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New EICR "unsatisfactory" - complete rewire required?!?

Former Community Member
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The lighting circuit has no CPC (earth), this is not uncommon in older houses. For that reason all light fittings are Class 2 i.e. plastic with no metal, and there is a clause in the tenancy agreement which forbids tampering with the light fittings (this is a house we own and rent out).


Previous EICRs did not even mention the lighting circuit because of the Class 2 fittings. I have just got a new EICR with an observation "lighting circuits have little or no earth" and classification code C1 ("Danger present, risk of injury, immediate remedial action required"). The overall assessment says "Unsatisfactory" with the comment "Needs updating to current regs". This can only be fixed by a complete rewire of the whole lighting circuit.


This is pointless, there are no earth connections in the plastic fittings.


Any thoughts? Many thanks.
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    JPCoetzee:
    Chris Pearson:
    JPCoetzee:

    Some of them have roughly-tacked together wooden back boxes and these should be metal (!).


    No!


    If you put in metal back boxes, you potentially have exposed conductive parts because of the screws unless the switches are of a type which conceal them.


    The wooden back boxes may be as rough as a badger's ars*, but so long as they are reasonably sound, they are unlikely to present a danger. If some of them are roughly tacked together, are others beautifully joined, or what? ?




    Heh, no. Some of them already have metal back boxes. I guess the recommendation for a metal back box rather than wooden is to make the whole assembly more structurally sound.


    I may put a shallow plastic surface box instead, if that can work. I will be using nylon screws everywhere.






    It all sounds rough as a badgers butt. Stop messing about with DIY electrical work in a tenanted home and get the whole lot replaced to current standards by a competent electrician. Remember you need certification to append to the EICR.


    Every time you reveal a bit more about the installation confirms that a Code of C2 is applicable.


    Though I would employ a different electrician to the one you started with.


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  • 0
    JPCoetzee:
    Chris Pearson:
    JPCoetzee:

    Some of them have roughly-tacked together wooden back boxes and these should be metal (!).


    No!


    If you put in metal back boxes, you potentially have exposed conductive parts because of the screws unless the switches are of a type which conceal them.


    The wooden back boxes may be as rough as a badger's ars*, but so long as they are reasonably sound, they are unlikely to present a danger. If some of them are roughly tacked together, are others beautifully joined, or what? ?




    Heh, no. Some of them already have metal back boxes. I guess the recommendation for a metal back box rather than wooden is to make the whole assembly more structurally sound.


    I may put a shallow plastic surface box instead, if that can work. I will be using nylon screws everywhere.






    It all sounds rough as a badgers butt. Stop messing about with DIY electrical work in a tenanted home and get the whole lot replaced to current standards by a competent electrician. Remember you need certification to append to the EICR.


    Every time you reveal a bit more about the installation confirms that a Code of C2 is applicable.


    Though I would employ a different electrician to the one you started with.


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