IB Electrics

It is important that any electrical installation work is carried out only by people who are competent. This means people who have the knowledge, skills and experience needed to avoid dangers to themselves and others that electricity can create. It's easy to make an electrical circuit work - it's far harder to make the circuit work safely.

The main switch in the consumer unit (fuse box) allows you to turn off the supply to your electrical installation. Some electrical installations have more than one main switch. For example, if your home is heated by electric storage heaters, you may have a separate consumer unit for them. The consumer unit should be easy to get to, so find out where the main switch is to turn the electricity off in an emergency.

Older homes often have re-wireable fuses which automatically disconnect the circuit to prevent danger. When a fault or overload current flows through the fuse wire, it will become hot, and melt when the current goes above a safe level. The melted fuse breaks the faulty circuit so protecting it against overloading.

Newer homes are likely to have circuit-breakers in the consumer unit which switch off a circuit if there is a fault. Circuit-breakers are similar in size to fuse-holders, but give more precise protection than fuses. When they 'trip', you can simply reset the switch. However, you first need to find and correct the fault.

An RCD is a life-saving device which is designed to prevent you from getting a fatal electric shock if you touch something live, such as a bare wire. It provides a level of protection that ordinary fuses or circuit breakers cannot. For more information on RCDs click here. 

Faulty and aging wiring is one of the major causes of electrical fires in the home. You can avoid these by having regular checks carried out on the condition of your cables, switches, sockets and other accessories. There are clear signs that can help you tell the age of electrical installations in your home. These are:

• Cables coated in black rubber (phased out in the 1960s);
• Cables coated in lead or fabric (before the 1960s);
• A fusebox with a wooden back, cast iron switches, or a haphazard mixture of fuse boxes (before the 1960s);
• Older round pin sockets and round light switches, braided flex hanging from ceiling roses, brown and black switches and sockets mounted in skirting boards (before the 1960s); and
• Wall-mounted light switches in bathrooms (before the 1960s).

If there is a fault in your electrical installation you could get an electric shock if you touch a live metal part. This is because the electricity may use your body as a path from the live part to the earth part.

Earthing is used to protect you from an electric shock. It does this by providing a path (a protective conductor) for a fault current to flow to earth. It also causes the protective device (either a circuit-breaker or fuse) to switch off the electric current to the circuit that has the fault.

For example, if a cooker has a fault, the fault current flows to earth through the protective (earthing) conductors. A protective device (fuse or circuit-breaker) in the consumer unit switches off the electrical supply to the cooker. The cooker is now safe from causing an electric shock to anyone who touches it.

Bonding is used to reduce the risk of electric shocks to anyone who may touch two separate metal parts when there is a fault somewhere in the supply of electrical installation. By connecting bonding conductors between particular parts, it reduces the voltage there might have been.

The types of bonding generally used are main bonding and supplementary bonding.

If you are having an alteration of addition made to your electrical installation, your electrician must check (as well as other things) that the earthing and bonding arrangements you have are up to the required standard.

This is because the safety of any new work you have done (however small) will depend on the earthing and bonding arrangements.

IB Electrics are happy to give you advice if your earthing or bonding needs to be improved for safety reasons.

We strongly recommend that you use an electrician registered with a government approved scheme to carry out any electrical installation work you need doing.

Damaged plugs, sockets and flexible cables can cause electric shocks, burns and fires. For you and your family’s safety:

• Check the plug and socket for burn marks, sounds of ‘arcing’ (buzzing or crackling), fuses blowing, circuit-breakers tripping or if it feels hot.

• Remove plugs from sockets carefully. Pulling out a plug by the cable puts a strain on it, and could damage the contact between the plug and the socket. This could result in the plug overheating, its wires becoming loose or an electric shock (if the earth wire is disconnected).

• Use plugs with the British Standard safety mark - they have live and neutral pins with insulating sleeves that allow you to put them in and pull them out of sockets safely.

• Always replace damaged cables immediately. Touching exposed live wires may give you an electric shock or you could even be killed.

• Unplug appliances before you try to do any maintenance on them

• Trailing the cable under the carpet or rug to keep it out of the way.

• Drying clothes on an electric heater - with water dripping onto live parts - This is particularly dangerous, and could cause an electric shock or fire. Many electrical appliances, such as heaters, have ventilation slots to prevent overheating. If these slots are covered up, the appliance could overheat and catch fire, or if water drips in, there is a risk of electric shock.

• Installing downlighters - Choosing the wrong downlighters, installing them incorrectly or fitting the wrong replacement lamp can pose a serious fire risk in your home. Use a registered electrician to install your downlighters. For your safety you should check for visible markings on downlighters indicating lamp wattage and lamp type.

• Never drill or fix nails in walls without knowing what’s behind them - Walls and partitions conceal electrical cables and gas and water pipes.

• • Use adaptors plugged into other adaptors; or
• Overload adaptors, particularly with high-current appliances such as kettles, irons and heaters. (Low –current appliances include radios, televisions, computers and hi-fi equipment.)
• • Buy cheap, substandard adaptors

T

he most sensible action would be to install extra sockets. While you are at it, ask a registered electrician to install twin sockets rather than single ones.

To avoid water coming into contact with electricity, make sure that your sockets or switches are fitted at a safe distance (at least 30cm horizontally) from the sink
If appliances such as fridges, dishwashers and washing machines are fitted under worktops, getting to sockets may be difficult. Ideally, these appliances should be controlled by a switched fuse connection unit mounted above the worktop where you can reach it easily.

If a socket in the kitchen, or anywhere else in the house is likely to be used to supply portable equipment outdoors, it should be protected by an RCD.
Never use switches or any electrical equipment when your hands are wet

• • Don’t leave electrical appliances like dishwashers or washing machines running unattended.

• • Don’t wrap flexible cables around any equipment when it is still warm.

• • Check that flexible leads and appliances such as kettles and toasters are in good condition.

• • Don’t try to repair an appliance when it is still plugged in.

• • Never try to get toast that is stuck out of a toaster while it is plugged in, and especially not with a metal knife as there are often live parts inside.

• • Make sure you thoroughly clean your oven and grill– a build up of fat and grease is a major cause of fires.

• • Check your plug sockets are not overloaded with too many electrical appliances as this can lead to overheating.

• • Avoid storing objects on top of appliances like the microwave, which can block ventilation.

• • Defrost your fridge and freezer at least once a year to ensure these appliances continue to work properly.

• • Make sure you have a working smoke detector in case something does go wrong.

Sockets are not allowed in bathrooms or shower rooms (apart from shaver-supply units) unless they can be fitted at least three metres from the bath or shower.

Electrical shaver points must be a safe distance (in meters) from the bath or shower to avoid splashes.

Enclosed ceiling lights are preferable to the ones that hang down.

All light fittings, that are not enclosed, should be out of reach of someone using, or still wet from using, the bath or shower.

Everyday light switches are a danger because of dampness and wet hands. A ceiling-mounted pull-cord switch is the safest option.

Central heating is the safest way to keep a bathroom warm. But if you do have an electric heater, it must be fixed at a safe distance from the bath or shower.

Electric and gas water heaters in a bathroom must be fixed and permanently wired, unless they are powered by a socket fitted three metres from a bath or shower.

A pull-cord or switch outside the bathroom is the ideal way to control electric heaters.

An electric shower must be supplied on its own circuit directly from your fusebox.

Never bring mains-powered portable appliances such as hairdryers, heaters or radios into a bathroom. You could be severely injured or killed.

• • Check the condition of your wiring – This should be done when you move into a new home and then once every 10 years. It’s the landlord’s responsibility if you rent your home. Ask to see a copy of the certificate or report confirming that the electrics meet the UK national standard BS 7671 (Requirements for Electrical Installations).

• • Check your sockets regularly – if you see burn marks or they feel hot, get a registered electrician to check them.
• • Turn off any electrical equipment you are not using – especially at night, when a fire can spread quickly while you sleep.

• Regularly check flexible cables on kettles and other similar appliances – look for signs of fraying, general wear and tear, or a loose plug. Do this before you plug anything in.

• Be careful when using hand-held electrical equipment –­ make sure you switch off and unplug when you have finished. This is important with items that get hot, for instance hairdryers or curling tongs, as they may come into contact with materials that can catch fire (like curtains).

• • Check the current rating of an electrical adaptor before you plug appliances in ­ make sure that the total current used does not exceed the adaptor’s rating.
• • Call the Fire and Rescue Service immediately if you smell burning that cannot be explained. They will have equipment such as thermal imaging cameras which will accurately detect objects that are overheating.

• • Overload any adaptor or socket – especially with appliances that have a high electrical current such as kettles, irons or heaters. It’s safer to have extra sockets installed if needed.
• Put electric heaters near curtains or furniture – or dry clothes on them.

• • Cover the air vents on storage heaters or fan heaters.
• Trail flexible cables under carpets or rugs.
• Exceed the wattage of the light fitting or lampshade with the bulb you use.

• • Cover the air vents on storage heaters or fan heaters.

• Store combustible materials (clothes, papers, cleaning materials etc) close to your service head (cut-out fuse), electricity meter or fusebox.

The first step is to separate the person from the source of electricity as quickly as possible. The best way of doing this is to turn off the supply, for example, by unplugging the appliance or by turning the mains off at the fusebox (consumer unit).

If this isn’t possible, then try to remove the source of electricity from the person using a piece of insulating material, such as a length of wood.

NEVER touch the person receiving the electric shock, or you could suffer one too.

After removing the person from the source of electricity, if the person is unconscious call for an ambulance immediately. Only those with the necessary knowledge and skill should carry out first aid.

Where the person is conscious and seems well, it is still advisable to monitor their condition, as the effects of an electric shock may not be immediately obvious. In worst case conditions, an electric shock may lead to a condition known as electroporation, where cells within the body rupture, leading to tissue death. Additional problems might include deep-seated burns, muscle damage and broken bones.

Use an RCD. Using an RCD will help to protect you from dangerous electric shocks. Although not a guarantee of absolute safety, it limits the time current can flow through the body if a person comes into contact with a live source of electricity.

We strongly recommend that anyone using electrical appliances in the garden ensures that they are protected by an RCD, preferably one fitted in the main household fusebox.

Alternatively, a dedicated RCD-protected socket or a plug-in RCD should be used.

They last up to 10 times longer than traditional bulbs, and use around 80% less energy. An energy-saving light bulb produces the same amount of light at 13-18w as the more traditional 60w bulb. This reduces energy costs and saves you up to £60 over the lifetime of the light bulb.

You can reduce your electricity bill and avoid emitting CO2, simply by not leaving your electrical products on stand-by. Switch them off and unplug them when not in use.

90% of the energy a washing machine uses goes towards heating the water. A 30°C wash could save over a third of the energy you use when compared to washing at higher temperatures.

When using your dryer, ensure that it is full, but don’t overload. Tumble dryers consume more energy than most washing machines. In fact, it’s much cheaper and better for the environment to use a washing line or a clothes horse if you can. If you do need to use a tumble dryer, make sure you use a fast spin on your washing, as this removes more of the water.

Only use your dishwasher when you have a full load as a half load uses the same amount of energy. If possible, stop the dishwasher’s cycle when it gets to the drying stage, open it up, and let the load dry naturally.

Only put in the amount of water you need, as over-filling each time wastes energy and money.

Look for the Energy Saving Recommended logo. These more efficient appliances could save you as much as £37 a year.

• Try turning your washing machine down from a 60º to 40º wash. It’ll save you 30% of your electricity bill with every wash.

• Try turning your thermostat down by 1º and the only thing that will notice will be your purse. You could save up to 10% of your annual bill.

• Consider using an energy efficient bulb. They last up to 12 times longer and save on electricity.

• Britons waste the equivalent of around two power stations’ worth of electricity each year by leaving TV sets and other gadgets on standby. You could save up to 10% off your yearly electricity bill.

Landlords are required by law to ensure:

• That the electrical installation in a rented property is safe when tenants move in and maintained in a safe condition throughout its duration.
• That a House in Multiple Occupation (HMO) has a periodic inspection carried out on the property every five years. 
  If your property is not an HMO, you are not legally obliged to do this. However, we recommend that a periodic inspection and test is carried out by a registered electrician on your rental properties at least every five years. 
• That any appliance provided is safe and has at least the CE marking (which is the manufacturer’s claim that it meets all the requirements of European law).

To meet these requirements a landlord will need to regularly carry out basic safety checks to ensure that the electrical installation and appliances are safe and working.

• • Making sure that your property has adequate RCD protection.

• Using a registered electrician for any work on your property.

• • Carrying out regular safety checks on the electrical appliances provided as part of the rental agreement.
• • Downloading the 'Home Electrical Safety Check' smartphone app.

Every year around 70 deaths and 350,000 injuries in UK homes are caused by faulty electrics and electrical equipment.  Almost half of all domestic fires are caused by electricity. And if you live in a privately rented property, statistics show that you are at a higher risk of electric shock.

There is confusion amongst landlords and tenants over who has responsibility for Electrical Safety in rented properties.

By law, your landlord must ensure that electrical installations and wiring are maintained in a safe condition throughout the tenancy.

And as a tenant, you should feel obliged to flag electrical problems as soon as they appear, as well as maintain any electrical items you bring into the house.

• A report confirming that the electrical installation has been assessed and is safe to use (called an Electrical Installation Condition Report, previously referred to as a Periodic Inspection Report or PIR). Electrical Safety First recommends that a periodic inspection and test of the electrical installation should be carried out by a registered electrician at least every five years or on change of tenancy.
• Certification confirming that any recent electrical work meets the UK national standards BS 7671

If you have reported a problem to your landlord and he or she has refused to put the situation right or ignored your request, you should contact your local authority who will be able to help you. Local authorities will ensure a landlord is meeting their legal obligations and can take enforcement action against them