Curent electrical regulations

[tabbypurr]

I take it you mean insulation test.

NT

[John Rumm]

any test I would have thought, including a visual inspection. Since just taking sockets / switches off the wall to look behind them is a risk to the insulation.

[Robin]

I'd have thought it tricky to do an EICR if removing an accessory (eg a light switch) risks the insulation falling off the cable.

[T i m]

Thinking back, that was about the only thing that has tripped the RCD, the washing machine.

Before I replaced the motor (as it didn't trip when that was disconnected) I just blew it out (of carbon) with the airline and it was fine after that. ;-)

I've often got *loads* of electronic kit running here and none of it has ever tripped the RCD.

Cheers, T i m

[T i m]

+1

My mate just went though this when replacing a CU for his son and even the wholesaler was 'surprised' how little difference it was, especially when you consider the bigger picture (the cost of the whole job, the improved flexibility / resilience etc).

Yup.

If that was important your computer would be on a UPS in any case. ;-)

Cheers, T i m

[ARW]

Both you and John are correct.

It might pass an insulation resistance test as long as you do not actually move the wires.

[Robin]

JOOI what do you/John do when faced with aluminium cable?

I haven't seen any for a while but used to stop unless there was plenty of slack for when the end broke off. But then I (a) I wasn't being paid and (b) [usually] didn't want to piss off the relative/friend/neighbour stupid enough to ask me to do summat by putting their light switch etc out of use until the wall was excavated ;)

[dennis]

Someone asked me to see why a socket didn't work and the insulation crumbled as I moved the socket. I had to carefully put some heat shrink on and put it back and told him to get a quote for a rewire.

I don't think it was rubber insulation. Not that I have come across any other insulation that crumbled.

[dennis]

The council around here does them annually for some reason. Must be trying to keep unemployment down.

[ARW]

I have not come across it (apart from mains incomers). I have met the old aluminium sheathed cable several times at work.

[ARW]

They would not have enough staff or money to do a full EICR every year on every council house.

Maybe a visual inspection?

It is normal for the gf's house to be visited once a year to have a visual inspection of the house but nothing to do with the electrics.

[Scott]

This is true, but I have concerns about energy efficiency of such equipment. It's a balance. We're in an area where power cuts are rare (no overhead wiring), I have more or less eliminated RCD trip and Mr Gates provides good resilience so I think I have done enough.

[Robin]

OK, ta. Given you've seen more installations than I've had hot wotsits that confirms it's time for me to wear the bottoms of my trousers rolled. And to check I'm wearing some before leaving the house.

[charles]

for gas, they have to.

[dennis]

I was in a council house on monday and the electrician said he was there for the annual inspection. He was doing full insulation tests, etc. and was even checking the interlinks on the battery smoke alarms. Well they may have been mains but there was a pp3 in them.

[Steve Walker]

The extension on this house was built with aluminium cored T&E.

It's the only time I have seen it.

SteveW

[John Rumm]

Probably was rubber then... once it gets old enough it becomes crispy and fragile - it can just fall off in lumps rather like the wires were insulated with a layer of mud!

[ARW]

Mains powered interlinked smoke alarms with battery back, known as a grade D installation.

Now unless you were there for 3 to 4 hours how do you know that this was a full test. I suspect this was a visual basic with a smoke alarm test.

Or far more likely it was just an annual check of the smoke alarms for an elderly/disabled tenant.

[John Rumm]

Don't think I have ever seen any in domestic wiring... other than things like drop wires from overhead supplies.

Seen plenty of variations VIR and other rubber like insulations. Separate steel earth wires, and even a few lead sheathed paper insulated cables.

Oh and cheap crap copper clad ali network cable!

Indeed, doing nothing or full replacement are often the only two pragmatic options.

[Steve Walker]

Unbfortunately my CU is a Crabtree Starbreaker. RCBOs for it are pretty pricey and other makes of breaker don't fit as the breakers plug directly to the busbar with no screw clamp or similar.

The other problem is that it is an older model. Shortly after installing mine, they changed the design so the DIN rail was approximately 1/3 of the way up, allowing for RCBOs that stretch a lot further upward than downwards. Mine has the DIN rail dead in the middle and I've never seen any RCBOs to fit it.

SteveW