On 15/08/2019 10:03, Allan wrote:
Following on from the university PAT check thread, something that has
crossed my mind recently is whether it's worth getting (domestic) house
electrical wiring and appliances check.

Moved into house 20 years ago, and never really checked for anything
unless/until there's a problem.Â* Wonder if it's worth checking as
pre-emptive move, like a mouse beginning to chew into a hidden cable or
water ingress that hasn't manifested itself (yet).Â* Or how that sort of
thing would show up. Or what such a test would show anyway.Â* Or what I
can do myself e.g. with one of the "socket testers" that is available on
the market (and would I understand the implications anyway as a lay
person).


The official check is known as an "Electrical Installation Condition
Report" (EICR) and for rented property should be carried out every 10
years unless you have a pool then every year. Have a google ..


What would be worth checking: wiring? sockets? appliances? consumer unit?


Well I would be testing general condition, ring main loop resistance,
earth resistance, RCD trip time,

House is 40 years old, I moved in 20 years ago and had some wiring done,
and got a new consumer unit in the garage.


So 40 years ago the wiring would be PVC so should still be OK. Did you
get a consumer unit with an RCD? If its only a single RCD I would be
looking to replace it with a split box, or even RCBOs.

We do electrical checking at our place of work etc (on a comulsory
basis), but should we do it at home (onÂ* a voluntary basis).


I would say so...

I had a new electric shower put in last year and the electrician checked
the consumer unit and picked up that one of the breakers needed
replacing, but nothing much else was checked.Â* And I've had another
individual breaker on the consumer unit need replacing a couple of years
ago.

Any thoughts welcome.


Well after having some checks for a new kitchen, I would say regular
checks are a good thing, and I would say five years would be better....


TIA

Dave