Reasons why it is important to have your earthing bonding cables checked,tested or installed.

If you are having an alteration or addition made to your electrical installation, foe example a new kitchen socket ring or a new fuse box upgrade your qualified electrician must check (as well as other things) that the earthing and bonding arrangements you have are up to the required standard of BS 7671. IEE Wiring RegulatIons

This is because the electrical safety of any new work you have installed will depend on the earthing and bonding arrangements of your electrical installation

If a fault occurs in your electrical installation then there is a potential risk of electric shock if you come in contact with  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.

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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. (equal potential)

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

What is an RCD?

An RCD, or residual current device, 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 can also provide some protection against electrical fires. RCDs offer a level of personal protection that ordinary fuses and circuit-breakers cannot provide.

What does an RCD do?

An RCD is a sensitive safety device that switches off electricity automatically if a fault occurs.

An RCD is designed to protect against the risks of electrocution and fire caused by earth faults. For example, if you cut through the cable when mowing the lawn and accidentally touched the exposed live wires or a faulty appliance overheats causing electric current to flow to earth.

It is always best to have a recent Fuse board replacement if you currently do not have na rcd on all circuits really as per 18th edition 

How does it work?

An RCD constantly monitors the electric current flowing through one or more circuits it is used to protect. If it detects electricity flowing down an unintended path, such as through a person who has touched a live part, the RCD will switch the circuit off very quickly, significantly reducing the risk of death or serious injury. 

Are RCDs reliable?

An RCD should be tested on the day of installation , for example when you have a new fuse board installed and also regular push button testing every 6 months,there reliability can be improved if they are tested regularly. If you have fixed RCD protection, it will reduce the risk of electric shock to you and your family. It can also protect your home against the risk of fire caused by faulty wiring or appliances.

Remember – Although RCD protection reduces the risk of death or injury from electric shock it does not reduce the need to be careful. Have your wiring checked at least once every 10 years minimum for a domestic home  to ensure the safety of you, your family and your home. If you find a fault with your wiring, or an appliance, stop using it immediately and contact a registered electrician.

Manufacturers recommend that portable RCDs are tested every time you use them.

Beware – If you hold the test button in for a long time and the RCD does not switch off the electricity supply, then get advice from K&l Electrical we are happy to help 

The UK standard for safety – Since July 2008 virtually all circuits in new or rewired homes have been required to include an RCD under the latest edition of BS 7671. IEE wiring regulations

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How frequently should an electrical installation be inspected?

For rented accommodation, the maximum period recommended between the initial inspection (when the installation was first put into service) and the first periodic inspection and test is five years.

Periods between subsequent inspections will depend on the condition of the installation at the time of the preceding inspection, but it is recommended that periodic inspection and testing is carried out at least every five years or at the end of a tenancy, whichever comes first.

Where a change of tenancy occurs after a short period (for example less than six months) a full periodic inspection and test may not always be needed. In such cases, the landlord or their representative should always carry out a visual check to confirm that the property is safe to re-let.

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Every electrical installation deteriorates with use and age.

a standard dometic home should be checked at least once wthin the first 10 years of the electical installation first being made live,after this a 5 yearly check is recommended to monitor the system

 If your a LANDLORD then You need to ensure that your tenant(s) – or anyone entering or using your property – are not put at risk, by ensuring that the electrical installation remains in a safe and serviceable condition.

A periodic inspection checks the condition of an existing electrical installation against BS 7671, the UK Standard for the safety of electrical installations. A periodic inspection should:

Discover if electrical circuits or equipment are overloaded

Identify potential electrical shock risks and fire hazards

Find any defective electrical work

Highlight any lack of earthing or bonding

What about Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMOs)?

The Management of Houses in Multiple Occupation (England) Regulations 2006 and the Management of Houses in Multiple Occupation (Wales) Regulations 2006 require that every electrical installation in an HMO is inspected and tested at least every five years by a suitably qualified person, who should provide a certificate giving the results of the inspection.