Landlord electrical inspections from July!

John Peckham:

So here is a little test for you, how would you Code these items that were compliant at the time of installation?


1.Using a public utility water pipe as a means of earthing? Compliant in 13th Edition.

2. No RCD protection for a 230V socket that could supply portable equipment outside? Compliant 14th Edition.

3. A bedroom with a show cubical with a 230V socket 2.5m from the shower? Compliant with the 15th edition.

4. A surface run wiring system on a ceiling without metalic support? Compliant with the 16th Edition.

5. An electric vehicle charging point connected to a PME earthing system without one of the special provisions for neutral. Compliant with 17th Edition.

Nice one John!


1. Not a danger as it stands. C3 on the basis that a rod could be put in to improve the situation. (Why is this any different from Daughter's private water supply whose bonding improves the EFLI considerably?)


2. C3 'cos if you chop through the cord of your mower/hedge trimmer/angle grinder/etc. you could get a belt. A 15th Edn SRCD would sort that one. Mind you, I do sometimes plug a vacuum cleaner into the hall socket when I want to clean my car. Before Mike says anything about wet slippery bodies, I don't hoover my car in the rain and textiles are not "optional".


3. Nothing, because it isn't intrinsically dangerous and it is difficult to see how an improvement could be made. Taking out the socket (or shower) is not IMHO an improvement. In any event my Mrs P and I have stayed in French hotels and survived.


4. C3 or nothing. Not difficult to improve. And no, I'm not going to "improve" cables in mini-trunking on the ceiling of my own workshop. If it catches fire, I'm out of there! Might be different if the cables could obstruct an exit which was some distance from a habitable room, but still difficult to make it more than C3.


5. C3 again. It was very tempting to install an EVCP two years ago for this exact reason.


Did I pass? ?

John Peckham:

So here is a little test for you, how would you Code these items that were compliant at the time of installation?


1.Using a public utility water pipe as a means of earthing? Compliant in 13th Edition.

2. No RCD protection for a 230V socket that could supply portable equipment outside? Compliant 14th Edition.

3. A bedroom with a show cubical with a 230V socket 2.5m from the shower? Compliant with the 15th edition.

4. A surface run wiring system on a ceiling without metalic support? Compliant with the 16th Edition.

5. An electric vehicle charging point connected to a PME earthing system without one of the special provisions for neutral. Compliant with 17th Edition.

Nice one John!


1. Not a danger as it stands. C3 on the basis that a rod could be put in to improve the situation. (Why is this any different from Daughter's private water supply whose bonding improves the EFLI considerably?)


2. C3 'cos if you chop through the cord of your mower/hedge trimmer/angle grinder/etc. you could get a belt. A 15th Edn SRCD would sort that one. Mind you, I do sometimes plug a vacuum cleaner into the hall socket when I want to clean my car. Before Mike says anything about wet slippery bodies, I don't hoover my car in the rain and textiles are not "optional".


3. Nothing, because it isn't intrinsically dangerous and it is difficult to see how an improvement could be made. Taking out the socket (or shower) is not IMHO an improvement. In any event my Mrs P and I have stayed in French hotels and survived.


4. C3 or nothing. Not difficult to improve. And no, I'm not going to "improve" cables in mini-trunking on the ceiling of my own workshop. If it catches fire, I'm out of there! Might be different if the cables could obstruct an exit which was some distance from a habitable room, but still difficult to make it more than C3.


5. C3 again. It was very tempting to install an EVCP two years ago for this exact reason.


Did I pass? ?