Faulty Domestic Wiring?

As an electrical contractor I feel it is worth saying a few words on electrical safety which, in my experience, needs to be more at the forefront of our minds. It may seem like a gruelling topic, but one that every responsible homeowner should think about. Is the electrical installation in your home as safe as it should and could be? There are two main aspects to electrical safety in the home:

• minimising the risk of fire from the electrical installation (including appliances)
• the prevention of electric shocks.

20% of all domestic fires each year are caused by an electrical-related incident/hazard – Electrical Safety Council statistics. It’s no accident if a fire is caused by faulty house wiring – it’s neglect. A home correctly wired to current regulatory standards will not pose a fire risk through the electrical installation when under normal use. If a home was correctly wired 25 years ago and inspected by a competent, qualified electrician two or three times since then, most likely the electrical installation is in good order. At each inspection the electrician would have recommended those small works required to keep the installation to modern standards.

Common Faults and Non-Conformances

Faults and non-conformances with domestic electrical installations typically include:

• No residual current device (RCD) installed. An RCD is slightly different to a fuse and is designed primarily to protect people from the potential effects of an electric shock. It cuts the electrical supply very quickly in the event of a fault being detected
• Undersized cable, which creates a potential fire risk through overheating
• Inappropriately rated fuses or circuit breakers, which can create a potential fire risk through cabling overheating
• Insufficient earthing of installed metallic objects such as pipework which may deliver an electric shock in the event of a fault.

Protection Against Faulty Appliances

It is worth noting that even a correctly wired home will not totally be protected from the possibility of an electrical fire as a faulty appliance might be the cause. Again this risk can be minimised:

• Ensure that all appliances are wired and fused correctly and not used in an incorrect location
• Allow all appliances, especially those that have a standby mode, to “breathe” and ensure that they are not in contact with anything that might act as an insulant to heat them up
• Unwind extension leads fully when in use and do not overload them
• Do not overload adapter sockets (4-way trailing sockets, 3 into 1 blocks etc).

Periodic Inspection Reports

A positive start to improving the condition of an electrical installation is to order what’s known within the electrical industry as a Periodic Inspection Report (PIR). This 4 or 5 page report is the result of a full inspection and test of all aspects of the installation and includes a list of recommended actions. If commissioning a PIR, ensure that the inspecting electrician belongs to a well recognised regulatory body. The two main bodies are the National Inspection Council for Electrical Installation Contracting (NIC EIC) and the Electrical Contractors Association (ECA).

If renting a property, you can request from the landlord a copy of an up to date inspection report - for which s/he is responsible for. Industry guidelines for the maximum period between inspections are 5 years or change of tenant for rented dwellings and 10 years for private dwellings. If any remedial work is required, ensure that the electrician is Part ‘p’ accredited (most likely if a member of NICEIC or ECA).

Part P Accreditations

Since 1st Jan 2005, it has been a legal requirement for the vast majority of domestic installation work to be carried out by Part ‘p’ accredited persons. This is an additional section to the building regulations.

Don’t get caught out with home insurers either! Any electrical work completed since 1st Jan 2005 that qualifies under the Part ‘p’ scheme and which hasn’t been submitted by the installation electrician could render your home insurance void. Additionally, a recent PIR will probably lower an insurance premium.