Please ensure your electrics are up to date!!!!!!!!!

ftbworried · 31 January 2007 at 4:48PM

Official Insert from MSE Martin

This post, from a few weeks ago, highlights the importance of keeping your electrics up to date at home. I thought that ftbworried's experience was worth sharing with as many people as possible; it's easy to let electrical repairs slip, but the consequences can be very costly.

The NICEIC recommends that household electrics are inspected every 5-10 years, yet a survey revealed that many houses haven't been looked at in 30. If your house hasn't been checked you should get an inspector in to take a look.

Electrical safety law dictates that all modern electrical work be inspected by a registered electrician. If you don't get a certificate for the inspection, you'll be breaking the law, as well as living in a potentially unsafe home.

Back to the original post:

We bought our house back in April last year and noticed that we didnt have an RCD box (a box that trips your electric should there be a fault in the circuit etc). We dilly-dallied about, putting off installing one- thinking that it wasn't really worth the cost etc. My Dad has pestered us and pestered us to get one fitted since April 06 and eventually 2 weeks ago we had one fitted.

Today I went to plug our washing machine in and unbeknown to me, the plug had been damaged in the kitchen move, and the casing along had been damaged and a damaged wire was exposed.

Not seeing this (and with my hand touching the wire!!) I plugged it into a live socket :eek:. I am usually quite a careful person but I was rushing to get some washing on before i went out. I heard a loud 'crack' and I got a strong but short shock (which left a burn on my hand) and the RCD box tripped. If we hadn't had the RCD box fitted then I would have been a gonner, there and then at 23 years old.

I cannot stress how important it is to make sure (regardless of cost) that your house is up to date with the nessecary safety protections. Don't let costs put you of like it did initially with us...it COULD save your life.

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Ystrad_Lad · 31 January 2007 at 6:11PM

Excellent advice!

It's the sort of thing that everyone puts off because of the cost but how much is a life worth?

Alan50 · 31 January 2007 at 6:23PM

Suprising how we take electricity for granted, I still think (passed statistics) that there have been no fatalities where an RCD has been installed in an electrical installation.

Good luck

Alan (NICEIC electrical domestic installer)

see:- https://www.NICEIC.com for electrical safety advice

OK_Sauce · 31 January 2007 at 6:28PM

Good advice. Until last year my whole house was running off a total of FOUR fuses! With all of the electronics now in peoples houses - plasmas, dishwashers, tumble dryers, computers, etc., if your house is over twenty years old and you haven't updated your fusebox you ARE asking for big trouble!

ftbworried · 31 January 2007 at 6:40PM

Well, it has certainly taught us a lesson. It has really shaken me up today to think that I would have quite possibly died today if we hadn't had it installed.

roger56 · 31 January 2007 at 7:17PM

RCDs are excellent safety devices, it's also worth remembering to get your
electrics inspected and checked regularly (5-10years).
The cost is worth a life!

alanobrien · 31 January 2007 at 7:27PM

First thing i did in my place when i moved in 2 years ago was replace the fuse box with a split load RCCD MCB unit. Worth every penny.

viccig · 31 January 2007 at 7:42PM

Hi after reading your post I must thank you as I didn't realise how important it is to get one of these installed, in my house is the old fashioned fuse style and I havent thought twice about it. The house was rewired a 2 yrs ago before we moved in but they didnt fit a new box.

Does anyone know how much I should expect to pay to get one of these fitted??

Thanks again
Vicky

ftbworried · 31 January 2007 at 7:54PM

Don't really know about how much it would cost to just get an RCD installed, but they appear cost around £60 to buy from screwfix- then you have to add the labour. I had the job done as part of a number of electrical jobs so I don't know the individual costs.

God only knows why these things are not compulsory by law.

Ishtar · 31 January 2007 at 8:25PM

Apparently you can get trip switches that plug into the fuse box, where your fuse carriers currently sit - can't remember how much they cost, but my dad has been nagging us to get them for a while (he's seen them in Focus DIY, and I'm sure they are probably available from Screwfix). Obviously the ideal situation is to get an RCD box, but this could be be a good interim measure.

D.

Nile · 31 January 2007 at 8:43PM

Hello ftbworried

I'm glad you're alright.:eek: To help spread the message I'll make your thread sticky for a while and stop it dropping off the first page.

Regards

Nile

Please ensure your electrics are up to date!!!!!!!!!

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