Depends what has happened inside. The best thing is to carefully remove the cover and take a few pics. Unless you are very  confident, that should be best done with the power off just in case there is a live end in finger grabbing distance as you curl your fingers around the edge to remove it.

Mike.

PS if you are not too confident about that, at least have someone with you watching where you put your fingers. Those of us who push electrons about for a living get quite careless about undoing covers with the power on, when we know what to expect behind - but you probably should not copy that without having seen inside one already and knowing where there wont be anything.

but for now the EICR should be done to the edition on the CU/board when it was fitted.

Sorry, but got to disagree on that point - any EICR done today should be carried out according to today's regulations. If that were not the case and you came across an installation from 1888 with open knife switches and no earthing (and somehow it's hadn't degraded with age) you'd have to give it a clean bill of health as such things were permitted then. That's not to say that any difference from today's regulations would mean a fail - and knowledge of previous editions and some of the techniques they used to provide safety is certainly fundamental to deciding whether the installation is actually still safe to use, but there needs to be a common yard-stick to measure against, and that's the current edition.

   - Andy.

agree - but the severity of the C1/2/3 has to match the actual danger present.

The same non-compliance  in a different place may be more or less serious.

And behind thick perspex knife switches can be both quite impressive and safe to operate if the PSSC is low.

M.

I see both sides to this.


If EICR is to today's regulations then all installs that are checked become compliant.  However this will be at a cost.  Just look at the 18th edition with 4 amendments and a corrigendum that could lead to a lot of fails/unsatisfactory requiring remedial work and/or parts.  EG no SPD or a type AC RCD

On the other hand if a project was to last over five years it would surely straddle several editions and then it would not be compliant at hand over.  I agree the contract could say designed and installed to a specific edition for which an EIC could be issues but after that it would need a periodic EICR/inspection and testing.


So how is to move forward.  Well. JPEL64 could discuss it to the Nth degree or they could say something like EICR to the install edition or.
EICR to the install edition or the current edition after 20 years from install completion.

Either way people will need to compromise.


As a side note there is a real danger that a good install could be replaced with new compliant kit but poor workmanship.  BS 7671 Regulation 134.1.1

One can inspect, and find "not to current standard, however perfectly safe for continuing use" and 'C3' or even 'no code'

and if you like add a note "was fully compliant to wiring regs in 1969 edition" or whatever.

Most 'fussy' regs changes like wiring out of zones, non standard mechanics etc can be handled like that.
More serious stuff like 'exposed bus bar at head height' might benefit from site applied insulation or barriers erected.... which may still be not to current standard, but now safer...

Mike.

IMHO C2 is not unreasonable. If the cover were displaced, which could happen quite easily, it becomes a C1 instantly.

Surely, there should be a cover over the switches. A falling object (it is a storage cupboard) could kill a circuit or the whole lot at an inconvenient time. Probably C3 on its own.

The solution is to repair the CU. I am unclear what is wrong with the LH screw.

If the screw holes are damaged, they may be repairable. Have a look for "Back Box Saver". I have made similar devices - just turn a top hat-shaped cylinder of brass of a suitable dimension. Tap a thread. Hold in place with some heat shrink.

As others have said, do not open the CU unless you know what you are doing. You only get electrocuted once!

I use captive nuts as long as some metal is left for it to clip onto 

the 'spire' nuts are sometimes good on backboxes with side lugs - though sometimes getting too close to an edge is awkward.

I have seen folk drill right out the back and thread into the back of the box, or even into whatever is beyond.
There are inserts that can be staked into plastic pillars, or into modesty blocks to make Right angle fixings

as well as rivet nuts for thin materials like sheet metal, sheet fibreglass and tufnol,

However, all of this, much like Chris's 'just spin a part up in your lathe' assumes that you are (or have a friend) suitably "tooled up" to do this. Those who have the facility to make up control panels etc do, but the average fitter type domestic installer probably isn't that familiar, and charging for a complete new part is less risk to them.
Mike.

Sergio Fernandez said:

due to IP rating (international Protection) mistakingly called Ingress Protection by many. 

Is that true?

mapj1 said:

However, all of this, much like Chris's 'just spin a part up in your lathe' assumes that you are (or have a friend) suitably "tooled up" to do this. Those who have the facility to make up control panels etc do, but the average fitter type domestic installer probably isn't that familiar, and charging for a complete new part is less risk to them

It's not just a case of being 'tooled up'.  Most general electricians perhaps would be advised not to take on the risk of 'owning' modification of a product by their insurer, or perhaps industry guidance.

If you carry out repairs such as this ('modifications'), can you vouch that they are no less safe than the original product? If anything goes wrong, the OEM could well have an 'escape route' ...

Yes, I know this seems petty, but it's not DIY, and a claim (or in extreme cases prosecution) could result. Would the electrician's insurer cover them for this? And despite the best intentions of the homeowner / landlord looking to save on repairs and maintenance, they might not have a say in the matter and it may be their insurers (or perhaps a regulator or prosecutor, if someone gets hurt or an extreme event occurs) that actually proceeds against the electrician.

It's not an easy topic ... the automotive industry, for example, is often making noises about 'pattern parts' and certain repairs. It seems to be the way the world is going.