House electrical inspection

[Shift]

I've just had a surveyors report on the house I'm selling and he has recomended that an electrical inspection is carried out even though I pointed out the house was rewired a year before I moved in 17 years ago. Even though the house was rewired with new fuse boxes etc they didn't move the sockets above the skirting boards and a couple that are hardly used still remain in the skirtings,and this is why I think he is asking for an inspection.
Now to my questions firstly is it a legal requirement to have the wiring inspected.
I know it states In the 16th edition that sockets should be (from memory) 600mm above the floor but does that mean you should have to move sockets to meet the current reg's.

 

[Steve]

Get an electrical inspection done. 17 years is a long time. inspections supposed to be carried out every 5 years. All sorts could have been done to the wiring, things you cant see with your own eye. Dodgy add-ons, loose wires etc.

The 600mm reg only applies to new builds and refurbs (i think)

 

[RF Lighting]

17 years old, so it will have been wired to the fifteenth editon of the regs. Bet the bonding is not upto scratch for starters.

 

[Shift]

The only add on's have been done by myself so I know they're ok and I know its good practice to regularly inspect the wiring but is it a legal requirement.

 

[Steve]

bryan, no disrespect, but are you an electrician? "its all ok, i did it myself" is no good for prooving everything ok. tests and number crunching is the only way to proove it.

 

[il78]

Legal requirement or not the surveyor has asked the question to prove the electrical safety of the installation for the potential buyer.

17 years is a long time, as another poster said that’s wired to the 15th edition, many amendments have been introduced since then.

Pay for a Inspection & Test

 

[Shift]

No I'm not a domestic electrician but I have various electrical qaulifications including 16 th edition and as a maintenance engineer I do a lot of work which involves electrics/electronics so i know what I'm doing.
It's easy to say stump up and pay for the inspection but you dont know that the surveyor works with the bloke who's buying my house so Im worried they might be exagerating things just to get money of hence thats why I want to know if it's a legal requirement.

 

[bondy]

the height you are thinking of for sockets is 450mm. but, this is when you fit new sockets and is only applicable to new built houses. there is no height for sockets if you are building an extension or are rewiring your house, etc. it is advisable to fit new sockets at least 100mm from bottom of socket to worktop, carpet, etc. this allows for the cable to sit nicely without any sharp bends. if the sockets are mounted too high, it then creates a trip hazard.

 

[il78]

Your qualified, you know the answer then....

 

[JackTheCat]

Bryan,
If your selling the house, how come you have to stump up for the inspection?

 

[bondy]

very good point.

 

[bondy]

Your qualified, you know the answer then....

?

 

[il78]

Your qualified, you know the answer then....

?

You waiting for the answer

 

[bondy]

its well overdue for a pir, but, as jack said, why has he got to cough up. home sellers packs aint in yet.

 

[il78]

maybe the first.....when are the sellers packs coming in?