During the inspection any faults within the installation will be identified. As well as any damaged accessories. This is achieved through visual inspections of accessible wiring and accessories and a series of electrical tests on each individual circuit to identify any defects within the wiring that cannot be seen during the visual inspection. This is where experience in Electrical Inspections really counts as the electrician completing the tests will need to interpret a series of test results that are recorded within the EICR.
The test results can show if any of the circuits in use have loose connections, broken continuity of conductors within circuits and if the cable or conductors insulation have been damaged or become corroded over time.
If the tests are not completed by a competent electrician, the test results may not be accurate, or they may not be interpreted correctly. This can lead to faults being missed or faults being recorded inaccurately. Both of which can have profound consequences in both the health and safety of anyone using the installation and financially for anyone paying for inaccurate observations to be rectified.
Interpreting the test results accurately comes with experience as there are many factors to consider. An example of this could be appliances or accessories that are still connected to their respective circuits. An example of this can be found when inspecting lights circuits. It is always good practice to complete tests at the furthest point possible on each circuit so as much of the circuits wiring as possible is included within the test. On lighting circuits with dimmer switches that are still connected the test results can be interpreted as there is a loose connection within the circuit, when in fact it is the coil of copper within the dimmer module that is affecting the test results.
Another example could be miss-interpreting a cables current carrying capacity. While different sized cables can accommodate different amounts of electricity there are also several other factors that need to be considered. This can be seen when cables are bunched together or in a thermally insulated wall. Both of which decreases the cables current carrying capacity. The MCB’s or fuses for each circuit protect the cables from being over loaded. If the carrying capacity of cables is misinterpreted and the incorrect over current protection is installed this can cause fires if the circuit draws too much electricity through the cables.
To complete the required tests to complete the electrical report access to different points on each circuit will be required. There are several types of tests to complete during the inspection and to complete the electrical certificate accurately the power supply to each circuit will need to be isolated periodically. While the tests are completed a visual inspection of the internal wiring for various parts of the installation will also be completed and if the test results or visual inspection raises any cause for concern this will be listed in the observations section of the electrical report (EICR).
Once the electrical inspection is completed the details of the installation, test results and observations will be typed into digital software which further checks the test results to highlight any potential oversites.
After the electrical report and observations have been finalised a quote for any remedial works can be provided upon request. Lola Electrical always recommends that clients obtain more than one quote from an Approved Contractor for any remedial works. This is to give clients assurance that all observations made are genuine and to ensure that our prices stay competitive with the current market. After any remedial works are completed an amended certificate will be issued as part of Lola Electricals quoted price. Lola Electrical fault finding service is available in your area
