Need help with cracking those EICR codes? The technical team at NAPIT, with the help of the 18th Edition Codebreakers publication, answer your latest coding queries. Click on the photos for a closer look!
CRAIG DUNN: THIS WAS FOUND DURING AN EICR OF A HOUSING ASSOCIATION CONTRACT. WHEN TESTING THE RING CONTINUITY, I WAS GETTING AN OPEN CPC READING AND UPON FURTHER EXAMINATION OF THE OTHER SOCKETS I FOUND THAT THE CONDUCTORS HAD COMPLETELY RUSTED AWAY.
Something that’s often overlooked at either the design, installation, initial verification, or periodic inspection stages is the external influences. When I say ‘external influences’, I’m referring to those which are often overlooked as they’re not seen to be an issue.
External influences that should be considered at design, and any inspection (especially periodic inspections), are the influences of:
● Damp
● Vapour
● Humidity
● Unforeseen corrosive atmospheres
Where dampness in an installation, vapour, or humidity are not addressed, they can significantly impair or damage the integrity of an electrical installation.
Most electricians in a coastal town will tell you that properties close to the seafront that may not have damp issues will at some point show signs of corrosion through the salt air. In more severe cases, galvanised back boxes, conduit and copper can be almost turned to dust in a matter of months.
Likewise, anyone having worked around swimming pools will, I’m sure, have taken accessories apart to find a pile of green dust, where the copper conductors once were, due to the corrosive nature of the products used to keep the pool water safe to swim in.
Even though much of the metal containment we use is galvanised, it won’t last long in certain conditions.
Given the picture provided, it’s clear to see there is a damp issue of some kind, and the cpc has completely corroded. Other copper components of this electrical system will also need to be checked for integrity and continuity.
It’s more than likely that partial or complete re-wiring will be needed, but from an EICR perspective, any report should identify that the environment will need to be considered. Specific attention to damp, humidity, ventilation, and corrosive atmospheres will be required before the type of wiring system and accessories are chosen for any remedial works.
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