NAPIT electrical testing exceeds new regulation requirements?

NAPIT electrical testing exceeds new regulation requirements?

9:25 AM, 26th May 2020, About 4 years ago 13

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The new NAPIT Trade Association Guidelines for Landlords on “The Electrical Safety Standards in the Private Rented Sector (England) Regulations 2020” exceeds the requirement of these regulations.

The 2002 regulations come into force from 1st June and require that ECIR test standards to comply with the 18th Edition Electrical Wiring Regulations Inspection and Test requirements. The NAPIT Guidelines for Landlords ( Click here ) requires that 100% of a properties electrical installation is tested.

However, the 18th Edition requires the first test to be 100% and then a risk based percentage test is conducted. The percentage tested being determined by the testing electrician based on visual inspection, condition and sample test results.

I understand the later is adhered to by the other main trade body NICEIC. NAPIT approach will prove to be more costly and difficult for landlords to arrange, but more more importantly it adds to the confusion of this already poorly written legislation.

Local Authorities (LA’s) are task to enforce a regulation that is open to interpretation and now NAPIT adds to the confusion. Potentially, if LA’s adopt the more risk adverse stance of NAPIT, most landlords who have responsibly planned ahead of the new regulations or who have licensed HMO’s with ECIR already may find them to be invalid!

Rob

 


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Comments

Rennie

20:13 PM, 30th May 2020, About 4 years ago

Reply to the comment left by Ian Morgan at 30/05/2020 - 19:33
Yes, that is how I understood it to be. The 100% relating to the circuits and the sockets only 20% may be tested/checked but this depends on what else the leccy finds. If you wanted to you could have more than 20% of sockets tested even though no reason is found to indicate that it is necessary but if it makes you feel safer then go for it but it will cost more.

Jim

17:37 PM, 31st May 2020, About 4 years ago

So to be clear all electrical circuits are 100% fully tested with electrical test instruments and where people talk about not inspecting 100% of circuits what they actually mean is the VISUAL INSPECTION of all circuits that is by unscrewing sockets and lighting points etc to PHYSICALLY see if there is anything amiss. This is a bit like saying that you want to inspect 30% of all doors to see if they all close properly and if you found that some don't close properly then you go on to physically inspect the other 70%

Paul landlord

14:11 PM, 2nd June 2020, About 4 years ago

Reply to the comment left by AP at 30/05/2020 - 08:40
Hi and many apologies for slow response on this- mistakenly i didn't subscribe to the postings.

You seem to have a messy situation with bad advice for something that is very straightforward!

First of all any installation done properly to the 2008 17th edition regs should not have any issues that warrant anything above C3 unless the installation has been altered and faults introduced.

An FI is 100% definitely a fail 'unsatisfactory for continued use' no argument. The reason is that further investigation of the issue may result in the finding of a C2 or C1 fault which is a fail.

A circuit that cannot be traced and nothing is affected with the breaker off would lead to an FI (fail) but any sensible electrician- with the consent of the client- would just disconnect it from the board, make the ends safe and leave it in the back of the box 'just in case'. This would give you a pass. I do this at the time with no charge- it takes 5 minutes and customer gets a pass, nothing is adversely affected and everyone is happy.

Just get the circuit disconnected. Leaving the breaker off isn't satisfactory- it can be turned on again.

And then an rcd issue creating a c1- cr*p.

If all circuits are rcd protected- and the 2008 regs pretty much demanded it with very few get outs you wouldn't want to use anyway!

But the C1 or C2 is academic as t would be a fail

As say option easy. Disconnect the circuit.

Hope this is in time to help!

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