Eicr - conflicting views

[Gjw01]

Hi,

Buying a property and was quoted £8,500 to fix the below

C1’s
• Circuit 7, socket circuit has original rubber wiring and an insulation test has a reading of under 1 meg ohm. This means the cables are seriously deteriorating and need rewiring
• Circuit 8, socket circuit has original rubber wiring and an insulation test has a reading of under 1 meg ohm. This means the cables are seriously deteriorating and need rewiring.
• Circuit 2, garage supply has been run in twin and earth cable on an overhead outside, this cable is not sufficient enough to be used outside and exposed to outside conditions. The garage wiring itself needs rewiring, cables are not clipped sufficiently and are in bad condition.

C2’S
• Circuit 1, shower circuit has original wiring. Although passing tests this cable will deteriorate very quickly and needs rewiring asap.

C3’s
• 16mm tails from meter to main switch (new standard is 25mm)
• No hard-wired smoke detectors in house
• Consumer unit is plastic (new standard is metal for fire purposes)

Estimate for work to be carried out:

To rectify code 1’s all sockets in the house need rewiring along with the garage supply and inside the garage. Total estimate for this work is £5,000

To rectify all code 2 and 3’s would include rewiring of the shower, upgrade main tails to 25mm, change the consumer unit and install smoke detectors. Total estimate for this work is £3,500

Is this a reasonable price?

Also, the estate agent sent someone over who's disputed the c1 status, saying they're actually c2s.. is this likely?

 

[JohnW2]

To rectify code 1’s all sockets in the house need rewiring along with the garage supply and inside the garage. Total estimate for this work is £5,000 ... To rectify all code 2 and 3’s would include rewiring of the shower, upgrade main tails to 25mm, change the consumer unit and install smoke detectors. Total estimate for this work is £3,500

Good grief. The Code 1's certainly need ti be addressed, and it would also be sensible to address the Code 2 one - but the quoted price seems (at least to me) well OTT.

As for the Code 3s, the first may or may not be necessary (and is a pretty trivial/cheap thing to address, even if it needs doing). The smoke detectors may be desirable, but are nothing to do with an EICR, and the plastic CU has the good company of many millions (probably tens of millions) currently in service - so I certainly would not advise any action just to address that. Even if all the Code 3's were done (which I wouldn't suggest), the quotation seems excessive.

Also, the estate agent sent someone over who's disputed the c1 status, saying they're actually c2s.. is this likely?

I'm no expert, and don't do EICRs, but I would certainly agree that the C1s (certainly the first two)all need urgent attention.

I think you need some more quotes!

Kind Regards, John

 

[flameport]

All of those C1 are actually C2. There are very few C1 items, live exposed parts being the main one.
Either way they still need to be rectified.

Circuit 1, shower circuit has original wiring. Although passing tests this cable will deteriorate very quickly and needs rewiring asap.

Meaningless. Do they mean it's in the same rubber insulated cable?
Do you actually have the full report with all of the test results and references to the various regulations that apply to the faults?

C3’s
• 16mm tails from meter to main switch (new standard is 25mm)
• No hard-wired smoke detectors in house

16mm tails are suitable in many instances - what is the rating of the main fuse? If it's written on the report, how did the inspector find out?
There is no 'standard' for the size - they are sized using the same criteria as any other cable.

Smoke detectors are not a requirement of BS7671, so no code applies.

Is this a reasonable price?

Maybe, maybe not. Impossible to know without seeing the place. Depends on many factors, including on what would be installed. A rewire should be an entire new design, not just a replacement of exactly what's there now.

As for buying the place - it clearly needs to be rewired, so knock at least 10k off the asking price and go from there.
A rewire would include a new consumer unit, tails and so on.

 

[JohnW2]

Meaningless. Do they mean it's in the same rubber insulated cable?

I have to admit that that's what I assumed you meant - but, now you question it, I can see that's not certaion.

Kind Regards, John

 

[Gjw01]

Meaningless. Do they mean it's in the same rubber insulated cable?
Do you actually have the full report with all of the test results and references to the various regulations that apply to the faults?

What I have posted is what I have received. Sounds like I should have received soemhting more detailed??

I've knocked off a reasonable amount from the asking price (electrics aren't theboblynissie we've uncovered), but will likely get a requote from another EICR if the consensus is he is charging too much.

What a faff.

 

[DetlefSchmitz]

Not really the issue. If they have used rubber then you wouldn't want to live there till it's been replaced. Seriously. And after the electricians have been in you will need the plasterers. And if you are having a rewire you will probably have want to bring the number of sockets etc up to date (more channelling).
You do know that you don't have to have a re-wire done by the EICR writer, I suppose?

 

[flameport]

Sounds like I should have received soemhting more detailed??

An EICR should be a lengthy detailed report covering many pages. Typically at least 5 A4 pages for a small property. Far more for larger ones.
All circuits should be listed with test results for each, several pages of inspections, and a summary page of the installation.

but will likely get a requote from another EICR if the consensus is he is charging too much.

You need a few quotes for a rewire - and before that you need to decide what you actually want in the way of sockets in each room, lighting, TV, data cables and all the rest of the things. Those quoting can then be quoting for the same thing, otherwise 5 quotes will get you 5 totally different prices for totally different things.

What's there now is irrelevant because it's all going in the bin. The presence of rubber insulated cabling puts the age of it to at least 60 years ago. Rubber cabling had a 25 year lifespan when manufactured, so regardless of any tests, it's decades past the point of it needing replacement.

You also need to allow for the cost of walls being replastered and redecorated, and repairs/replacements to flooring, since all of those things can be and usually are damaged when rewiring a property.