FAQ's

The law requires that all business owners, their directors, managers and employees comply with “The Electricity at Work Regulations”.

The law simply requires that all electrical systems must be maintained to be safe at all times. No system or part of it may give rise to danger during either normal operation or under fault conditions.

Regulation 4(2) – “All systems to be maintained so as to prevent, so far as is reasonably practicable, danger”. “System” means the wiring of an electrical installation and everything connected to it.

Regulation (29) states: “It shall be a defense for any person to prove that he took all reasonable steps and exercised all due diligence to avoid the commission of that offence”

Test reports, together with other preventative maintenance documentation will form the basis of this proof and will provide your best defense against prosecution should the need arise.

Duty holders are responsible for setting up adequate maintenance programs and must assess the needs and frequency requirement of testing, maintaining and monitoring electrical systems and equipment.

Electricity will always find the easiest path to earth. Any faults or weaknesses within your electrical installation or portable appliances can go undetected. In the event of another fault developing, this could lead to serious risk of fire, electrocution or death. For example, a 13-amp ring-main without earth continuity could render all metal parts of appliances plugged into it “LIVE” if one item on the ring developed a fault to earth.

Fixed wiring testing will accurately identify faults, their locations and usually the recommended solution.

A short power outage can be expected on each circuit within the system but because most of the testing is carried out whilst the system is still live, these outages can be planned around your daily activities.

The law does not require electrical testing to be carried out. However, the law does require that you keep your entire electrical system safe at all times. The only effective means to that end is to have periodic testing and inspection carried out, together with action to remedy any faults found as a result of testing.

If an accident or fire does occur where electricity is suspected to have been the cause, then the duty is yours to prove that you did your best to avoid that accident (offence). Test data results together with preventative maintenance records will provide your best proof and defense.

Increasingly, insurers are insisting that inspection and testing be carried out on a regular basis. If you suffer an avoidable accident, then under law, if found guilty, you will be deemed to have committed a criminal offence. Insurers will not pay fines or compensation suffered resulting from a criminal offence.

A visiting inspector will not necessarily identify the need to maintain electrical safety at every inspection he makes, especially if there are other issues to be addressed. Because testing has not been specifically demanded does not mean that the legal requirements to comply with electrical safety do not apply.

There has always been a requirement to satisfy Health & Safety legislation. In 1989 The Electricity at Work Regulations came into force, which clarifies the need to maintain electrical systems safely. So there has always been the need and test data results will form a major part of your defense should an accident occur which leads to prosecution.

We have a great deal of experience in working within the constraints of manufacturing environments. Because the majority of the testing involves carrying out live tests, we can schedule dead testing around pre-arranged windows of opportunity. Be these during holidays, breakdowns, process changes, cleaning or maintenance stoppages, shift changes or weekends.

You are responsible to make sure that you and your staff comply with Health & Safety legislation. However, it is usually dependent on the terms of your lease as to whether you or your landlord pays for testing to be carried out on the electrical installation. Usually, if you are on a full repairing lease then the cost will fall to you. Portable Appliance testing will always be at your expense.

As per the IEE Regulations, you can only rely on sample testing if you hold previous full system records, the installation is considered to be in excellent condition, no faults are found during sample testing and no undocumented alterations have been carried out since the system was new or last tested. This does not hold true for the vast majority, for which full inspection and testing should be undertaken.

No, definitely not. thermal imaging photography is an excellent interim maintenance option for identifying hot spots in connections, fuses, motor bearing, conveyors etc. and can help prevent costly breakdowns and fires in some cases.

Thermal imaging cannot take into account damaged equipment, lack of earthing, over fusing, excessive cable runs, volt drop, potential fuse disconnection time failures and a number of other potential faults. So full periodic inspection and testing should form part of any maintenance regime.

Unless or until you suffer an accident then probably nothing will happen. However, remember that maintenance of a safe electrical system is a legal requirement. Therefore a preventable accident could lead to prosecution, for which there will be no insurance cover.

You may also find that an insurance loss adjuster could make much of the fact that you may not have maintained the system adequately which could have led to the claim. Again, this could lead to an unsuccessful claim and a costly experience.

Because we accurately identify any faults found, the cost of remedy in most cases is not too great. The majority of problems found involve earthing deficiencies, which although potentially very dangerous are not usually hugely expensive to remedy.

The IEE guidance suggests the following test intervals: Domestic – 10 years/change of occupancy, Rented Accommodation/Commercial i.e. shops, offices, schools, hospitals, etc. – 5 years, Industrial, agricultural and horticultural – 3 years, Places subject to entertainment license, swimming pools, caravan parks, etc. – 1 year

All the views and opinions expressed on this page are given for guidance only and are our interpretation of hypothetical circumstances; we cannot accept any liability for any actions taken as a result of this guidance. We strongly recommend that all electrical work is designed, installed maintained and tested by a suitably qualified electrician.

As always with electrical installation work you should consult a suitably qualified person.

No, we provide 2 hour time slots for our electrician to arrive. The vast majority of call-out work can be completed in less than an hour.

For larger projects such as lighting design, house rewires etc. we will provide you with a free quotation. Obviously, it is not cost effective for us to send someone to quote for a repair. In that instance we charge per hour + VAT, with a 1 hour minimum charge.

Yes, all our electricians are NAPIT or NICEIC qualified.

Yes, we carry £5 Million worth of insurance.

All our work carries a one year no quibble warranty on defective parts. The NICEIC insurance backed warranty covers work undertaken by contractors registered to the NICEIC Installer Scheme.

Our electricians carry a lot of electrical parts – fuses, spare lights, switches, wire, cables etc. We certainly hope to carry a wide range of parts to enable us to fix and replace faulty parts and get your electrical system working as quickly as possible. However, with the diversity of electrical systems and RCD units, it is just not possible to carry every part that you might come across.

A rewire is the most disruptive and invasive work that a property can undergo. Every room will need to have the following carried out:

• Furniture to be moved out
• Floor covering to be taken up
• Floor boards to be lifted to gain access to the floor voids
• Walls to be chased out for switches/sockets where necessary
• Dust and mess during the period of the work (although we always clean up as much as possible at the end of the day)

In addition, to rewire the lighting upstairs, this requires the loft to be cleared to gain access to the lighting points and to each switch drop. We are experienced at making the rewire as hassle and mess free as is possible.

RCD stands for Residual Current Device. They used to be called ELCB’s (Earth Leakage Circuit Breakers). They are usually fitted as standard to most domestic consumer units in houses built after around 1980. They tend to only protect certain parts of the distribution panel wiring (e.g. the kitchen or utility ring main), in a so-called “split-load” consumer unit. They are designed to quickly trip and interrupt the supply to the circuit they are protecting when an imbalance is detected between the neutral and live (in the case of an RCD) or when there is a current in the earth wire of the protected circuit, above a pre-set limit (usually 30mA), in the true ELCB. You can also purchase “plug-in” RCDs, ideal for mowers, vacuums, and hairdryers, and an RCD plug, for things like shower pumps. Although the primary protection is the fuse in the plug, these do not blow for some fault conditions and they are there mainly to protect the wiring and the appliance from overloads. The RCD is ideal to protect the user from electric shocks and earth leakage faults.

If this is a solid fault (i.e. it won’t reset), it is most likely due to a faulty appliance that is plugged in but which has developed a fault. The most likely culprit is the washing machine, dishwasher or tumble dryer. Try unplugging each one in turn until the RCD remains latched in the “ON” state. If it is not one of those items and your freezer is also on the same circuit then try unplugging that too. If the problem remains use an extension lead and plug it into a plug in another room as a temporary measure (on a circuit not affected) until you locate the faulty appliance. Other likely culprits are the kettle, a steam iron, (usually anything that comes into contact with water!). However, don’t forget that even small things like radio alarm clocks, phone chargers and mains adaptors can cause the RCD to trip out so check all your items. If you still cannot find the problem, call in a professional electrician.

As a Landlord, it is important to ensure that all electrical appliances and fittings within the property you rent out are safe.
However, unlike gas regulations, there is no legislation that demands you must have a landlord electrical safety certificate. That said, should any electrical fittings or appliances with your rental property cause actual harm to the tenant, you could be held liable.
In the worst case scenario, your tenant could sue you for damages or you might be brought before a court for negligence under the Electrical Equipment (Safety) Regulations 1994.

If you are purchasing a new flat or house, you may find a Visual Electrical Inspection helpful. This report can give you a reasonable indication of the state of the electrical system in the property.

This may help you make an informed decision on whether to purchase the property or whether to negotiate for a discount!

It can save the expense of a full electrical safety certificate and inspection, which is a far more expensive and time consuming process.

A Periodic Inspection Report (PIR) is an electrical test on the condition of the electrical wiring, installations and electrical connections such as accessories, light switches and electric sockets within a property.
The electrical installation – such as the wiring in a house – is tested against current electrical safety standards. The report lists any faults, possible concerns, and potential problems that need further investigation. The PIR report also provides a timescale of urgency on which action should be taken. The electrical test itself does not attempt to repair any of problems that may be highlighted. The report can be used to decide whether to budget for any remedial works or additional investigation.

Since 2005, if you’re doing work to your home that involves electricity, it needs to be covered by ‘Part P’ of the Building Regulations. That’s the law. It means whoever is carrying out the work needs to follow rules that make sure the work protects you and your family from fire or electric shock. It’s designed to keep you and your family as safe as possible. This applies if you’re putting electricity into a new house or extension, or if you’re having an existing system adapted or rewired. You can find full details on Part P on the Communities and Local Government website, www.communities.gov.uk.

• P K Teasdale Electrical is a registered Part P installer. The advantages of this are:
• You will not have to pay any building control charges;
• We can deal with everything for you;
• We will arrange for you to receive a certificate confirming the work meets the Building Regulations;
• You have access to a formal complaints procedure if the work doesn’t meet the Building Regulations;
• You can choose to take out an insurance-backed guarantee when you have the work done, and you can make a claim if the work is later found not to meet the Building Regulations.

If you use P K Teasdale Electrical Services, you can expect to have safe electrical work done, as the work will meet the UK national standard, BS 7671 (Requirements for Electrical Installations). When the work is finished you will receive:

• An Electrical Installation Certificate or Minor Works Certificate that confirms that the work meets BS 7671;
• A Building Regulations Compliance Certificate that confirms that the work meets the Building Regulations.

You should contact a fully qualified electrician, such as P K Teasdale Electrical who will be happy to reassure you and visit your premises if needs be.

All the views and opinions expressed on this page are given for guidance only and are our interpretation of hypothetical circumstances; we cannot accept any liability for any actions taken as a result of this guidance. We strongly recommend that all electrical work is designed, installed maintained and tested by a suitably qualified electrician.

As always with electrical installation work you should consult a suitably qualified person.