Council Contractor "Visual Inspection of Electrics"

talksr

Hi, we live in a council rented house, and we just had a letter through from a electrical contractor for the council saying that they will be calling at our property within the next 4 days to carry out a visual inspection of the electrics, as requested by our local council.
My question is what are they looking for? Obviously they want to look at the wires etc, are they just looking to make sure plug sockets are not hanging out of the walls and that switches etc are not cracked, or will they be looking in more detail? Its just we have never had one of these sorts of inspections before.

:money:

baldelectrician

A visual check is just that (look - there's a socket!)

It is not as thorough as a PIR (Periodic Inspection Report), which will actually involve testing.

A visual check is by it's nature very limited in its scope. I find it unusual for a council to carry out visual checks instead of PIR's.

Sounds like they are doing it on the cheap

I suggest to landlords they have a PIR every 5 years and then a visual every year in between- this checks smoke detectors, damaged items, applaices etc.

talksr

baldelectrician wrote: »

A visual check is just that (look - there's a socket!)

It is not as thorough as a PIR (Periodic Inspection Report), which will actually involve testing.

A visual check is by it's nature very limited in its scope. I find it unusual for a council to carry out visual checks instead of PIR's.

Sounds like they are doing it on the cheap

I suggest to landlords they have a PIR every 5 years and then a visual every year in between- this checks smoke detectors, damaged items, applaices etc.

Thankyou for your reply. Well I am not sure, maybe they are doing it on the cheap, everything else they have ever done has been on the cheap unfortunately ( 7 month old upvc windows and already the handles are falling off of them!!)
But I have a sneaking suspicion that they may be wanting to check and see the state of the wiring in the house. When we had an electrician in last summer to do some wiring in the kitchen, he commented that the wiring system in the house was very old. (He could tell by the colour or type of wires in the walls. He said it will need to be renewed within the next either 10 or 20 years (Can't remember which)
I wonder if maybe that is what this is for.
I really hope it is not as can you imagine the hassle and disruption that will cause?!?! Floorboards being pulled up, all the wire and mess doesn't bare thinking about.