Should I have an electrical safety certificate for this?

[clh2]

Hi,

1st post so be gentle!

We had our bathroom re-fitted and I think it was late 2004. All done by a Bathroom and Kitchen Fitter installing equipment which we bought and supplied. The bath was replaced with a Whirlpool bath and we had underfloor heating and new lighting.

We don't have any electrical safety certificates for the work (we have them for Kitchen re-fit by another company done in 2005). The company is now wound up and I checked with a "recommended trades" company with whom they were registered and they don't have them down as being registered with any recognised competency company. They suggested that until 2007, a lot of trades people who did electrical work did not realise they had to be registered and should be issuing certificates.

Is this OK as it was before Part P was introduced which I believe was in 2005? We are thinking of selling the house and am panicking that it may cause an issue when we sell.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

Issuing Electrical Installation Certificates is entirely separate from the Building Regulations, the idea of EICs predates Part P by several decades, and it's never been OK since then not to issue them.

But not having them is very common, probably more so than having them - it's unlikely to cause you any grief. If it was done in 2004 there was no requirement for a Building Regulations completion certificate so nobody can ask for one of those, and the general issue of no EICs is something that could crop up in most sales.

 

[clh2]

Thanks bas. I just worried that the fact that we have them for the other work we had done would trigger the question why not for the bathroom.

My sister just sold her house where theyd erected an external cabin with electrics and heating and got no questions but knowing my luck....

 

[SparkyNinja]

It's always a possibility that you may get asked if you have any paperwork, it may also be a good idea to get a periodic check done. I have done testing before for estate agents and buyers, and normally it is to see if any work is needed, so they can get prices lowered etc.

But if you got a check done before hand then these questions may not be risen.

 

[clh2]

Thanks, how much does a periodic check cost?

 

[GaryMo]

For a standard 3 bed house you would be looking somewhere around £200 for a report worth the paper it's written on!
This could move either way depending on the number of circuits.

Not all PIR's are equal though!

 

[SparkyNinja]

Get a couple of quotes for the check too. Some sparkies quote according to number of rooms, some according to number of circuits etc.
Make sure they ask questions about your property also (size, circuits, recent work etc) so that they can give you the best estimate that they can.

Around £200 is a good average, it can move a bit. If it leaps up from that make sure they tell you why that is.


It will be a good investment.

 

[properleckie]

as a further guide we charge basic £40 plus £22/circuit, the £40 covers time checking main earthing/bonding, cost of paperwork, checks on type of supply Ze/Pscc etc. the £22 is for time to locate & inspect/test a circuit.
seems to work out about right,

 

[ban-all-sheds]

So for a house with a 4-way Wylex, does £128 give you enough to also cover the travelling costs and allocation of fixed overheads?