UK EICR Done, New CU Required. Am I being taken for a ride?

[HairBear]

Hi all, am new here.

My wife and I let a small house which requires an EICR due to the new regs. The management agent organised for an electrician to carry out the EICR and quote for the remedial work. They have come back saying that a new consumer unit is required for various C2's, some of which, even I can tell, are -------s (eg. a blanking plate with a groove down the middle being grounds for an IP rating C2). My question is, can anyone wiser and more knowledgeable than me tell me whether I should accept the new CU or push back on this? There are some C2's which I'm not clear about and if the CU is required, then so be it.

Please see attached EICR - excuse the poor quality of pages 1 and 3, I had to do some jiggery pokery to redact them.

 

[Pete999]

By CU not fire rated, I assume it's a plastic CU? Was the electrician a member of one of the CP Schemes NIEEIC or similar?

 

[GBDamo]

Nothing on there warrants a new consumer unit but a picture would help.

All of those C2s can be fixed without changing the CU, probably.

 

[Midwest]

Looks like a comprehensive report, never did EICR's, so others will comment on that.

Me personally, if I was the landlord, I would replace the CU, with something that provides RCD protection for the circuits on the non RCD side, and split up the circuits on the RCD side. It wouldn't cost you a lot of money in the big scheme of things, and provide a safer installation for your tenants IMO. I would also add the surge protection, and the other C2's & 3's.

PS, you don't have to employ the same contractor who did the EICR, to do the new works.

 

[HairBear]

Nothing on there warrants a new consumer unit but a picture would help.

All of those C2s can be fixed without changing the CU, probably.

The only pictures I have are at the bottom of the report. They show the CU and CU cover.

 

[HairBear]

By CU not fire rated, I assume it's a plastic CU? Was the electrician a member of one of the CP Schemes NIEEIC or similar?

Yes, it’s made of plastic. I actually blanked out the accreditations too, but he’s NIEEIC and an ECA member.

 

[HairBear]

Looks like a comprehensive report, never did EICR's, so others will comment on that.

Me personally, if I was the landlord, I would replace the CU, with something that provides RCD protection for the circuits on the non RCD side, and split up the circuits on the RCD side. It wouldn't cost you a lot of money in the big scheme of things, and provide a safer installation for your tenants IMO. I would also add the surge protection, and the other C2's & 3's.

PS, you don't have to employ the same contractor who did the EICR, to do the new works.

The report cost me £175 so I’m glad it seems comprehensive

The MA says they can’t actually find anyone else to quote or even to do another EICR. Sounds like an excuse to me, but with COVID and the new regs it may be true.

Thanks for the advice too!

 

[GBDamo]

The report is comprehensive but to jump straight to "new board" on account of some damage is a bit lazy.

The cumulative cost of putting all the C2s right may be getting close to low end new CU but you should really be given options.

 

[Des 56]

The report looks sound and appears to be carried out by a competent person
The items can be fixed without changing the consumer unit
The extra protection that would be given of a new board with the non rcd circuits being protected should be considered a wise move
The other items listed seem reasonable from this end of a keybord

 

[HairBear]

The report is comprehensive but to jump straight to "new board" on account of some damage is a bit lazy.

The cumulative cost of putting all the C2s right may be getting close to low end new CU but you should really be given options.

They’re quoting 552+VAT to resolve all the C2’s which seems steep, but as there’s no breakdown so I don’t know how much of that is the CU. Also, this is Cambridge and it’s the MA’s electrician which I suspect all adds a premium to the price.

I’ll ask them for a quote without replacing the CU and with a breakdown of works to see what that comes to. Thanks!

 

[HairBear]

The report looks sound and appears to be carried out by a competent person
The items can be fixed without changing the consumer unit
The extra protection that would be given of a new board with the non rcd circuits being protected should be considered a wise move
The other items listed seem reasonable from this end of a keybord

Thanks for the remote review I’m leaning towards a new CU given that it looks like it’ll be necessary in the not too distant future anyway. RCDs all around does sound wise.

 

[Pete999]

Yes, it’s made of plastic. I actually blanked out the accreditations too, but he’s NIEEIC and an ECA member.

I would question this chaps opinions and and ask him to show you where in the regulations it says that a pre existing CU that is plastic contravenes the regs, remember the regs are not retrospective, if the CU was compliant at the installation it may only need minor modifications, like an up front RCD to cover the bathroom supplementary bonding issue.

 

[GBDamo]

Now the 'Up Lights' have been tested it may be a

They’re quoting 552+VAT to resolve all the C2’s which seems steep, but as there’s no breakdown so I don’t know how much of that is the CU. Also, this is Cambridge and it’s the MA’s electrician which I suspect all adds a premium to the price.

I’ll ask them for a quote without replacing the CU and with a breakdown of works to see what that comes to. Thanks!

To put all that right, including a new CU, for that price is not bad at all. Especially in the South.

For peace of mind, I get it done.

 

[Des 56]

Hello Pete
He does say C3 for the non fire rated cons unit,so to me he is correct
It contravenes the existing regs but because they are not retrospective he has covered that with a lesser coding C3
As you state it can be done without changing CU
He could also just enclose it in a fire rated enclosure

 

[radiohead]

I would question this chaps opinions and and ask him to show you where in the regulations it says that a pre existing CU that is plastic contravenes the regs, remember the regs are not retrospective, if the CU was compliant at the installation it may only need minor modifications, like an up front RCD to cover the bathroom supplementary bonding issue.

Of course a plastic CU in a dwelling contravenes current regulations and should be coded according to the inspectors opinion. An EICR is carried out referencing current regulations not previous regulations.
An up front RCD would be non compliant. I'm surprised you suggest it as a solution.

 

[Pete999]

Now the 'Up Lights' have been tested it may be a

To put all that right, including a new CU, for that price is not bad at all. Especially in the South.

For peace of mind, I get it done.

So what you are saying is. that anyone that has a property that has a plastic CU and was compliant with BS 7671 at the time of the installation, needs to spend money unnecessarily and upgrade the CU to a metal one, am I correct ? even though at the time of the install everything complied with the Regs current at that time? Better get mine changed then, and make a fortune on my estate advising people of what you are saying. I would think seriously about what you are alluding to. It's almost the same as saying when my House was wired it complied with the Regs current at that time but things have moved on and the regs have changed, better get it rewired.

 

[radiohead]

So what you are saying is. that anyone that has a property that has a plastic CU and was compliant with BS 7671 at the time of the installation, needs to spend money unnecessarily and upgrade the CU to a metal one, am I correct ? even though at the time of the install everything complied with the Regs current at that time? Better get mine changed then, and make a fortune on my estate advising people of what you are saying.

Or you could advise an up front RCD which will disconnect everything in the event of a single fault. Great idea.

 

[DPG]

So what you are saying is. that anyone that has a property that has a plastic CU and was compliant with BS 7671 at the time of the installation, needs to spend money unnecessarily and upgrade the CU to a metal one, am I correct ? even though at the time of the install everything complied with the Regs current at that time? Better get mine changed then, and make a fortune on my estate advising people of what you are saying. I would think seriously about what you are alluding to. It's almost the same as saying when my House was wired it complied with the Regs current at that time but things have moved on and the regs have changed, better get it rewired.

I thought he was agreeing with the C3, not saying that it must be changed??

 

[Pete999]

I thought he was agreeing with the C3, not saying that it must be changed??

If I misread it I apologise, but it seems to the uninitiated but you say he says a C3 but gives it a lesser code C3 confused dot com, sorry to be subjective mate

 

[telectrix]

think the reason he wants to change the CU is that it has a big hole in the top, compromising the IP ratingand the replacement would clear up a couple of the C2's, like RCD protection for bathroom circuits.