Periodic Inspection Check
Posted: Mon Aug 23, 2010 12:16 pm
by Vince Meakins
I’m about to buy a house that is nicely modernised apart from it having an old style fuse box and electrics that have been added to over the years. If I have a periodic inspection check done on the property - will this tell me (or a qualified electrician) the likelihood of problems arising when I upgrade the fuse box to a modern unit? I’m concerned the RCD will keep tripping and potentially force some tricky fault finding or worse case a complete rewire to correct. The original electrics date to the sixties.
Many thanks
Posted: Mon Aug 23, 2010 6:22 pm
by ericmark
Although your wiring may pass a PIR bitter experience you may still have problems. The best option is to use RCBO's so every circuit has it's own RCB protection but not only are you looking at wiring but also every thing you use.
A 10ma plug in RCD is likely best option first and you can use it in turn for every item you have except for cooker and immersion heater and shower. So when you do get it fitted you will know that everything will work first.
But with my parents house I had to remove circuits from RCD at that time it was not a requirement. But big problem is my mother in a wheel chair can't get to consumer unit if it trips so would have to be auto resetting type and at £350 each not a cheap option.