Electrical Inspection & Testing Services

  Electrical Testing is a key part of the electrical services that we provide and one of our specialities. The main focus of this service is safety, to keep users of property and electrical equipment safe. The EICR or Electrical Installation Condition Report is appropriate for a range of different settings. One of these is for landlords who are now required by law to have electrical installations in properties that they own inspected and tested by a qualified and competent person at least every 5 years. Following an inspection landlords should receive a report explaining its outcomes and detailing any remedial or investigative work required. A copy of this report must be given to the tenant. EICR’s are undertaken at set intervals, the last inspection date information should be available to see on any previous certification, or on a sticker on the front of the distribution board. During a EICR you can expect identification of circuits, visual inspection of accessories and wiring and then a full test of all required circuits as follows:

• Continuity of protective conductors, including main and supplementary bonding
• Continuity of ring final circuit conductors
• Insulation resistance
• Protection by SELV, PELV or by electrical separation
• Protection by barriers or enclosures provided during erection
• Insulation resistance of non-conducting floors and walls
• Polarity
• Earth electrode resistance
• Protection by automatic disconnection of the supply
• Earth fault loop impedance
• Additional protection
• Prospective fault current
• Check of phase sequence
• Functional testing
• Verification of vault drop
• RCD Tests

The inspection will determine whether any electrical installations are overloaded, whether there are any potential fire hazards or electric shock risks, whether there is any defective electrical work and whether there is a lack of bonding or earthing (these are ways of preventing electrical shock that are built into electrical installations). An EICR only covers the ‘fixed’ electrical parts of a property such as the wiring, plug sockets, fuse box and light fittings. Electrical appliances such as TVs, fridges, microwaves, and cookers are covered by portable appliance testing (PAT). It is also advisable to register any new electrical items purchased so that you will be made aware of any potential safety issues or product recalls. You can find out more about your obligations as a landlord here. (link to open in new tab) https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/electrical-safety-standards-in-the-private-rented-sector-guidance-for-landlords-tenants-and-local-authorities/guide-for-landlords-electrical-safety-standards-in-the-private-rented-sector If you require an electrical inspection or test, are unsure whether inspection or testing is required, or unable to find out if an inspection is due, please do not hesitate to contact us for a free no obligation quote. We’d be very happy to help.