Floating sockets..

[JohnW2]

So if I done an EICR for you and put a C3 for that floating socket would you use me again?

I certainly wouldn't hold that against you since, as we've been seen, many others would probably, and 'in good faith', do the same (despite what the regs might actually say!).

On the other hand, going back to the recent story I told, if you gave my shower circuit a code of any sort because it was so long that any residual current would have reduced to too little to trip the RCD in the distant CU by the time it go there, then I probably wouldn't be seeing much of you after that!

I have to say that, although we talk quite a lot about EICRs having vey questionable C2s, often possibly in attempts to 'generate ('unnecessary') work', a fairly high proportion of the inspectors we've decided 'never to use again' have been in that position because they have 'missed things', rather than 'made things up'! Off the top of my head, I think I'd say that the things most often missed are probably 'spurs off spurs' - although I have to say that the most recent one we 'showed the door' had failed to comment on, let alone code, a very significant amount of VIR cable that was still in-service ! To restore one's faith in decent tradespeople, we got a second (again, 'new') electrician to look at that installation ('just for the hell of it') - and after just a few minutes looking around told us that there was no point in wasting money on an EICR, since it was obvious that a complete re-wire was needed.

 

[JohnW2]

It is a C3 all day long.

Well, it would be if the regs defined C3 as meaning "low risk potential danger" and/or defined C2 as meaning "high(er) risk potential danger" - but that, of course, is not quite what they currently say

 

[JohnW2]

I've not been arguing just discussing and disagreeing a bit about the floating socket ....and I dont want you to shut up, I like reading your posts, I said leave it john as a bit of a joke...

Thanks!

I've persisted in 'discussing' the floating socket, because I think it is a good example of the issue I've been trying to highlight. You and others have (rightly) argued that it presents what could be said to be, in everyday sense of the language, "a potential danger". If the regs are also talking about 'the everyday sense of language', then that would mean that it was asking for a C2 for that situation.

However, you and others (including me) have attempted to apply common sense, gut feeling, intuition (or whatever you want to call it) by saying that, no mater how the regs are worded, we do not feel that it requires 'urgent remedial action' - hence not C2. Highway Man has justified that approach by regarding it as a "low risk potential danger".

I would therefore suggest that, at the very least, the wording of the regs should be somehow changed such that 'potential dangers' which were regarded ('judged') as having a low magnitude of risk should be excluded from the requirement for a C2.

If there is a difference between you and I, I suppose it's that I have questionned whether the 'floating socket' requires any code at all, whereas you and others feel that it deserves a C3 (even though I don't think you belive it presents a 'significant potential danger')

 

[ebee]

we initially always make it very clear that they will not be asked to undertake any remedial work which thier EICR may identify as being needed and, in the case of the very first EICR someone does for us, we often also make it clear that we will be getting someone else (whom we know and 'trust') to undertake an EICR on the same installation. Most (but not all!) people accept this, and those who don't are just 'sent away'.

I would say that, over the years, having seen their first EICR for us, we have decided in at least half the cases that we would never use the person for an EICR (or, probably, anything else) again.

yep that ticks my box in what i would independantly advise folks to do, its a good starter for 10 .
I`ve never been keen on doing them myself anyway, but if asked i would point a client in pretty much the same as the above, or lightly suggest (if pressed) the one or two I might actually trust to do a half decent job of it.
I have seen very many poor ones, its a scandal.

 

[ebee]

after just a few minutes looking around told us that there was no point in wasting money on an EICR, since it was obvious that a complete re-wire was needed.

yup i have done that too.