EARTH CONTINUITY

[STRING]

PERIODIC INSPECTION ON A DOMESTIC PROPERTY REVEALED A LIGHTING CIRCUIT WITH NO CPC  ITS AN OLD HOUSE WITH TWO CORE SINGLES IN METAL CONDUIT OVER THE YEARS WITH ALTERATIONS THINGS BEING CHANGED THERE IS NO EARTH CONTINUITY FROM SOME SWITCHES AND LIGHT FITTINGS  CAN I COVER THIS WITH 30MA RCD PRTOECTION AND SIGN IT SATIFACTORY.

ITS AN OLD 1980s SPLIT LOAD BOARD WITH THE LIGHTING ON THE MAIN SWITCH SIDE . WHAT DO WE THINK

 

[Sidewinder]

Welcome to the forum STRING, please, stop shouting, it's hurting my ears!

Personally, I would be doing the report first, then worrying about the remedial works later.  Unless you have a remit to do the remedial works such that you are going to be able to issue a satisfactory report.

I would be very unhappy with no earth continuity to each point.

You say that this is singles in conduit, I would be looking first, as it may be easier to reinstate the earthing via the existing conduit.

Reg 411.3.1.1 seems to apply, as your fundamental method of protection will be ADS, and, an RCD does not provide ADS, only additional protection.

 

[ProDave]

If it's conduit with breaks, I would be more worried about rough ends of tube and the risk of chaffing cables, which makes the earth continuity very important. 

 

[Evans Electric]

Welcome to the Forum Stringy . 

As Sidey says ,  do the EICR  first  ,    I think many of us sometimes fall into  the trap of thinking .........Ah   how can I put this right   ..... you're there to inspect & report  , then look at any remedials afterwards. 

 

[binky]

2 core singles????

If the switch plates and light fittings are class II ie not metal you don't actually need the CPC. If there are metal accessories, I would test using a wander lead. If the residence is private, you can advise that ccts need re-wiring / cpc needs introducing / repairing. Given the age of the property, what you have found is not that unusual, it's the way things were done back then. 

Somewhere deep in the NICEIC advice files I did read that if the customer has metal accessories with no earthing, and they don't want to rewire, then as a last resort you should try to persuade the customer to introduce RCD protection. I would cert it as satisfactory. Do the report as it stands and advise on a suitable course of action. If they choose to follow your advice, issue a covering letter.

 

[Andy™]

WHAT DO WE THINK

I think the keyboard is broken

 

[Murdoch]

We think you should undertake the EICR and review your findings ......... You are not there to pass or fail, fix or improve on the spot unless it's a C1 .....

and remember, the home owner can simply ignore your report and findings ....

 

[Phoenix]

You say some points have got no continuity through alterations through the years, in my mind this could indicate two different situations with two different outcomes:

a) Fittings have been replaced over the years and no one has bothered to make a connection onto the conduit for the earth, this will mean a few hours work and a handful of 2BA brass bolts and a bit of G/Y 6491X

b) Or do you mean the conduit itself has lost continuity due to bits being cut out of it, plastic insertered, bodged across with twin and earth, etc this would likely mean a re-wire unless it was just at one point where you could get in and repair it.

BS7671 will give you the answer to the actual question you ask, Think paul has even given you the right reference... the NICEIC (is that a bad word on here?!) do a set of litte guides that might normally be the right size to fit in a pocket, but are also availble as free PDF downloads and one of them might cover condition reporting codes if you are struggling to decide on one (but if you consider the definations of the codes available - its pretty straightforward which one should be applied here)

 

[binky]

a) Fittings have been replaced over the years and no one has bothered to make a connection onto the conduit for the earth, this will mean a few hours work and a handful of 2BA brass bolts and a bit of G/Y 6491X

b) Or do you mean the conduit itself has lost continuity due to bits being cut out of it, plastic insertered, bodged across with twin and earth, etc this would likely mean a re-wire unless it was just at one point where you could get in and repair it.

a/ if you can get to the conduit where it has broken earth path

b/ I grew up in a house with no CPC on lighting, oddly enough I'm still alive and so are my parents, now 84 years old. It does not mean a rewire is needed, it may be recommended. It's the customers choice in a non-rental property.

 

[Sidewinder]

There is also this:

http://www.electricalsafetyfirst.org.uk/mediafile/100740439/Best-Practice-Guide-4-Issue-4-.pdf

 

[phil d]

I'd agree with what others have said, a report is into the condition of the existing installation, you do not have to correct any issues, unless you have stated that you'll be issuing a clear eicr. It's a bit like taking a car for an mot isn't it, you take it to the garage, it either passes or it doesn't, it's then up to you to decide about getting the problems fixed.

Personally I wouldn't worry too much about putting it right, not yet, as you go along work out the best course of action depending on what you find, issue the cert, with any issues on it, then wait and see what the customer says. I never jump in and say "it needs X,Y, and Z and I can do it for, and then quote a price, some people think you are trying to create work.

Let them have the paperwork, then if they come back and ask, "well what's the options, and the costs", you can then discuss the report, and the various outcomes and costs, it may be just a case of running a new earth to each point, or they may look at other issues and ask for a quote for a rewire.

 

[Risteard]

If the switch plates and light fittings are class II ie not metal you don't actually need the CPC.

Yes you do. Not only is it a requirement of BS7671, but the conduit itself is an exposed conductive part which must be earthed.