporary installations for fair ground rides, circuses
753 Floor and ceiling heating systems
These are only a general observation of the changes and are not complete nothing to major apart from perhaps
Regulation 132.13 (drawings for all installations)
Chapter 41 RCD (required for sockets for general use as well as mobile equipment )
Section 701 (Bathrooms Each circuit to require a 30mA RCD)
17th edition is due to come into affect form June 1st 2008 so any circuit designed after that should comply to the 17th version of BS 7671

Toiletduck

brightontraveller wrote: »

rules for uk and Scotland changed 1st Jan and become statutory in June for bathrooms and circuit protection the new 17th edition so if your going to get it rewired you should think about meeting those new regs not the ones now


Chapter 1 Regulation 131.6 Requirements added to protect against voltage disturbances, electromagnetic forces are the focus.
Comment mostly affecting the equipment connected that it connected to the installation so CE mark on it should and I repeat should mean the equipments meets guidelines
Regulation 132.13 Documentation for every installation as per chapter 51 and part 6.
Think this may mean old installations require the documentation as well as new, only time will tell
Chapter 35 Draws attention to other statutory requirement such as building regulations and others affecting amongst others fire escapes, extraction, emergency lighting.
Could mean a nervous few months as installations will be considered with regulations other than outlined in BS 7671, should have always, but now it seems fresh impedance will put on this.
Chapter 36 Requires consideration of the life of each to be took into consideration.
Not to sure what this means apart from the obvious.
Chapter 41 Direct contact now refers to basic protection and indirect contact is called fault protection
RCD required for sockets for general use as well as mobile equipment
Looks like RCD required on all the sockets in a dwelling not just the downstairs
New tables based on nominal voltage of 230 volts rather than 240 volts
new tables on RCD BS EN 61008 and BS EN 61009
Chapter 54 Allows the use of metallic pipe as an earth electrode provided precautions against removal are in place
Could be useful
Chapter 56 Inspection and testing and periodic inspections changed for safety service such as emergency lighting
Part 6 insulation resistance measurements changed for SELV and PELV circuits
Part 7
Section 701 Bathrooms, Each circuit to require a 30mA RCD
1.Changes in zone definitions for swimming pools and other basis and sauna ZONES A B C are changed for zones 0, 1 ,2,3 respectively.
New special location added
709 Marinas
711 Exhibitions
712 Solar power systems
717 Mobile units
740 temporary installations for fair ground rides, circuses
753 Floor and ceiling heating systems
These are only a general observation of the changes and are not complete nothing to major apart from perhaps
Regulation 132.13 (drawings for all installations)
Chapter 41 RCD (required for sockets for general use as well as mobile equipment )
Section 701 (Bathrooms Each circuit to require a 30mA RCD)
17th edition is due to come into affect form June 1st 2008 so any circuit designed after that should comply to the 17th version of BS 7671

Im not having a rewire the electrician said it is a 20 year old installation and he has ok'd the wiring. Will just be going for the RCD/MCB box and upgraded earthing.

brightontraveller

Toiletduck wrote: »

Im not having a rewire the electrician said it is a 20 year old installation and he has ok'd the wiring. Will just be going for the RCD/MCB box and upgraded earthing.

Toiletduck wrote: »

I had an electrical survey done on my house before I bought it and some electrical repairs/upgrades were identified

If you are having the installation as you say upgraded

Section 701 (Bathrooms Each circuit to require a 30mA RCD)

Chapter 41 Direct contact now refers to basic protection and indirect contact is called fault protection
RCD required for sockets for general use as well as mobile equipment
Looks like RCD required on all the sockets in a dwelling not just the downstairs


17th edition is due to come into affect form June 1st 2008 so any circuit designed after that should comply to the 17th version of BS 7671 you should make sure the what the electrician is putting in take's account of regulations that will in affect as of 1st June, If he does not your installation would not meet regulations in 6mths time


New equipotential bonding connectors to water pipe, bathroom and kitchen sink, bathroom radiator and central heating pipework. £137.50 its not saying that he is changing the cable only connectors do you mean earth clamps ?
http://www.tlc-direct.co.uk/Main_Index/Earthing_Index/Earth_Clamps/ but still using the existing cables

Toiletduck

brightontraveller wrote: »

If you are having the installation as you say upgraded

Section 701 (Bathrooms Each circuit to require a 30mA RCD)

Chapter 41 Direct contact now refers to basic protection and indirect contact is called fault protection
RCD required for sockets for general use as well as mobile equipment
Looks like RCD required on all the sockets in a dwelling not just the downstairs


17th edition is due to come into affect form June 1st 2008 so any circuit designed after that should comply to the 17th version of BS 7671 you should make sure the what the electrician is putting in take's account of regulations that will in affect as of 1st June, If he does not your installation would not meet regulations in 6mths time


New equipotential bonding connectors to water pipe, bathroom and kitchen sink, bathroom radiator and central heating pipework. £137.50 its not saying that he is changing the cable only connectors do you mean earth clamps ?
http://www.tlc-direct.co.uk/Main_Index/Earthing_Index/Earth_Clamps/ but still using the existing cables

So the upstairs sockets need to have an RCD as well?

What exactly he would do to the earthing I'm not sure, the report just says £137:50 to the earth bathroom, kitchen sinkand central heating pipes and update the incoming water supply up to current requirements. So whatever is needed I assume. The gas supply isn't mentioned but it does seem to have a much bigger cable on than the water supply so I guess its already done.