A friend is buying a flat in Battersea, needs a PIR doing, but the place is currently occupied so I've suggested to at least having a visual inspection done, anyone interested?
PIR or Visual Inspection near Battersea
- Thread starter sparkiedave
- Start date
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A visual inspection will be a waste of money - anyone can do that, as it literally just involves looking at things to see if they are broken.
I beg to differ, while a visual will not be as good as a PIR, its still far from a useless process!
I assume (having never done one*) that these visuals are intrusive visuals, dropping covers off and the like?
*done plenty of PIRs which after limitations were basically visual inspections with zs tests thrown in though
... but thats not generally applied to domestic
I've done a couple of visual inspections for friends / family when they have been buying houses.
It doesn't take long, and you can get a pretty good feel of what state the installation is in just to give the customer a rough idea of how much work might be required.
It doesn't take long, and you can get a pretty good feel of what state the installation is in just to give the customer a rough idea of how much work might be required.
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put it this way, I know the guy well, and if he had asked me before he looked at the place, I'd have told him what to look for, and he could have done it himself, as he's from Staffordshire, and I'm in Cumbria, neither of us is going to have the chance to take a look before the deal is due to go through, what he needs is someone to at least do a visual so he's got an "idea" of what he's getting into, it's ex local authority, 4th floor flat, 3036 wylex board with plug in 60898 breakers, no RCD, It was sold in the mid 80's by the council. He knows that a PIR would be the ideal, but as said, a PIR with a lot of limitations is not much better than a Visual, just dearer
Why not use one of these:-
Pictures of CU, mains head / term in flat, meters, earthing at MET, cables extending out from CU, samples of sockets and light switches, kitchen area, you get the idea.
Then from the pictures you can offer up a judgement regarding PIR required, discount due on sale if defective or aged, or ok servicable.
Pictures of CU, mains head / term in flat, meters, earthing at MET, cables extending out from CU, samples of sockets and light switches, kitchen area, you get the idea.
Then from the pictures you can offer up a judgement regarding PIR required, discount due on sale if defective or aged, or ok servicable.
The NICEIC Visual Inspection Report has a comprehensive disclaimer on it.
It goes something like this:
The report is a general, visual, surface and functional examination of the electrical system, which is accessible i.e.
visible and readily available for inspection from ground and floor levels without the risk of causing damage to the
property or injury to the inspector and limited accordingly.
Due care is therefore exercised throughout the inspection regarding safety, practicality and the constraints of being a
visitor to the property (which may be occupied). So furniture, floor coverings and other contents are not moved lifted,
and no part is forced or laid open to make it accessible. Loop impedance tests are only carried out on socket outlets.
The report is provided solely for the use of the client and no liability to anyone else is accepted. Should the client not
act upon specific advice contained in the report, no responsibility is accepted for the consequences.
xxxxxxxxxxx and its employees or franchisees accept no liability for the consequences of any errors
or omissions in this report.
THIS INSPECTION IS A VISUAL. & FUNCTIONAL INSPECTION ONLY, WITH A LIMITED NUMBER OF CIRCUITS TESTED.
So, no sockets removed, no wiring inspected, just a quick look around and Zs on a socket or two. As much use a chocolate teapot.
It goes something like this:
The report is a general, visual, surface and functional examination of the electrical system, which is accessible i.e.
visible and readily available for inspection from ground and floor levels without the risk of causing damage to the
property or injury to the inspector and limited accordingly.
Due care is therefore exercised throughout the inspection regarding safety, practicality and the constraints of being a
visitor to the property (which may be occupied). So furniture, floor coverings and other contents are not moved lifted,
and no part is forced or laid open to make it accessible. Loop impedance tests are only carried out on socket outlets.
The report is provided solely for the use of the client and no liability to anyone else is accepted. Should the client not
act upon specific advice contained in the report, no responsibility is accepted for the consequences.
xxxxxxxxxxx and its employees or franchisees accept no liability for the consequences of any errors
or omissions in this report.
THIS INSPECTION IS A VISUAL. & FUNCTIONAL INSPECTION ONLY, WITH A LIMITED NUMBER OF CIRCUITS TESTED.
So, no sockets removed, no wiring inspected, just a quick look around and Zs on a socket or two. As much use a chocolate teapot.
disclaimer should just read - here is a worthless pile of papers, hope for the best and be lucky!
Anything on an old wylex needs a PIR in my opinion, there could be no earthing to lighting, or as it is so old, limited sockets, which means someone may or may not have added more, with any old bit of wire or whatever. i went to one property once, they had changed a single socket to a fused spur and wired a 4 way trailing socket into it with the neutral connected to earth and vice versa.
Anything on an old wylex needs a PIR in my opinion, there could be no earthing to lighting, or as it is so old, limited sockets, which means someone may or may not have added more, with any old bit of wire or whatever. i went to one property once, they had changed a single socket to a fused spur and wired a 4 way trailing socket into it with the neutral connected to earth and vice versa.
A proper one should also say "if we have lied to you it's your fault".
A thorough PIR is the only way to judge the condition of an installation.
Even then without lifting floor boards there is nothing to say that the central heating pipes have been run in notches with the cables which could lead to problems down the line.
Nothing is a given but a PIR is the best way forward.
As said before, neither myself or my mate can get to London to even view it before the purchase goes through, a visual would have been handy so I could at least advise him on where to go next, no one locally seems to want to even look at the job, all quoting for rewires etc but don't seem to be interested in checking the place out, not to worry, will sort it somehow
If it had been local I'd have gone round for you.
Southgate (North London) to Battersea is 75 minute drive or 60 minutes on public transport + walk at either end.
Your mate need his head checking if he buys without having a 2nd look- so he does need to visit and he must have a camera
Southgate (North London) to Battersea is 75 minute drive or 60 minutes on public transport + walk at either end.
Your mate need his head checking if he buys without having a 2nd look- so he does need to visit and he must have a camera
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