Nijinski001 said:
I disagree with BAS. How many people do you know that check continuity of the CPC when they change a light fitting?
I think an electrician would. A DIYer has no dispensation to work to lower standards, and if he does, he does so at his own risk.
How many people would know how to?
That's not the point. Ignorance is no excuse. A DIYer has no dispensation to work to lower standards than a professional.
How many people would even know what it was?
That's not the point. Ignorance is no excuse. A DIYer has no dispensation to work to lower standards than a professional.
There also seems to be some confusion that MrB is doing work that he shouldn't.
No - he's not doing work that he shouldn't, he's just not doing it to the required standards.
As I said, in theory someone could be doing something as simple as changing a standard brass or chrome light fitting not knowing that the earth connection is next to uselss.
Yes, he could, but that's because he's not doing it properly. A DIYer has no dispensation to work to lower standards than a professional.
How many non-electricians are buying houses in good faith believing that the circuits are sound?
Millions.
How many people have a PIR done when they buy a house unless a surveyor gives an indication for concern?
Hardly any, would be my guess.
The final rhetorical question for me is how many houses are out there with lighting circuits containing no CPC because someone mistakenly believed that a lighting circuit didn't need one?
No idea. Do you mean "mistakenly believed that a lighting circuit didn't need one" as in old lighting circuits, installed according to the regulations at the time, which mistakenly allowed them to be done without a cpc, or do you mean recent rewires?
I say bring on the sellers pack.
Ha!
Firstly, it looks like a PIR will not be part of that, just a "visual inspection report".
Secondly, the whole thing is looking flaky. I can't find an "official" website with this on, but this is what someone recently posted on the
Screwfix forum:
"Well I spoke to the ODPM again earlier and asked what the Position was on the Home Information Pack and what form it would take upon launch, this is the reply I got."
Quote:
"Initially, and until July of 05, it was the intention to introduce a requirement to produce, as part of the pack, a CORGI test certificate for the gas services to the home, and an NICEIC or equivalent for the electrical installation within the home. For expediency, these requirements were left out of the trial carried out in Bristol, where the scheme has met a muted and somewhat fractured response.
The ODPM would still like to make these mandatory requirements as we feel that without them, the pack loses a major part of its impact and these are vital to a full and overall picture of the state of the property for any prospective buyer, however the Minister feels that this would introduce too undue a burden on the home seller and it could be seen as a form of tax on sellers. many estate agents used in the Bristol trial and as part of the overall revue and consultation procedure also feel that the financial burden of this as a mandatory feature could harm the housing market.
The team feel that it is vital and we are pressing for them to remain a mandatory requirement, however it does appear that a compromise of some description may have to be reached on this with the licenced housing Inspectors undertaking mandatory Visual Inspections of the Gas, Electrical and plumbing within a home, and should they state a further and fuller inspection is required, then this will be mandatory, but not so at the initial stage. This would mean that the Inspector, happy with the condition of these services visually, may not need to make any recommendations and thus avoid undue expense to the home seller."
"So it would appear from this conversation that the water is still muddy. The Government, ever trying to keep the public happy and avoid the anything being seen as a tax, are trying to water it down and basically make it meaningless, whilst the consultation team appear determined to press for the full scheme as originally proposed...so we are back to square one..no-one appears to know what the legislation will demand of us!!!!"
It's also worth reading this:
http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200203/cmselect/cmodpm/751-ii/751w26.htm which is fairly long, but very interesting, particularly the part about how in order to create the necessary numbers of "qualified" House Inspectors they have proposed an accelerated training programme open to "other professional groups and new entrants", i.e. not just properly qualified residential surveyors.
Now where have I heard something similar before??
Finally, if you've not lost the will to live, a view of what it's really going to cost - apparently there is some doubt about the figures in the ODPM's RIA. (Now where have I heard something similar before??)
http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200203/cmselect/cmodpm/751/751w15.htm