Who can test?

[Ricky davis]

I am a qualified electrician to 2330 level 3, I also have the 17th edition qualification. But since qualifying about 5 years ago and through my apprenticeship I have worked in a industrial setting as electrical engineer. I am responsible for new instalations aswell as maintaining and repairing machinery electrically. I would consider myself a competent person.

About 2 years ago my mum had a fault with her consumer unit and I replaced it for her. I tested for my own peace of mind but didn't complete any paperwork. She is now selling her house and the surveyor has noticed it's a new board and is wanting certification for it. I am capable of completing the paperwork but I want to know is if I am allowed according to regulation. The information I have found online says competent person which I believe means I am ok to do the testing??

 

[Andy78]

Any person competent to do so may test and complete a certificate. A new consumer unit also requires notifying to building control under the building regulations.

 

[Pat H]

If you go the LBC route shouldn't they be notified before hand? And they may require a 3rd party to test and certify.

 

[westward10]

Bit late now all you can do is provide an EICR.

 

[Ricky davis]

Ok, thanks. I probably should have done more research before installing. So my job only includes a bit of testing and I have never had to notify building regulations how do I go about that? It's been a while since I completed a test certificate but I'm ok with the testing and completing the paper work side of things

 

[kingeri]

It's way too late to notify BC in any conventional way, this should have been done at the time. Your best bet is to come clean to BC and see what they say about it, they may offer a simple solution to gain the correct certificate. But the place to start is with an EICR, you can't really issue an EIC now!!

 

[benji]

This is no help but out of curiosity hypotheticaly what happens if you just you put the old board back

 

[The Ghost]

You may find if you present your qualies to bc they will accept a cert from you. Plus a little bit of the blarney

 

[PEG]

Hi,this is a situation which occurs every day,and as a surveyor,all he can do is advise the client on whose behalf he is acting on,then go down the chain...no cert? then he can advise an inspection...he is not Quincy.

I have had dozens of occasions similar to this,on some,the electrician drafted in to do the inspection,is the chap who discovers there actually was a EIC
There are a myriad of skill levels in the surveying job,and i have endured the lower end on occasion.

One such outfit surveyed a property for a friend of mine,in a leafy suburb,and gave a detailed account of subsidence,to the front,side and rear of the structure...
I had already cast an eye over it,and there was only evidence of any movement,at a corner where an original gully had probably leaked and under-washed slightly.

The crux of my whinge was,the neighbour's door camera,had captured his one and only visit,where he had spent 30 minutes sat in his car writing,never actually setting foot on the property...

I don't think you have any great worries,just request what they require if no cert,and oblige...Oh,and sweep up those bat,termite and crested newt droppings...

 

[Octopus]

Bit late now all you can do is provide an EICR.

Not necessarily. Guildford labc won't accept an EICR from anyone..

 

[Midwest]

If you approach your BC, the only defined option they should give you is a 'Regularisation Certificate'. A cut & paste from my BC;

If you have carried out building work without applying for Building Regulations then the work is unauthorised and can cause problems when you try and sell the property.
It may be possible to make a retrospective application for building regulations called a Regularisation application. If the Regularisation is completed satisfactorily we will remove the contravention from the Council's property records.

So if you do speak to them, the cat is out of the bag as it were. My BC fee for a regularisation certificate is £618. You could perhaps ask the surveyor what he expects to see first, i.e. Electrical Installation Certificate (EIC) or EIC and Notification to LBC.

In the grand scheme of things though, high on the list is your mothers house sale going through.