· By Rosa Halden · 1 min read
An electrical inspection: what happens on the day
Landlord, buyer or just curious: what an EICR involves, how long the power is off, and what the codes in the report mean.
An Electrical Installation Condition Report (EICR) is a health check for your wiring. It takes three to four hours for a typical home.
- We start at the board, checking the earthing, the bonding and what protects each circuit.
- Each circuit is tested, with the power off for a few minutes at a time.
- We open a sample of sockets, switches and light fittings to look inside.
- You get a report within two days.
The codes
- C1: danger present. We make it safe before we leave.
- C2: potentially dangerous. Needs fixing soon, and a rental fails until it is.
- C3: improvement recommended. Not unsafe, but not today’s standard.
- FI: further investigation needed.
Landlords need a satisfactory report every five years; homeowners every ten, or when buying.