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ROBERT GOWEN: I suppose the spur couldn’t have gone elsewhere?
I can only assume this is a renovation of some description and may or may not form part of a periodic inspection for an EICR. Given the cable colours and the deterioration of the surface mount pattress box, I’ll assume that this is a legacy install, under inspection. If left as is, the inspector would need to check the supply cable additional protection to ensure it has adequate RCD protection. We can’t tell this from the photo, so we’ll not comment further. Access for maintenance is a problem here. Should any of the central heating control (CHC) circuits need to be modified, or the pattress box replaced through damage, the fused spur may need to be removed to accommodate this. Given the routing of the cables, removal is likely to mean either:
1. Disconnection of the CHC, Removal of the cables and destruction of the finished wall coverings
2. Destruction of the pattress box, and damage to the finished wall coverings
Either way isn’t practicable in a finished project, and the second bullet would then require significant alteration to ensure cable routes remained within safe zones after completion. Ignoring the poor design and construction and lack of adequate cable chasing depth, as we have limited knowledge of the installation at this point, the real issue here is access for maintenance. BS 7671 requires that an installation is constructed to allow access for maintenance, where required. Admittedly, reconfiguring the CHC system could be construed as a little more than general maintenance. Any connections and terminations are still accessible, so comply with BS 7671. The installation doesn’t appear immediately dangerous, nor does it appear potentially dangerous, so not a C1 or C2 issue. Any further investigation, linked to what we can see in the photo, is unlikely to uncover anything immediately or potentially dangerous. Lifestyle LP 522 CHCs have been around a while now, and the manufacturer’s instructions state compliance and installation in accordance with BS 7671 is a requirement, so something for the inspector to bear in mind.
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