Landlord electrical safety certificate

I think you are getting out of hand Wally. 514.14.1 explicitly allows red and black to remain on previously installed cables, to earlier editions. Thus these do not require to be changed, although there should be a notice (no notice = C3). Provided red is live and black neutral I see no safety problem at all, as we all know the old colours.


Inspection to chapter 6, and therefore BS7671, are quite simple to follow given the correct qualifications and experience. If it inspects as safe, it matches BS7671 requirements for an electrical installation which is what the legislation requires. If it is a new installation it must exactly match, if existing then judgement of safety comes into play which is obviously not what you are attempting to apply to the CU for example. I have explained this quite clearly above. If you find a loose connection, for example, I would expect you to check all the connections everywhere for tightness, if you find a perished cable you check all the cables, if you see a broken accessory you check them all carefully etc. Thus the inspection becomes interactive with the problems detected. Finally, you measure and log the test results on an inspected installation. If the inspection is very unsatisfactory you might leave out the tests, it is just a waste of time and money for you and the client, as they will have to be done again once the problems are fixed.


Many EICRs are designed to find fault where the installation is actually quite safe, for example, cable colours, CU construction, old designs of sockets, and unnecessary bonding. This is a result of the inspector doing reparations, which I would like to see banned. Sometimes people do stupid things, for example, 2 single sockets on a spur next to one another, a C1. It is exactly the same as a double socket so why? If they are in different rooms then this is perhaps a C2 or even C3 as it was previously permitted. Sometimes cable ratings are questioned, particularly when under insulation, or such are actually 4mm on a ring and this is missed by the inspector. Updating the CU is a common requirement from EICRs, often without good reason, or adding RCD sockets on already RCD protected final circuits because they might possibly be used outdoors. Remember the client probably has no idea of the regulations, so is easily misled for fraudulent purposes.


A good installation is usually fairly quick to inspect, an older much-modified one rather more difficult and slower. Some DIY ones are a disaster area, not because they are necessarily unsafe or incorrect but because they have many bits hidden away as other works were carried out. Documentation is often sadly lacking.


None of the above is at all difficult to carry out properly, but it may take time. Good Inspectors know this, ask JP.

I think you are getting out of hand Wally. 514.14.1 explicitly allows red and black to remain on previously installed cables, to earlier editions. Thus these do not require to be changed, although there should be a notice (no notice = C3). Provided red is live and black neutral I see no safety problem at all, as we all know the old colours.


Inspection to chapter 6, and therefore BS7671, are quite simple to follow given the correct qualifications and experience. If it inspects as safe, it matches BS7671 requirements for an electrical installation which is what the legislation requires. If it is a new installation it must exactly match, if existing then judgement of safety comes into play which is obviously not what you are attempting to apply to the CU for example. I have explained this quite clearly above. If you find a loose connection, for example, I would expect you to check all the connections everywhere for tightness, if you find a perished cable you check all the cables, if you see a broken accessory you check them all carefully etc. Thus the inspection becomes interactive with the problems detected. Finally, you measure and log the test results on an inspected installation. If the inspection is very unsatisfactory you might leave out the tests, it is just a waste of time and money for you and the client, as they will have to be done again once the problems are fixed.


Many EICRs are designed to find fault where the installation is actually quite safe, for example, cable colours, CU construction, old designs of sockets, and unnecessary bonding. This is a result of the inspector doing reparations, which I would like to see banned. Sometimes people do stupid things, for example, 2 single sockets on a spur next to one another, a C1. It is exactly the same as a double socket so why? If they are in different rooms then this is perhaps a C2 or even C3 as it was previously permitted. Sometimes cable ratings are questioned, particularly when under insulation, or such are actually 4mm on a ring and this is missed by the inspector. Updating the CU is a common requirement from EICRs, often without good reason, or adding RCD sockets on already RCD protected final circuits because they might possibly be used outdoors. Remember the client probably has no idea of the regulations, so is easily misled for fraudulent purposes.


A good installation is usually fairly quick to inspect, an older much-modified one rather more difficult and slower. Some DIY ones are a disaster area, not because they are necessarily unsafe or incorrect but because they have many bits hidden away as other works were carried out. Documentation is often sadly lacking.


None of the above is at all difficult to carry out properly, but it may take time. Good Inspectors know this, ask JP.