Any equipment permanently connected or intended to be permanently connected.

[ericmark]

This is what the law says is part of the “consumer’s installation” in full it says "“consumer’s installation” means the electric lines situated upon the consumer’s side of the supply terminals together with any equipment permanently connected or intended to be permanently connected thereto on that side;"

So I look at my house, I have two cup boilers which I intend to be permanently connected to the supply, but I would normally consider them to be potable appliances. I would not for one minute expect them to be tested during an EICR.

But we plug in many items which are only every unplugged for maintenance, fridge, freezer, washing machine, tumble drier, oven, boiler, and in my dad's old house even the immersion heater was on a 15 amp plug and socket.

I have always considered the installation to be the wiring and protection devices, things which do not use power, but only deliver power, which of course would include a tank thermostat and wiring centre, but not the motorised valve.

There has always been a problem when PAT testing and the EICR are done by different people that you get duplication or items missed, but the new law on rented property has raised the question does one do what the IET codes of practice has been saying for years, or has the EICR got to be changed to include items which were in the past part of the inspection and testing of in-service electrical equipment? And if so do we need to rename the old EICR maybe as a PIR to show two different inspections. As clearly for industrial premises the IET codes still apply.

 

[SUNRAY]

Well for a start this sort of discussion has been done to death a few times in the past, the fact it's been raised again under the rental testing is interesting.

As it happens yesterday I made changes to heating in a rental property [mine] :

Remove 3x NS heaters and replace with:

1. NS Heater, E& & perm supplies. Like for like replacement, so no testing actually required.
2. Panel heater, so MCB removed from E7 side of split board & RCBO fitted in perm side.
3. 13A socket, so MCB removed from E7 side of split board & RCBO fitted in perm side.

2 & 3 were tested and listed on a DEIC but in addition 1 & 2. were tested for earth continuity to its metal case.


Getting back to your question, anything permanently connected, ie without a plug will NEVER be tested as PAT as it's simply not portable, therefore the only time it will ever stand a chance of being tested is under EICR. If not tested under EICR then surely the landlord will be in breach of requirements unless he thinks to call in a second contractor.

 

[ericmark]

I have to agree with @SUNRAY there has always been the argument that the guy with the PAT testing machine needs to plug the item into the machine, so anything which does not have a plug and socket will be done by the guy doing the EICR, this was common in many places that I worked, also there would be items under outside maintenance contract, drinks machine etc.

However the inspection and testing of in-service electrical equipment say nothing about be portable or having a plug on it, basic if it used current it comes under the inspection and testing of in-service electrical equipment and if it only distributes power then under the EICR.

There will always be the odd one out, ceiling rose and pendent does not use power so EICR only the bulb uses power, but a fluorescent lamp fitting replaces the bulb and ceiling rose and pendent, but we would not consider it to be part of the the inspection and testing of in-service electrical equipment, we would expect it all to come under the EICR even if it uses some power.

However the question arises if an appliance is potentially dangerous, should it be quarantined or given a C2? Same if dangerous, it was a common practice which I personally hated with a fault appliance to simply cut off the plug, if on a FCU often remove fuse and put a tie rap through the fuse holder so a tool is required to re-commission i.e. side cutters. Once anything is quarantined or de-commissioned it is entered into the appropriate register, but the guy doing the EICR likely does not have access to that register and once quarantined or de-commissioned then no longer a fail for whole property but only for that one item which clearly does not always need correcting within 28 days, it is no longer a danger or not there.

So although with many firms I have worked for we have come to an agreement that some equipment will be tested while doing the EICR that did not change where the report was recorded, we may have tested the hand drier when doing the EICR but the results were recorded in the inspection and testing of in-service electrical equipment register.

 

[JohnW2]

This is what the law says is part of the “consumer’s installation” in full it says "“consumer’s installation” means the electric lines situated upon the consumer’s side of the supply terminals together with any equipment permanently connected or intended to be permanently connected thereto on that side;"

As has been said, that one has been 'done to death' in the past, and there's no point in going over all that ground again.

What is needed is, at least in my opinion, a modicum of common sense!

Kind Regards, John

 

[SUNRAY]

I have to agree with @SUNRAY there has always been the argument that the guy with the PAT testing machine needs to plug the item into the machine, so anything which does not have a plug and socket will be done by the guy doing the EICR, this was common in many places that I worked, also there would be items under outside maintenance contract, drinks machine etc.

However the inspection and testing of in-service electrical equipment say nothing about be portable or having a plug on it, basic if it used current it comes under the inspection and testing of in-service electrical equipment and if it only distributes power then under the EICR.

There will always be the odd one out, ceiling rose and pendent does not use power so EICR only the bulb uses power, but a fluorescent lamp fitting replaces the bulb and ceiling rose and pendent, but we would not consider it to be part of the the inspection and testing of in-service electrical equipment, we would expect it all to come under the EICR even if it uses some power.

However the question arises if an appliance is potentially dangerous, should it be quarantined or given a C2? Same if dangerous, it was a common practice which I personally hated with a fault appliance to simply cut off the plug, if on a FCU often remove fuse and put a tie rap through the fuse holder so a tool is required to re-commission i.e. side cutters. Once anything is quarantined or de-commissioned it is entered into the appropriate register, but the guy doing the EICR likely does not have access to that register and once quarantined or de-commissioned then no longer a fail for whole property but only for that one item which clearly does not always need correcting within 28 days, it is no longer a danger or not there.

So although with many firms I have worked for we have come to an agreement that some equipment will be tested while doing the EICR that did not change where the report was recorded, we may have tested the hand drier when doing the EICR but the results were recorded in the inspection and testing of in-service electrical equipment register.

I personally don't care how or where it's recorded as long as it's done and in the current ligitagative [I hope that's a good word] climate can be found/produced when required.

 

[JohnW2]

I personally don't care how or where it's recorded as long as it's done and in the current ligitagative [I hope that's a good word] climate can be found/produced when required.

I think the word you are looking for is probably "litigious"

Kind Regards, John

 

[SUNRAY]

I think the word you are looking for is probably "litigious"

Kind Regards, John

Probably.
In my defence litagative came up in google when I checked the correct spelling of litagious and somehow I managed to add an 'ig' in there.