Please help! FTB with eicr unsatisfactory

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Hi, looking for some much needed advice on this- looking to purchase a 3 bed 1930s. The seller bought this on auction a year ago and renovated kitchen to some degree. The Homebuyers came back 10k less than accepted price, and the EICR came as unsatisfactory with the following:

Observation(s) Code Location Reference
1 Consumer Unit has IP fail C2
2 No Circuit detail chart located on consumer unit C3
3 Mixed colour warning label missing from consumer unit C3
4 No surge protection present at origin of supply C3
5 No AFDD present on installation C3
6 No metal fire supports to plastic trunking/conduit throughout domestic property C3
7 No CPC to continuity of lighting circuits C2
8 CPC ring main continuity higher than expected (Circuit 2) C2
9 Bathroom light fitting not IP rated and located in Zone 1 C2
10 Circuit 4 Not Identified FI
11 Cable to outhouse lighting not supported/run correctly C2
12 No mechanical Protection where Cables Enter consumer Unit C3

We really do like the house in terms of potential and location but are unsure as we have maxed out budget. Are the faults above pretty major?
 
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They all sound very minor to me. Except.

7 No CPC to continuity of lighting circuits C2
You will only be able to have plastic lights and light switches. Unless you rewire. A rewire sometime in the future should be planned.
or maybe an earth is fitted, and it just needs fault finding like the one below

8 CPC ring main continuity higher than expected (Circuit 2) C2
An electrician with the correct equipment should be able to locate and fix this within a few hours.
or just tighten the terminals in the back of the sockets
 
Thank you Andy- how much would rewiring normally cost?
 
1 Consumer Unit has IP fail C2
Likely a blank missing.
2 No Circuit detail chart located on consumer unit C3
Unlikely to find one with a domestic, only commercial follow this rules.
3 Mixed colour warning label missing from consumer unit C3
Missing sticker
4 No surge protection present at origin of supply C3
Not required with domestic
5 No AFDD present on installation C3
Not required
6 No metal fire supports to plastic trunking/conduit throughout domestic property C3
Not retrospective and danger is to fire service not you.
7 No CPC to continuity of lighting circuits C2
will expand see below
8 CPC ring main continuity higher than expected (Circuit 2) C2
200Ω is considered the limit with a TT supply, with a TN supply we expect a lot lower.
9 Bathroom light fitting not IP rated and located in Zone 1 C2
OK swap to one with correct IP rating, see below.
10 Circuit 4 Not Identified FI
Lazy so and so, it is his job to identify
11 Cable to outhouse lighting not supported/run correctly C2
So?
12 No mechanical Protection where Cables Enter consumer Unit C3
It seems the inspector has not worked out what potentially dangerous is, code C2 potentially dangerous has nothing to do with regulations, if it was safe in 1960 and it has not degraded and nothing else changed then still safe now.

OK things have changed, for example use of switch mode power supplies, which can be more easy damaged with a surge to old types, but this does not present a danger, unless it can result in loss of light, so using LED lights could at a stretch be linked to having a SPD as without the SPD the LED could fail, but that is rather a stretch.

So in the main stick on some labels and replace missing blanks or fill with some silicon sealant and faults are cured.

The one concern is no CPC (earth) on lights, before 1966 it was not required, but this means all plastic light switches with bungs over the fixing screws, and no metal light fittings, the main point is wiring that old is often rubber, and past its use by date, so often it means re-wire is required, not simply because of lack of earth, but due to age of install.

However use of MR16 extra low voltage lights, and latter converting to GU10 lamps often means also earth wire missing, technically wrong as the 411.3.1 regulations only permits suspended cables i.e. ceiling rose to pendent to not have an earth, but as said the EICR no longer looks at if it complies, the code 4 does not comply with current edition was removed from the EICR coding as being unhelpful.

So only thing which worries me about whole report, is the lack of lighting CPC which could mean rewire required. But still not a potential danger once stickers affixed to CU.
 
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Thank you so much for the detail in clarifiying those Eric, much appreciated! It looks like leading to a rewire..couple of grand maybe? Otherwise sticking to plastics as per Andy?
 
Thank you Andy- how much would rewiring normally cost?

I don't know. Typical answers are usually, It depends where in the country you are. North/South etc. How long is a piece of string. How much furniture you have upstairs. (it's a lot easier/cheaper to do before you have moved in, and started decorating). But I expect it will cost a bit more than you are thinking.
If you were to post a picture of the fusebox/consumer unit, you may get better answers
 
Cable type is the important thing, PVC in the main lasts centuries, there was some batches which leached out plasticiser as a green goo, but in the main unless overloaded will last and last. However rubber has a much shorter life, around 40 years.

As said lack of CPC could means 12 volt lights converted to 230 volt using same cable, in which case no real problem, but can also mean rubber cables, you need to find out which.
 
Thanks guys, I've got a call with the electrical company after the 4th Jan now, but what questions should I be posing to find out the real damage (for the future):
Are there rubber cables or PVC?
 
couple of grand maybe?
Nowhere near.
If it actually does need rewiring, expect to pay £5k upwards for a basic rewire, plus plenty more for replastering, redecoration, flooring replacement, etc.
If you want extras such as data cables, downlights everywhere, LED strips, smart devices etc., then multiply that by 2x, 4x, 10x or whatever.

However the informaton provided doesn't suggest a total rewire is needed.
Most things can be repaired for far less.
However does depend on what's already there, and what you actually want. Rooms with a single pendant light and one socket outlet may be safe, but are next to useless with the amount of electrical items used today.
 
Ooh..I was hoping to go for spotlights in the kitchen but that sounds very costly now. Rooms do have quite limited sockets maybe 1 or 2 a room.
 
If you only want spot lights in one room that shouldn’t be too costly.

They cast a lot of shadows though.
 
Ah thanks for the tip Andy. Maybe the house isn't so bad after all..The main issue is not having an earth..meaning no metal sockets? Or have I missed the mark?
 
Without pictures or being there it’s very difficult to tell whether it needs a rewire or just a few minor jobs doing.

the person doing the report is comparing it to the standards of a new house (or in some cases a house built in 2023! Point 5)

I don’t know if the are after work and trying to get money or if the wiring is from 1930 in which case it does Need a rewire.

1,7,8 are the serious ones.
Cpc (or earth) being loose or not present.
 
Last edited:
Thanks, I've added two pics if that helps in any way?
 

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