How Safe is the Wiring in Your Home?
In less time than you may think, the electrics in your home can become damaged or worn through general wear and tear. It's important to get them inspected and tested to check they're still safe to use. You should get checks done at least every ten years. If the electrics in your property have been checked before, a notice will usually be fixed on or near the fuse board recommending the next inspection date.
This might all sound dull but government statistics show unsafe electrical installations cause more than 750 serious accidents and 12,500 fires in homes each year. If you are moving home, you need to know about the electrics in your new property. Be extra cautious if the property is old as it runs a higher risk of having faulty wiring. Don't put your life or your investment at risk; get an electrical survey on your new home before you sign on the dotted line.
According to the British Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS), property surveys that do look at electrics only include a visual inspection of the electrics that are on show. RICS advise clients to be very cautious if the electrics look suspicious because of the potentially high costs of putting things right. You can't see what's behind the walls so it's best to get a trained electrical engineer to inspect and test it.
An electrical survey, also known as a Periodic Inspection, looks for possible electric shock risks and fire hazards. The electrician will carry out tests on wiring and fixed electrical equipment, identify any faulty electrical work and highlight if safety measures (such as bonding) are present in the bathroom. After the inspection, you will be given an electrical survey report (Periodic Inspection Report). The report identifies the overall condition of all the electrics, stating whether it is satisfactory for continued use and any work which might need to be done.
Part P of the Building Regulations was introduced by the British government in January 2005, with an aim of reducing the number of accidents in the home related to faulty electrical installations. These regulations have been adopted in Cyprus. It is now a legal requirement for electricians, kitchen and bathroom installers, and all other trades or individuals involved in carrying out domestic electrical work to comply with Building Regulations.
Portable Equipment Outdoors In domestic premises, all sockets outlets, which may be used for portable equipment outdoors, should be protected by an RCD (a safety device that switches off the electricity automatically when it detects an earth fault) to provide protection against electric shock.
Socket outlet installed below kitchen worktops may usually be considered to be unavailable for connection of outdoor portable equipment, and would therefore not be required to be RCD protected. It is wise to exclude socket outlets intended for refrigerators and freezers from circuits which require sensitive RCD protection.
Should you be interested in checking the safety of your electrical installation then please contact XS Engineering and we will be pleased to help.
