What is an EICR?
EICR stands for “Electrical Installation Condition Report” which is an official document that is produced following an assessment of your property (either domestic, commercial or industrial). Depending on the purpose of your property, you may be required to have an EICR on a regular basis.
An EICR must be carried out by a qualified electrician. In essence it needs to be officially signed off rather than declaring the condition of the electrical installation in the property yourself. If you’re not sure about hidden hazards in the home when it comes down to electrics, keep an eye on our blog.
Do I need an EICR?
Yes! As we mention, depending on the use of your property, you’ll be required to ensure you have a valid EICR (for example, renting a house). If it’s your own home, it’s in your own self interest to ensure the condition of your electrical installation is safe, but could also be a condition of your mortgage agreement or insurance policy.
What does an EICR consist of?
The general purpose of an EICR is to regularly check the electrical installation in your property, to spot problems before they become serious or hazardous.
An inspection will consist of a visual inspection, dead testing and live testing.
Visual Inspection
The electrician you’ve appointed will survey the installation before carrying out any testing – this will highlight any broken or cracked devices, where devices might have been installed in the wrong place, or overloading and overheating problems are occurring.
Dead Testing
There are three aspects to dead testing – continuity testing, insulation resistance testing and polarity testing. These three aspects check if there are any badly connected conductors, make sure that the insulation material surrounding the conductors is still intact and that the connection is connected in the right sequence.
Live Testing
The purpose of the live testing aspect is to make sure that if a fault did occur, the system meets the right requirements to cause a disconnection of the supply within a specific time limit. On modern electrical systems there is also RCD testing – these are devices that are fitted to help prevent fires and protect life.
How often do I need an EICR?
This really does depend on the type of property you have, as there are different rules per classification. In general, most properties will require a routine check (every 6 to 12 months), and then a full inspection at a different interval (this can vary from a year to 10 years). For example, a commercial property will require a routine check 12 months, but an inspection every maximum 5 years.
Larger properties could employ a maintenance programme which will handle the size of the installation in a more stable manner – we offer a range of programmes to suit the size and requirements of your property.
