some of the most frequently asked questions

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All electrical installations deteriorate with age and use. They should therefore be inspected and tested at regular intervals to check whether they are in a satisfactory condition for continued use. Such safety checks are commonly referred to as ‘ETCI periodic inspection and testing’. So keep your staff and customer safe!

Once completed you will be issued with an the Periodic Inspection Report.

• Reveal if any of your electrical circuits or equipment are overloaded.
• Find any potential electric shock risks and fire hazards.
• Identify any defective electrical work.
• Highlight any lack of earthing or bonding.
• Compliance with the National Rules for Electrical Installations ET101.

Tests are also carried out on wiring and fixed electrical equipment to check that they are safe. A schedule of circuits is also provided, which is invaluable for a property.

Your electrics should be inspected and tested every:

• Commercial Premises 5 years
• Offices/ Retail 5 years
• Leisure Complexes 3 years
• Residential 5 years
• Industrial 3 years

Other times when a periodic inspection should be carried out are:

• When a property is being prepared for letting.
• Before selling a property or buying a previously-occupied property.

House rewires are an important part of ensuring your home is safe for your family. The first step would be to inspect the home if contacted by the customer to see if a full or partial rewire is required, this is done by performing a periodic inspection test. Once our qualified certifier’s have completed the required tests we will be better informed to advise the customer as to the next step!

A full rewire or partial rewire would require chasing of walls and lifting of floor boards. We can facilitate this if you are living in the home during the rewire, however the quickest and most cost efficient way to complete this would be to vacate the property during this time.

We get asked is “how much will this cost”. The answer to this is the same for all clients and potential clients, the cost is determined on what you want and the specification you require.

But what we can guarantee is that the service you will receive from any of our team will be second to none, whether it is a small callout to replace an immersion switch or custom wiring on any of our clients  homes. Dedication to customer satisfaction has been the main building block of our business. Delivering time and time again, on time, within budget and to the highest standard.

Smoke alarms are an integral part of home safety. In fact, in today’s world, they are more important than ever. With the rising use of electrical appliances and kitchen technology always thriving to be as silent as a hunting cat, detecting fire has both become harder and more important at the same time. The increased use of items that might catch on fire easily dilutes your attention, which makes a smoke alarm trigger in the  presence of fire ever more important. But, the smoke alarm itself is electronic equipment and needs to be checked to ensure that it is functioning well. 

Before beginning the testing procedure, it is important to note whether your smoke alarm is battery powered or mains powered.

Mains powered smoke alarms can operate 24/7 until the day the alarm just simply falls of the wall. There is little or no maintenance in this regard for an alarm that is directly connected to the mains.

Battery powered smoke alarms, however, do need some attention. A battery is a battery and it runs out. The recommendation from most manufacturers and governing bodies is that you should change the battery on an alarm annually or every six months. A general rule of thumb would be to change the batteries out every 5 months. This way you ensure that the alarm will be able to produce the worst, most annoying, most ear-piercing and best informing noise in a situation it needs to do so. 

Home heating solutions are incredibly important as they work to ensure proper resident comfort. Many homeowners and residents are willing to spend large sums of money for a good heating system. In fact, a professionally installed heating system is a big part of house building and purchasing processes. And this high level of importance that a good heating system receives is totally justified. Having good climate control is one of the steppingstones of 21st century home-living comfort. Talking about the 21st century, there is a vast reoccurring theme in our time today. Every single thing is now designed and made to be ‘smart’. And this revolution of smart technology  has reached home heating systems as well. Newer systems are smarter than ever with increased functionality, but as with any big change, it begs the question- Should you bother?

So what is a smart heating system?

A smart heating system is an advanced heating solution that allows users to control temperatures easily. In most new systems, users can control temperatures of individual rooms using their phones or tablets that are included in the system package. The most advanced ones go one step further. Users can set auto modes or pre-determined temperatures for specific areas in the house. Then the system can use sensors to detect for occupants, and when it sees one it can rise to the pre-set temperature without the user having to do anything. 

Considerations

A smart heating system takes the list of considerations a person usually has when looking for a heating solution and broadens it. Now, not only do you have to select a unit judging by the heating power you need and other crucial factors, you also have to care about the smart aspect. One of the more important things to know is that a smart heating system will be more complex thanks to the smart aspect. You will have to think about wiring runs for displays etc. Also, you will need Wi-Fi/ network access for the system to function. Another important note for users who already have other smart home devices is that many smart heating systems nowadays have integrated support for a smart home assistant/ system like Google assistant or Alexa. For integrating the heating system flawlessly into your current setup, you need to match the built-in assistant the smart home has to your current one. 

Should you buy a smart heating system

Yes. Absolutely yes. Buying a smart heating system for your house is a no brainer. The immense amount of little creature comforts mixed with the ease of use make a modern smart heating system the only way for you if you are in the market for a new heating solution. With a smart system, your day-to-day comfort level will rise, and you will get direct benefits like improved efficiency and reduced electricity usage. Also, the industry is moving towards smart systems. Meaning, within a few short years, older analogue systems will be out of date and will have reduced post purchase support. 

Technology is continually developing and with this, there is an ever-increasing number of household devices and appliances demanding power. This increased demand for electricity in your home means you need to be vigilant when it comes to household wiring. Here are some tell-tale signs that you should consider rewiring your home

What’s the point of even having electricity if it doesn’t work? If your appliances and devices aren’t working when you connect them to a socket something’s obviously wrong! While this may appear to be a minor problem, it could be something that’s affecting the power throughout the house.

Have you ever turned on a hairdryer while the kettle is on and this has triggered a blackout? Although this may be the result of using too much power, it could also be an indication of your home requiring rewiring. Power should run easily and blown fuses shouldn’t happen if your wiring is in order.

Lights today are intended to last from months or even years at a time. In the event that your lights are frequently burning out sooner than this, you may have to think about rewiring.

Although old homes can be both elegant and beautiful, one without working electricity is less appealing. Old wiring, sockets, and fuse boards can be dangerous but luckily these can all be replaced by a registered electrician to make your home safe and efficient.