EICRs and electrical testing in London

EICR stands for Electrical Installation Condition Report. The circuits are inspected and tested, and each observation is recorded against a code that says how serious it is. Nothing is hidden in jargon: you are told which items must be dealt with, which should be improved, and which are simply noted.

When people ask for one

• Buying a house, and wanting to know what the wiring is really like
• Owning an older property that has never been tested
• Before committing to a rewire, to find out if one is genuinely needed
• After building work, an extension, or a loft conversion
• Where a circuit keeps tripping and the cause is not obvious
• Where previous work looks improvised and nobody knows who did it

What the inspection covers

• The consumer unit, its protective devices and how circuits are arranged
• Earthing and bonding — the parts that make everything else safe
• The condition of accessories: sockets, switches and fittings
• Sample inspection of cabling and connections, and any accessible wiring
• Dead and live testing of the circuits, with the readings recorded
• Anything that has been altered, extended or added over the years

Reading the result

The report classifies what is found. In plain terms: some items are dangerous and need attention now, some are potentially dangerous, some are recommendations for improvement, and some circuits simply need further investigation before a view can be taken.

The report is worth nothing if it is not explained. You will be walked through what was found and what it means for the house — and if the answer is that the installation is in good condition, that is what the report will say.

An honest note on scope

An EICR is an inspection of the fixed wiring, not a guarantee about every appliance plugged into it, and it is a snapshot of the installation on the day it was tested. Some inspection is by sampling, because the alternative is taking a house apart. Where something cannot be assessed without opening up finishes, that is recorded rather than guessed at.

Testing across London

EICRs and electrical testing are carried out for homeowners across London. If the report identifies work that needs doing, it can be quoted for separately — including replacing the consumer unit or repairing the faults that testing has found.