About electrical installation safety
Faults in the electrical wiring systems of properties account for the majority of fires and in some cases fatal electric shock accidents.
Faulty electrical leads cause around 2,000 fires each year.
Property owners are responsible for the overall safety of the electrical installation. i.e. fixed wiring.
Main causes of electrical faults
The two most common faults are:
Insulation Failure
Insulation failure which is due to the deteriation of the electrical insulation which covers and protect the cables. New wiring is insulated with PVC, but the older rubber insulations are known to become brittle. If the insulation breaks down it can lead to short circuits, which in turn can result in fires.
Mice and rats can chew through the wiring, which could also lead to short circuits.
Overheating
Overheating occurs when installations are overloaded, a classic example being the use of multi-adaptors or multi-socket extension leads. These can become a danger when too many appliances are connected to an electrical circuit as too much heat becomes generated which could lead to a breakdown of the insulation and a short circuit.
Regular inspection and testing of electrical systems by a qualified tradesman whom will be approved by NICEIC the National Inspection Council for Electrical Installation Contractors and be a member of the Electrical Contractors Association.
Any new installation must be installed in accordance with the Institution of
Engineering and Technology (IEE) Wiring Regulations 17th edition now known as BS 7671:2008.
It is recommended that electrical installations are tested by a competent tradesperson at least once in every 5 year period or after any additions are made to the system.
A certificate showing details of the installation and the results of the tests should be issued.
For frequently you should make visual inspections to look for wear and tear, corrosion, along with excessive loading to the circuits.
For more information try www.niceic.org.uk
For a list of electicians who are able to provide an electrical inspection go to
www.flat-living.co.uk/services/electrical_testing.htm
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DISCLAIMER
Any external products and services listed do not necessarily carry the endorsement of retirement-flat-living or imply a recommendation. retirement-flat-living.co.uk does not recommend any of the advertisers and cannot be held responsible for any work undertaken by or purchased from any advertiser on this site.
Whilst retirement-flat-living makes every effort to ensure that the articles included in the web site are accurate at the time of publication it is inevitable that, as time goes by and circumstances change, the articles may contain out of date information. Readers are strongly urged to check the content of these articles before taking any action that could have legal or financial consequences. retirement-flat-living shall not be liable for any loss, damage or inconvenience arising from inaccuracies.