 What is an EICR test? If you've never owned a property or worked in the electrical field, it's unlikely that you would have come across an EICR. EICR stands for Electrical Installation Condition Report. The purpose of an electrical installation condition report is to periodically evaluate the safety of your property's fixed wiring. In addition, the report is put in place to ensure the safety of occupants in a residency or rental property. An EICR test helps to prevent hazardous accidents from occurring. For instance, electrical fires or electrical shocks. For aims of an EICR test. The first aim of an electrical installation condition report is to keep a record of the inspection. This is in place to make sure that your electrical installations are safe. Secondly, an EICR is in place so you can locate any unsafe damage wear and tear to your electrical installation. This helps electricians identify, resolve, and repair any issues. Thirdly, the report will help to identify any components of the electrical installation that don't meet wiring regulations. Furthermore, this is critical if you own old property. An electrician will be able to use the report to repair your property, so it meets the requirements. Lastly, the fourth aim is to help an electrician identify appliances or electrical components that could lead to an electric shock. Once the electrical installation condition report has been completed, the electrician will complete a report highlighting the condition of the electrical installation at the time of the EACR. Furthermore, this record will be used in future inspections. Different types of electrical installation condition reports. Visual condition report. Visual condition reports are usually done for recent electrical installations. Generally, the report will not include any testing of your system's various electrical components. Periodic inspection report. This is the full EACR. It is a comprehensive report that tests all the components of your electrical installation. As previously advised, this will help you locate any potential hazards within your building. Can I conduct an EICR by myself? When it comes to electrics, we strongly advise against DIY work. Electrical work can be hazardous and too dangerous to an individual without the correct training and knowledge. Therefore, the EACR should be completed by a qualified individual with the correct training and certification. How often should an EACR be conducted? The answer to this depends on the type of property. For instance, if it's your private home, the test should be conducted every 10 years. For a rental property, the landlord should have this completed every 5 years. In addition, it's recommended to complete this test every time you have a change of tenants. Do I need an EACR? Yes. EACR are critical as they help you maintain a safe home or rental property. As electricity is not visible, conduits and cables are often concealed behind walls and ceilings. Due to this, it's easy for you to forget to check your electrical installation and easily miss damage caused by wear and tear. In addition, to an untrained eye, it may seem as everything is operating correctly. An electrical installation condition report identifies areas that need repair. A qualified electrician can use this to prevent electrical fires. Electrical fires can be extremely dangerous. Old, damaged, or faulty electrical installations and wiring are often the main cause of these fires. Other signs that you need an EACR. As previously advised, we recommend EACR tests to be conducted every 10 years for your private home, every 5 years for your rental property, or every time a new tenant moves into a rental property. The following are the list of some additional signs that indicate an EACR test is required. Traditional round pin sockets and light switches. Brown or black switches. Braided flex hanging from ceiling fixtures. Fixed cables coated in black rubber. Fixed cables coated in lead or fabric. All these listed signs come from older or outdated electrical installations, usually installed around 1960. What should I do if I think I need an EACR test? If you're not a qualified electrician, you should not conduct an EACR test. If you believe your property requires an electrical installation condition report, you should contact a professional, qualified electrician. Here at the NM cabling, all our electricians are fully qualified and trained to conduct a thorough EACR test for your property. For further assistance or a free survey, please email or call on the details below, and click like and subscribe if you have enjoyed this video.