NICEIC Certification Scheme First NICEIC assessment!!!

Happyhammer · Dec 2, 2015

Hi everyone!! I'm new to this site so be gentle

i have my my first assessment on Monday!! (7/12/15)
Ive done a CU change and tested, the NIC told me 1 job but seeing people saying 2 (some say 1 major 1 minor and others 2 majors for first assessment).

3 things really.
1) any advice?
2) I have tested the bonding to incoming oil and water service pipes. Oil is fine and am getting a ready but water pipe is showing O-L with vol on top (Megger mft1710), however when I test for voltage using voltage test selection on meter I'm getting no reading? Also incoming water pipe is plastic with copper coming off the top and going back to plastic speed fit pipe. I know that the rest of the install is a copper/plastic mix as had guys in ripping up kitchen floor due to leaking copper pipe that they replaced with plastic. Anyway I'm wondering what the NIC believe on bonding? I'm happy to quickly run a 10mm Earth from CU in garage to water mains and earth it as its only in the utility room next to garage.

3) customer has a broken neutral in one ring and doesn't want to pay for investigation, I have spent some time trying to find it but no luck as yet. Is this down to me to sort? The Zs also tested 5.31 at one socket but on returning another day it dropped to 1.18. It's a TN-C-S system and no one else has been there to touch it!! Any ideas?

Richard Burns · Dec 2, 2015

Hello and welcome, in with a bang!

1) know what you are talking about and what readings mean and where to look up things you do not know, ensure you are up to date with the building regulations requirements and part P.

2) If the incoming water pipe is plastic you need to have tested it's resistance against an earth reference for the installation to see if it is introducing a potential, not very likely with a plastic incomer but worth testing anyway. if the resistance is greater than 22 kohms then it is not extraneous and does not need bonding.

3) when changing a consumer unit you check the connected circuits to see if they are safe to reconnect. In this case the neutral of the ring could carry more than it's current carrying capacity and not be limited by the circuit protective device and so it is not safe to reconnect!
However if there is a known fault then you could advise the customer that you are putting the ring on a 20A circuit breaker for safety until the problem is fixed, when it can be raised to 32A again. A note on the certificate would be very wise in this case.
Poor contact resistance, record the lowest reading you get from multiple readings at one point, faults can only increase the resistance.

For the assessment be able to explain what you have done and why and how it meets BS7671.

Hope it goes well.
Offer tea and biscuits and make sure the payment has gone through!

Happyhammer · Dec 2, 2015

Hi Richard, thanks for the info, I've never come across this before, what is the best way to check the resistance on the pipe?

The broken neutral is definitely a problem, very big to resolve in such a short space of time so I may have to opt for the 20a breaker for the assessment! What exactly should the explanation to the assessor be? Sorry to seem stupid or incomparably but I'm not very good at getting my point across when I know they know just as much or more than me! Bad trait I know. I'm working on it.

i know my stuff and testing is fine, can fly through that, same with safe iso and lock off procedure. Very nervous already and still 4 days away.

Simonslimline · Dec 3, 2015

Happyhammer said:
Hi Richard, thanks for the info, I've never come across this before, what is the best way to check the resistance on the pipe?

The broken neutral is definitely a problem, very big to resolve in such a short space of time so I may have to opt for the 20a breaker for the assessment! What exactly should the explanation to the assessor be? Sorry to seem stupid or incomparably but I'm not very good at getting my point across when I know they know just as much or more than me! Bad trait I know. I'm working on it.

i know my stuff and testing is fine, can fly through that, same with safe iso and lock off procedure. Very nervous already and still 4 days away.

In order to determine whether the water pipe is an extraneous conductive part you need to test between the pipe and the MET. Isolate the installation and conduct an insulation resistance test at 500v between the earthing conductor and the service you are confirming is extraneous or not. If you get a reading greater than or equal to 22K ohms then it is not an extraneous conductive part and therefor does not require bonding.

Have a read of guidance note 8 Earthing & Bonding and all will become clear.

baldsparkies · Dec 10, 2015

You will be presenting the NICEIC inspector with real world scenarios, and exactly the kind of problems real world presents to the everyday spark conducting a board change.
Hope he can cope with it cus its outside his world perfect assessment criteria.
Just kidding, hope all goes well for you and don't worry. If they have yer money yer 99% of the way there.

Toonlad · Dec 10, 2015

Is it DI your going for, on one of my assessments for DI, the guy was spark like myself but done some course with the Niceic to become a inspector on domestics only. I found him to be easier to get along with than the AC inspectors I have had over the yrs.