Upstairs light circuit all down - MCB not tripped

[JohnW2]

That's the reason we recommend having your electrical installation inspected and tested every 5 years. You were very fortunate it did not cause a fire.

One can't argue with that. However, as with the case of the rodent damage illustrated above, it is unfortunately the case that, if the circuit were 'working' at the time it is probable that no amount of testing would have revealed any problem.

The rodent damage I illustrated was found purely by accident when a floorboard was lifted (for reasons unrelated to the electrical installation). When I saw the damage, I IR'd the circuit and, as one might expect from the appearance of the damage, the result was totally fine (since the exposed bare conductors were all separated by 'air').

Kind Regards, John

 

[EFLImpudence]

And -

Do we recommend every five years?

 

[JohnW2]

And - Do we recommend every five years?

Whatever interval we recommend, I would be interested to know what 'newly developed faults' get picked up by EICRc on (seemingly 'satisfactorily functioning') installations that have previously been deemed to be satisfactory and which have not subsequently been modified. As I see it ....

• As above, I wonder how often IR testing picks up problems in a 'normally functioning' installation.
• Testing will reveal breaks in (L and/or N and/or CPC) rings in (previously satisfactory) ring final circuits, or loss of (previously present) CPC continuity in any circuit - but I wonder how often such problems actually 'appear'.
• Excessive Ze will be detected, but I do not imagine that is very common.
• Significantly high resistance joints/connections may be detected, but I wonder how often they will arise without having been 'noticed'.
• Visibly-apparent problems (damage {physical/thermal/whatever} to accessories, visible cables etc. should be detected.

In the absence of any modifications to the installation (since it last 'passed' an EICR) that doesn't seem to leave much other than detecting RCDs which are not functioning satisfactorily.

Any comments? What am I missing?

By fair the majority of issues raised in PIRs/EICRs I have seen relate to (mainly fairly minor) non-compliances which have been present since the installation (or relevant part of the installation) was designed and installed. Other than 'visible damage' and faulty RCDs, I have rarely seen 'new' issues (which have arisen since previous PIR/EICR) being picked up by EICRs. However, that is perhaps just my limited experience.

Kind Regards, John

 

[securespark]

Post a pic of the damage!!

 

[Taylortwocities]

Post a pic of the damage!!

And of the repair too. Maybe we can learn something

 

[azibux1]

Too late for that I'm afraid as it was all under the floorborard which has been put back.

What I might be able to get a pic of is one end of the burnt cable which I think the electrician left in the loft.

Spoke to dad (I wasn't home at the time) turns out all three cores were not broken, one was but the rest easily broke when the electrician pulled it gently. Hence the live and broken neutral.

Will grab a pic of the cable if it's in the loft still

 

[deadshort]

Mm.

DS

 

[azibux1]

Mm?

 

[securespark]

Looks like he was eating so could not talk?

 

[333rocky333]

a lot of the damage would have been caused by the umpteen times it was reset and tripped

 

[securespark]

Mm, concur.