Steve Williams of Liss Electrical dons his inspector’s cap this month as he tries out the EICR Codebreakers publication from NAPIT.
EICRs have become an increasing percentage of my business, whether it’s for EAWR compliance, home buyers or as a survey before a consumer unit change. It’s a useful service to offer and it gives an electrician a clear picture of what they’re dealing with before they undertake work. I like this type of work as it brings out the ‘Sherlock Holmes’ in me.
What has been lacking for some time though, is a handy guide to apply consistent fault codes. I already have plenty of publications documenting the problems and pitfalls of inspection and testing, but so far, from what I can see, this cracking new book from NAPIT is a genuine industry ‘first’!
Traffic lights
The publication comes in a handy pocket size and is arranged into sections to make fault code finding easy by giving you the regulation number and appropriate fault or defect code.
The observation codes also use a traffic light system – red, amber and green – to help make things easier to understand. After all, any observation requires that the person reading it can understand the Regulation that has been infringed.
Some of the regular codes are simple to remember, like 411.3.3 for RCDs on final circuits, but the less common ones, such as 528.3 where some clown cable-tied the shower power to the water pipe, are less memorable.
Time saver
It’s clear that this book has been written based on first-hand experience of EICRs, and will definitely help save time for anyone involved in inspection and testing.
So, unless you’re my scheme inspector who has an encyclopaedic mastery of BS7671 from cover-to-cover, this is a great publication for any electrician that undertakes EICRs, and one that I’d recommend you get your hands on as soon as possible!
For more information about the NAPIT Codebreakers publication visit: www.napit.org.uk
