Selling house - required to replace old iron cut-out?

[dave163]

I'm in the process of selling my house. A couple of years ago I had an electrician (properly registered) come to change the kitchen ceiling light (from fluoresent tubes to recessed) and he also replaced the outdoor cable supplying the garden shed as the original one wasn't suitable for outdoor use. He never said anything about me needing a build regs certificate to make these changes.

However, my buyer's solicitors are now insisting that I have to show them some sort of building regulations certificate for the work he did.

So far so good. I called my electrician again who said that when he was at the house he noticed that the main cut off was iron and that these are now in the process of being replaced nationally, and therefore he couldn't issue me with any certificate for the work in the kitchen and shed until it had been replaced.

I called the power distributor who said, I can't sell my house unless I have the iron cut out replaced, and I will need to book them in some time over the next few weeks to get it replaced. I might also need a new earth apparently.

That's not much good for me as I was hoping to exchange contracts and complete the sale within the next few days! So let's just take this in turn:

(i) for changing a ceiling light and replacing the cable on one circuit should my electrician have informed the council and got me a certificate? According to the IET website minor electrical works don't require a certificate, so would the original work be sufficiently minor not to need certifying?
(ii) is the DNO correct to say that I can't sell my house unless the cast iron cut out has been replaced? It seems unlikely given that I have just bought another house with a cast iron cut out and noone mentioned anything! But it will delay the sale if I have to wait for the DNO to do whatever they have to do before I can sell.

 

[333rocky333]

I keep hearing this about iron cut outs, i for one know of no such replacement program and im sure theres thousands in every day use.

The danger is limited surely as NO unauthorised untrained personnell should be touching them

 

[flameport]

(i) If the work was done after April 2013, it wasn't notifiable. A minor works certificate should have been provided, but this is something the electrician would have written themselves.
If before then, it may have been notifiable.

The cutout is totally unrelated to any certificate or notification.

(ii) Total lies. While it may need replacing, it's the DNOs property and responsibility to replace it if/when they decide to.

 

[JohnW2]

However, my buyer's solicitors are now insisting that I have to show them some sort of building regulations certificate for the work he did.

Regardless of whether or not LABC approval should have been obtained at the time, my personal approach would simply be to tell them that I have no such certificate and that if they wish to pull out of the purchase for such a trivial reason, that's their problem.

I called the power distributor who said, I can't sell my house unless I have the iron cut out replaced, and I will need to book them in some time over the next few weeks to get it replaced. I might also need a new earth apparently.

That's ridiculous. They can't tell you whether or not you can sell your house and, as rocky has said, there are countless cast iron cutouts still in service, and many of them will probably remain in service for many years to come!

Kind Regards, John

 

[Taylortwocities]

Indeed, Flameport.

Further - and particularly wrt the external cable. The work comes under the heading of maintenance. The replacement of wiring, and accessories, never has been a notifiable event.

Sounds like the solicitor has not kept up with changes to the requirements, or the finer points, of Building Regulations.

 

[mfarrow]

I thought work in a kitchen was notifyable regardless of what took place?

Tell the dick to issue a certificate and stop lying about metal cut outs. Yes plastic is intrinsically safer but we'll all be going through the retrograde step of separately fitting metal consumer units anyway.

Tell your buyer the work was carried out by electrician x registered with body y and who's registration number is z. There are a couple of competent persons schemes websites you can look him up on.

 

[PrenticeBoyofDerry]

(i) for changing a ceiling light and replacing the cable on one circuit should my electrician have informed the council and got me a certificate?

No, replacements are noirifable to building controls

According to the IET website minor electrical works don't require a certificate, so would the original work be sufficiently minor not to need certifying?

Minor works do require a certificate, but that should have been issued by the installer (electrician that did the work), A minor works cert is different to one issued by building controls under notification, so don't confuse the two.

(ii) is the DNO correct to say that I can't sell my house unless the cast iron cut out has been replaced?

No, they cannot stop you from selling your house

It seems unlikely given that I have just bought another house with a cast iron cut out and noone mentioned anything! But it will delay the sale if I have to wait for the DNO to do whatever they have to do before I can sell.

Why don't you talk to the solicitor involved in that sale, regarding the cut-out and ask why they have not stop the sale? Bearing in mind the new regulations that are upon us in the new year, regarding non-combustible enclosures, then the DNO may consider keeping metallic cut-outs????

As for the electrician you employed saying they could not issue certs, as the condition of the cut-out did not allow, WHAT

 

[Taylortwocities]

I thought work in a kitchen was notifyable regardless of what took place?

Not any more.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

A couple of years ago I had an electrician (properly registered) come to change the kitchen ceiling light (from fluoresent tubes to recessed).

Don't be too upset, or surprised, if those lights put people off.

 

[RF Lighting]

Or help secure the sale.

 

[AndyPRK]

I thought work in a kitchen was notifyable regardless of what took place?

Not any more.

If the work took place between 2005?- 2014? which is sounds like it did, then it should have been notified, and sadly the Yes box has been ticked on the form so the solc requests the paperwork.


To OP - A lot of people lying to you!

 

[westie101]

The response of each DNO is up to their proceedures but there is generally no requirement to change metal clad cutouts. Having said that we will generally do so as a non urgent job as they are past the end of their life but not unsafe.

Having said that there are a couple of types still found that will be treated as urgent for other reasons.
The other type that get urgent treatment are the fused neutral variety that were made non compliant by early supply regulations in the 1930s!
We still find them from time to time.

As regarding the metal clad issue I doubt very much that DNOs will be required to fit metal cut-out in the future desoite what is said in the wiring regs.

 

[westie101]

Further to the fire resistant CU, PVC will by fine so whty the rush for metal?

http://www.pvc.org/en/p/fire-retardant-properties

 

[JohnW2]

Further to the fire resistant CU, PVC will by fine so whty the rush for metal?

I don't think it's actually BS7671 that is 'rushing for metal' - it seems to be the manufacturers and the perceptions of many electricians which are.

Kind Regards, John

 

[securespark]

The regs imply metal is the way to go though...