As said the EICR (electrical installation condition report) replaced the PIR (periodic inspection report) but when it did the code 4 which was does not comply with current edition of BS7671 was dropped as being unhelpful, also since the current edition has a date to which installations designed after that date must comply, if an installation was designed in 1993 then it is complying with current edition if it complies with the 1992 edition of BS7671. So we have these codes.
- C1 = Danger Present (FAIL)
- C2 = Potentially Dangerous (FAIL)
- C3 = Improvement Recommended.
- FI = Further Investigation Required (FAIL)
- N/V = Not Verified (Unable to verify)
- N/A = Not Applicable.
- LIM = Limitation (Not tested or inspected)
The (FAIL) only applies to rented property, owner occupied there is no fail, the C1 to C3 is designed to tell you how urgent the repairs are. The system has been hijacked by the government as a cheap MOT for homes in rented sector, and has caused problems as there is no fixed criteria for code C2. And to be frank it did not need it as designed, it was just to tell the home owner the condition of the installation, it was never intended as an MOT.
However the problem is it has been seen by some as a money earner, and this well before it was ever law for rented property, and I have been asked to price work as a result of a EICR and have realised most the faults do not need correcting.
Basic fact is if it was OK when installed and has not degraded, then still OK now. Well not quite, although the new law includes fixed appliances, and appliances not normally used, that is not part of the installation, so it would not have been included in previous EICR, so if you use some appliance which needs some thing the old one did not, then it may need upgrading to suit the new appliance.
So for example electric car charging may mean the old RCD is no longer good enough, same with some boilers, so there are one or two items which may need upgrading without it having degraded, and of course any item added which never complied in the first place as well.
There is a problem however, BS7671 has has amendments and upgrades through the years, and no electrician will have every edition, also he is unlikely to have the installation instructions for every appliance, so if you installation designed in 1993 it is likely a bit of guess work as to what was in the regulations then, and in some cases requirements have been dropped, so inspectors tend to use the current edition as a guide.
What should happen is they forget BS7671 and actually look for "Potentially Dangerous" etc, however if you look at the roads, you will see some thing as OK and others will see it as potentially dangerous and the same applies to the electrics. And some of the regulations can be seen as OTT, for example a ceiling rose should be able to support 5 kg but I have seen many fitted to plaster board, which would not take that weight, but in real terms it never will, so does not really matter.
So all down to the inspector, he has to use common sense, and of course know what he is doing, the City & Guilds 2391 exam was the recognised qualification for an inspector, think there was also a cut down version think C&G 2392? But clearly the older the electrician/inspector the more likely he is to know what is safe and what is not. The new law before it was passed said 10 years experience, professional indemnity insurance, and a few more requirements, but it was then not written into the law, not that is worries you as the law is only for rented property.
But the problem is selecting an inspector you can trust, the local authority building control (LABC) use to have a list of inspectors who's report they would accept, however again they were using the report for a job it was not intended for, only the person who designs, installs and inspect and tests an installation can sign the installation certificate, but it is nearly the same as an EICR, so the LABC used the forms when some one is doing their own electrics which are notifiable to check if up to standard. Clearly in that case they want the inspector to work to current regulations.
So you can instruct the inspector as to what you want, i.e. forget the garage that is going to be replaced. Or only interested in likely danger, this property is not to be rented. Where I do the odd EICR we have a safety officer, and I am not interested as to if smoke alarms are fitted, but some people do include the lack of smoke alarms on their report. So you tell the inspector what you want.