brummydave
Senior Member
Asked to do an EICR today on a two bed flat for change of occupancy. Here's my findings, and I'd welcome your thoughts please. I realise a photo or two would tell a thousand words but guess who's camera had no battery today!
Start at the beginning. There's a cupboard in the communal hall with meters and switchfuses for four flats. It also has an old wylex semi-enclosed board which is labelled up as supplying communal sockets, lights and door buzzer system. There's a 3-phase distribution box supplied by a pair of swa cables that has a bank of 100A fuses. I guess there's one per flat.
So that gives me an 80A BS1361 fuse with 16mm tails to the economy 7 meter (replaced july 2011).
Then there's 16mm tails from the meter. Neutral is commoned via a Henley. One line goes to a 60A switchfuse which in turn supplies the flat via a 16mm Twin and Earth. The other line goes to an 80A switchfuse which supplies the flat's storage heating via a concentric SWA cable. The line is 16mm, there's four cpcs which seem to be 2.5mm each, and then seven neutral cables, all appearing to be 1.5mm.
Earthing wise, the 3 phase box has 'protective multiple earthing' written on it.
There's an earth block fixed above supplied by green/yellow braids. A 10mm cable is connected to the heating switchfuse, and then to the concentric. The twin and earth has a much smaller (maybe 6mm?) green tape covered cpc which is also connected to the earth block. (The other three flats have the same arrangement although their heating circuits are obviously much older, I think still using a warm air system.)
Does this count as TN-S for the flat or TN-C-S because of the PME?
Should I do two reports, one for the main circuits, and one for the storage heating?
In which case is the 'main fuse' the one in the switchfuse, or the one before the meter?
Now to the flat:
Three Wylex boards.
1st, installed 1994, has 4x15A BS1361 fuses, one for each storage heater. The water equipotential bonding is connected to this board. A 10mm cpc also connects this earthing bar to the second board (!!)...
2nd, original installation, circa 1970s? has 5x rewireable fuses and 1x bs1361 fuse (added 1981 by the MEB!)
These are for lights (2), immersion, sockets, cooker and shower.
Finally, there's a disconnected fuse holder on the right of this board which i presume supplied the 3rd board.
This is a 2 way rewirable fuse board, I also presume for the old warm air heating system. a 15A and 5A fuse were already removed although the cables are still connected. There's no power there apart from 24v ac on the supply terminal - somehow induced maybe?
The bathroom has a 8kw shower, 12V extract fan, wall light and ceiling light. Supplementary bonding seems to be all in place (connections to be verified).
There are randomly placed battery powered (but empty) smoke alarms in the bedroom, hall, lounge. And weirdly, a similar one on the wall in the communal hall!
There's an electric fire with a seriously damaged cable. The black fabric outer has almost completly worn off and the rubber cores are exposed!
The shower switch has a small crack, but apart from that all accessories seem in good condition.
My thoughts:
The flat has been used by elderly tenants for years, and the block seems to mostly suit/house them.
Having MCBs would be more convenient than rewirable fuses and cartridge fuses but I can't see it's a must, only a suggestion.
I haven't done individual circuit insulation resistance test yet but the overall insulation was fine.
PFC was 1.8kA at the origin, and Ze 0.18.
Next visit I'll take a sample of switches and sockets off to check connections etc.
I want to recommend RCD protection, especially for the Shower.
It's not likely that any socket will be used for outside in my opinion, (although i did see another flat running an extension lead to their garage!) But obviously RCD protection on the sockets would be better than none.
Replace cable on fire and test for adequate earthing/insulation.
Recommend interlinked heat/smoke alarms.
Recommend energy saving light fittings/lamps - there's none at present.
Thanks in advance,
D.
Start at the beginning. There's a cupboard in the communal hall with meters and switchfuses for four flats. It also has an old wylex semi-enclosed board which is labelled up as supplying communal sockets, lights and door buzzer system. There's a 3-phase distribution box supplied by a pair of swa cables that has a bank of 100A fuses. I guess there's one per flat.
So that gives me an 80A BS1361 fuse with 16mm tails to the economy 7 meter (replaced july 2011).
Then there's 16mm tails from the meter. Neutral is commoned via a Henley. One line goes to a 60A switchfuse which in turn supplies the flat via a 16mm Twin and Earth. The other line goes to an 80A switchfuse which supplies the flat's storage heating via a concentric SWA cable. The line is 16mm, there's four cpcs which seem to be 2.5mm each, and then seven neutral cables, all appearing to be 1.5mm.
Earthing wise, the 3 phase box has 'protective multiple earthing' written on it.
There's an earth block fixed above supplied by green/yellow braids. A 10mm cable is connected to the heating switchfuse, and then to the concentric. The twin and earth has a much smaller (maybe 6mm?) green tape covered cpc which is also connected to the earth block. (The other three flats have the same arrangement although their heating circuits are obviously much older, I think still using a warm air system.)
Does this count as TN-S for the flat or TN-C-S because of the PME?
Should I do two reports, one for the main circuits, and one for the storage heating?
In which case is the 'main fuse' the one in the switchfuse, or the one before the meter?
Now to the flat:
Three Wylex boards.
1st, installed 1994, has 4x15A BS1361 fuses, one for each storage heater. The water equipotential bonding is connected to this board. A 10mm cpc also connects this earthing bar to the second board (!!)...
2nd, original installation, circa 1970s? has 5x rewireable fuses and 1x bs1361 fuse (added 1981 by the MEB!)
These are for lights (2), immersion, sockets, cooker and shower.
Finally, there's a disconnected fuse holder on the right of this board which i presume supplied the 3rd board.
This is a 2 way rewirable fuse board, I also presume for the old warm air heating system. a 15A and 5A fuse were already removed although the cables are still connected. There's no power there apart from 24v ac on the supply terminal - somehow induced maybe?
The bathroom has a 8kw shower, 12V extract fan, wall light and ceiling light. Supplementary bonding seems to be all in place (connections to be verified).
There are randomly placed battery powered (but empty) smoke alarms in the bedroom, hall, lounge. And weirdly, a similar one on the wall in the communal hall!
There's an electric fire with a seriously damaged cable. The black fabric outer has almost completly worn off and the rubber cores are exposed!
The shower switch has a small crack, but apart from that all accessories seem in good condition.
My thoughts:
The flat has been used by elderly tenants for years, and the block seems to mostly suit/house them.
Having MCBs would be more convenient than rewirable fuses and cartridge fuses but I can't see it's a must, only a suggestion.
I haven't done individual circuit insulation resistance test yet but the overall insulation was fine.
PFC was 1.8kA at the origin, and Ze 0.18.
Next visit I'll take a sample of switches and sockets off to check connections etc.
I want to recommend RCD protection, especially for the Shower.
It's not likely that any socket will be used for outside in my opinion, (although i did see another flat running an extension lead to their garage!) But obviously RCD protection on the sockets would be better than none.
Replace cable on fire and test for adequate earthing/insulation.
Recommend interlinked heat/smoke alarms.
Recommend energy saving light fittings/lamps - there's none at present.
Thanks in advance,
D.
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