We attended a rental property this week to conduct a routine Electrical Installation Condition Report (EICR) check, but we were shocked to discover a few hidden dangers. The first part of the EICR inspection is to check the earth to the fuseboard, and we discovered that no earth was present.
This is classed as a C1 fault, so we investigated further and found that the main earth to the property was disconnected, so we reconnected it and made the property safe again. Alongside this, we were disappointed to find that the cupboard housing the fuseboard was blocked with storage items so the tenants would never have known about the cable until it was too late.
The images below with the readings demonstrate the highest result (58.9) with the earth disconnected and the fault in place and then the lowest reading (0.20) with everything fixed.
For Mark Smith, owner of MS Electrical Services, it’s experiences such as these that underline the importance of regular EICR checks. ‘We work with dozens of landlords in and around Cambridge to help them ensure that their rental properties are safe and comply with government regulations,’ comments Mark. ‘When we discover properties such as this one, where tenants’ lives could have been at risk, we’re thankful to be in a position to rectify the errors and keep their electrical safety in check. We cannot stress enough the importance of booking us in to carry out these inspections, not only to protect your tenants but also to ensure your compliance as a landlord.’
MS Electrical offer electrical safety testing for landlords in Cambridge, so please contact us to request a no-obligation quotation.