EICR failure query - RCDs
Discussion
I know there are more specialist forums and parts of the internet to discuss such things, but figured there's usually some knowledgeable folks here!
I have a small flat that I rent out, and five years ago when it was vacant, before I started renting it for the first time, I had an EICR done as part of the letting requirements. It passed with a handful of C3 advisories, including one which related to the lack of RCDs on the lighting circuit. It was explained to me that although current regulations mandate this, the regs aren't retrospective otherwise you'd have to replace every single plastic consumer unit in the country. You assess against the regulations that were in place at the time of installation (in this case, 1999), unless there's been any modifications or extensions to the circuits (there hasn't).
Fast forward to today, and the flat is occupied and under the day-to-day management of a letting agent, who are using their own electrician. I've been told, without having done an EICR, that it will fail due to the lack of RCD on lights including specifically the bathroom lighting circuit, and been quoted £950 + VAT for replacement of the two consumer units (there's an additional small unit for the economy7 circuit as the property has night storage heaters) with new metal all-RCBO affairs.
I've sought clarification on this with the electrician and asked why a previous assessment gave a C3 recommendation and now he's saying it'll fail without a grand's worth of work on new consumer units. I've asked if he's checked for appropriate supplemental bonding in the bathroom, or done a continuity test to confirm its' effectiveness before him stating that it'll fail without an RCD. He's declined to answer those and said to the letting agent that the regulations have improved since the last EICR, and the landlord (me) is welcome to get a second opinion. As far as I can gather, BS7971:2018 was in force for the last EICR and would still be the standard to assess against today, so I'm not clear what significant difference there is between 2020 and now.
Any electricians on here (or anyone having been in a similar situation) that could give me a steer? Is this a valid reason to fail an EICR or am I being given a runaround?
FWIW, obviously I'm not disputing that a new all-RCBO CU is going to be safer - of course it is - but I'd rather upgrade it in the future as a series of planned works including the (rather dated) heating system and potentially losing the economy7 circuit, rather than a (possibly dubious) EICR failure by an electrician who won't fully explain his reasoning to me.
I have a small flat that I rent out, and five years ago when it was vacant, before I started renting it for the first time, I had an EICR done as part of the letting requirements. It passed with a handful of C3 advisories, including one which related to the lack of RCDs on the lighting circuit. It was explained to me that although current regulations mandate this, the regs aren't retrospective otherwise you'd have to replace every single plastic consumer unit in the country. You assess against the regulations that were in place at the time of installation (in this case, 1999), unless there's been any modifications or extensions to the circuits (there hasn't).
Fast forward to today, and the flat is occupied and under the day-to-day management of a letting agent, who are using their own electrician. I've been told, without having done an EICR, that it will fail due to the lack of RCD on lights including specifically the bathroom lighting circuit, and been quoted £950 + VAT for replacement of the two consumer units (there's an additional small unit for the economy7 circuit as the property has night storage heaters) with new metal all-RCBO affairs.
I've sought clarification on this with the electrician and asked why a previous assessment gave a C3 recommendation and now he's saying it'll fail without a grand's worth of work on new consumer units. I've asked if he's checked for appropriate supplemental bonding in the bathroom, or done a continuity test to confirm its' effectiveness before him stating that it'll fail without an RCD. He's declined to answer those and said to the letting agent that the regulations have improved since the last EICR, and the landlord (me) is welcome to get a second opinion. As far as I can gather, BS7971:2018 was in force for the last EICR and would still be the standard to assess against today, so I'm not clear what significant difference there is between 2020 and now.
Any electricians on here (or anyone having been in a similar situation) that could give me a steer? Is this a valid reason to fail an EICR or am I being given a runaround?
FWIW, obviously I'm not disputing that a new all-RCBO CU is going to be safer - of course it is - but I'd rather upgrade it in the future as a series of planned works including the (rather dated) heating system and potentially losing the economy7 circuit, rather than a (possibly dubious) EICR failure by an electrician who won't fully explain his reasoning to me.
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