You may hear of an electrical condition report of EICR referred to as fixed wire testing, Periodic inspection and testing, electrical testing or hard wire testing.
But what do any of these actually mean and why do you need one?
The purpose of an Electrical Installation Condition Report or EICR is to check if an electrical installation is in a safe working condition and safe for continued use.
Landlords are required to have a valid EICR in place which has to be renewed every 5 years with a copy of the valid certificate provided to tenants. There is no legal requirement for homeowners to have an EICR in place however its recommended for peace of mind that homeowners have an EIR completed every 10 years.
Does it take long to do?
The length of time taken to complete an EICR varies as this is dependent on the size of the property and the complexity of the installation, 3-4 hours tends to be an average timescale however you will need to check this with your electrician as this will depend on your home. Most people opt to have their EICR completed during quieter times of the day when they don’t need to use any appliances or are not working from home and need consistent WiFi!
What happens during and after the inspection?
The EICR inspection itself involves switching off the main electrics, there are elements of visual inspections to identify any obvious faults with broken equipment or incorrect wiring, dead testing for continuity, insulation resistance and polarity, and live testing to check the system can react effectively in the event of a fault or electric shock injury.
Once the testing is complete your electrician will then provide you with your EICR results, which will detail any faults found and reasons for failings with gradings in regard to the severity in line with EICR Fault codes.
What if there are faults on my report?
Any faults coded C1 or C2 will need to be rectified as a matter of urgency, these faults must be remedied for a satisfactory EICR to be provided and safety certificate.
If any faults are found in a rented property a landlord has 28 days to have the remedial work completed. Homeowners do not have a set timeframe however your electrician will advise that the remedial work should be carried out as soon as possible as any failings will be detrimental to your safety.
If a C3 code is present on the report this can still pass as satisfactory however it's important to be aware of these issues as they will need to be addressed before they become a danger.
EICR in Darlington.
Demand electrical solutions are proud to offer our electrical testing services including EICR in Darlington. We are NAPIT approved, can be found on the registered competent persons register and are Part P registered. All essential to being qualified in undertaking and being able to provide a certified EICR in Darlington. if you need to discuss your electrical testing needs, get in touch with us today and we will be happy to help.
