An EICR (Electrical Installation Condition Report) is a formal document that provides all details on the condition of an electrical installation. It also highlights safety defects and shortcomings if any, as per the electrical regulations BS7671.
Who should perform EICR?
A Part P Registered Electrician who has a good experience and working knowledge of electrical installations should perform an assessment of the electrical installation.
Considerations While Conducting an EICR
- When an EICR is performed on electric systems in your property, electrician you hire will need to disconnect the power from the main electrical power supply. This power cut can range from an hour to a whole day, larger electric installations, especially industrial installations take days or weeks.
- Electrician conducting EICR needs to put off and disconnect the power for safety reasons. Power cut to installation helps apply the correct test to an electrical circuit. Disconnecting the power supply is going to be an inconvenient, especially if the power cut impacts the running of a business or other important tasks.
Reason & Purpose of EICR
There can be several reasons why a household request EICR and it is highly recommended where strong evidence is required to make sure an electrical installation is safe.
- EICR is quite common for rented accommodation, where it proves an easy and least time- consuming method for confirming about the safety of electrical installations.
- Electrical condition report is also recommended for all domestic homes in every 10 years to assess the condition of electrical installation and to ensure there is no worsening condition.
There are reasons why an EICR would need to perform quite often. Key reasons include:
- Age of Installation: The older the installation is, more often it is to carry out an EICR.
- Type of Property: If for instance, your property has a swimming pool, the suggested time for the electrical installation condition report is 1 year. Only some parts of the installation in this case would need to be assessed.
- Change in Usage of Domestic Properties: Change in usage of properties such as rental, property is prepared with an aim to sell. With change of occupancy in rental properties, it is recommended to ensure the property is electrically safe. Requesting an EICR for a property that is being purchased renders the best way to assess if work needs to perform on the electrical system.
There is no legal requirement to carry out an EICR; however it provides peace of mind that your home is electrically safe. It is not an expensive procedure to carry out.
During EICR, an electrician would take numerous electrical observations and will give a recommendation code to each one. Observations describe a defect in the electrical installation. An electrician will code observation as per the level of severity.
In order to ensure your electric installations are safe, conducting EICR at the recommended intervals will work. It is also essential to perform the work to keep your property electrically safe.
To hire a well competitive and professional electrician for EICR, just get in touch with our experts today.
