Archives for August 2018

Why Use an NICEIC Registered Electrician?

Here at Fulcher Edwards, we find that the majority of our customers don’t understand what Part P registered actually means. However most customers have heard of the NICEIC and feel they should look for these ‘letters’ when searching for an electrician.

Whilst the true meaning of what the NICEIC does never means very much to the general public in 90% of cases, it is actually known for being a mark of quality and that a safe, high standard of workmanship will be achieved by the registered electrician. This can be a huge peace of mind for customers when searching for the right electrician, and takes out the need of understanding what the Part P building regulation means.

Why are we NICEIC registered electricians at Fulcher Edwards?

So why have we always been and always will be NICEIC Registered electricians? Quite simply, it is for our customers peace of mind, not just for the fact they recognise the NICEIC as a mark of quality but also for our belief in each and every job being carried out to the same high standard and ensuring customer satisfaction.

The reason why Fulcher Edwards was set up back in 1981 was to fill a gap in the domestic market. As electricians with several years experience it frustrated us to see the lack of care and attention to electrical work being carried out in peoples homes. It is our goal to provide a comprehensive electrical service that is friendly, efficient and geared towards helping home owners and businesses in Hertfordshire, London and all areas within the M25.

Why use an NICEIC registered electrician?

Another great reason why we would always advise using an electrician who is registered with the NICEIC is that the electrical inspections are thorough, stringent and really test our electrical knowledge. If you use an NICEIC registered electrician, you will be sure of a safe standard of work from a person who takes genuine pride in what they do.

Another good reason is the customer protection you will receive. All electrical work we do carries a 6 year warranty which is backed by the NICEIC.

Quality workmanship and a friendly manner are all part of the service here at Fulcher Edwards.

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Keeping your home safe from electricity this Bank Holiday

I think most people would agree that we take electricity for granted and forget the damage it can cause if not treated with care. Electricity can kill, can give you an electric shock and it can also cause a fire.

Below are some guidance notes on electrical appliance safety that every homeowner should follow to help protect there family and home from a fire:

1) Check your sockets on a regular basis to see if they feel hot and if there are any burn marks. A registered electrician can check for you to see if they need repairing or replacing.

2) Regularly check the flexible cables on all your appliances for damage, such as fraying and general wear and tear. Then check to see that the cable is fastened securely to the plug. If any appliances show any sign of the above then stop using them until they are repaired. Checks should always be carried out before you plug any appliance into a socket.

3) Do you know how old your wiring is? Electrical installations should be checked at least every 10 years in a house and when you move into a new home. Look at it as an MOT for your home, the same reason you have your car checked. If you live in rented accommodation, the electrical installation and appliances provided are the landlord’s responsibility. You have the right to ask to see a copy of the certificate or report confirming that the installation meets the UK national standard BS 7671 so you know how safe they are.

4) Check the current rating of an electrical adaptor before you plug appliances into one. Always make sure that the total current used by the appliances are not more than the adaptor’s rating.

5) Turn off any electrical appliances like TVs, computers and hairdryers that you are not using, especially at night as this is when a fire can spread quickly and cause more damage. This also helps you save energy and will help reduce your electricity bill.

6) Always take care when using hand-held electrical appliances and switch them off and unplug them when you have finished using them. This is particularly important if you have items that can get very hot like hair straighteners, hairdryers and curling tongs which, if left on can easily cause a fire by being in contact with any flammable material that they are in contact with.

Things You Shouldn’t Do!

1) Don’t use a bulb with a higher wattage than the one printed on the light fitting or lamp shade you are using.

2) Never cover the air vents on fan heaters or storage heaters.

3) Don’t overload electrical adaptors by plugging too many appliances in to one socket especially appliances like kettles, heaters and irons as they have a high electrical current. A registered electrician can install extra sockets for you which would be much safer.

4) Never let flexible cables trail under rugs or carpets.

5) Do not dry clothes on electric heaters or place it near curtains or furniture.

Get A Smoke Alarm!

If a fire starts in your home, a smoke alarm will give you the valuable time you need to escape. Its important to check yours regularly as someone is twice as likely to die in a house fire if your smoke alarm does not work. Speak to your local Fire Brigade as they may be able to install one for you free of charge as part of there free home fire risk check. Alternatively, contact your local electrician to find out if installing smoke alarms if a service they can provide. Here at Fulcher Edwards we are an Aico approved smoke and Co2 alarm installer, we can also provide maintenance to your homes smoke alarm.

Remember that electricity can kill, so you should always follow advice on electrical safety as it could save your life!

 

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Identifying electrical safety in your student accommodation

Electrical safety can range from niggly problems such as the electric tripping just as you’re about to save your work, to serious electrical issues that could result in electrical injury or even death.

Choosing the safest university housing

It will soon become apparent if there is a problem with your student housing. The unfortunate reality is that once you have signed the tenancy agreement, it will become a lot more difficult to rectify the issue in the future. It is far easier to be aware of potential pitfalls before making the final decision on which housing to opt for.

 

Therefore we recommend you always ask to see the EICR certificate and evidence of PAT testing before signing the tenancy agreement.

What to look out for

Dangerous electrics at best can be a menace. In the worst instance it can kill. When viewing the property there are often tell tale signs that the electrics are not in the best of conditions. An over reliance of extension leads is a tell tale sign that there are not enough electric sockets in the rooms concerned. Too few sockets is a sign of dated electrics and there could well be other problems. Pay attention to how the current tenants are living and the condition of the other electric fittings such as switches and sockets. Signs of discolouration, metal backed sockets and broken fittings are all signs that the electrics need some attention.

An over reliance of extension leads can cause overheating and house fires. It is not worth risking your equipment and essentially your life on a property with outdated electrics which could be potentially dangerous.

How safe might the electrics be?

With electricity, everything is neatly hidden away. Therefore it is tricky to tell if there is a problem with the electrics when on the surface they look good. The only way of knowing is if a qualified and registered electrician carries out an electrical safety inspection on the property electrics. This is known as an EICR. If the property is satisfactory then a certificate is issued to confirm this. As the tenant, it is important you ask to view this certificate.

The recommendations are for landlords to carry out an EICR every 5 years or with every change of tenant. Although it is not the law to have an EICR carried out, landlords must still show how they ensure the electrical safety of their tenants. Most reputable landlords carry out an EICR on their property.

What about electrical appliances supplied at the property?

Whilst it can be quite handy to have a washing machine and fridge freezer ready to use in your property, it is important that the appliances are actually safe to use. Faulty or dangerous appliances can cause fire or electric shock. Landlords who supply electrical equipment should have the equipment PAT tested regularly to ensure that the equipment remains safe to use.

Electricity can and does kill – statistics from Electrical Safety First show that 27 people every week are killed or injured by electricity. Ensuring that your property will be electrically safe is the best thing you can do prior to moving into your student property.

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Are you charging your phone safely?

A mistake that perhaps many of us are guilty of making is the way we charge our phones. Phone batteries are known for going flat at the most annoying of times. The most sensible way of charging a phone is on a worktop away from wet areas or soft furnishings. However this can also mean that you might miss an important phone call or can’t continue with that live chat in comfort!

Inadvertently this can lead to dangerous methods of phone charging which leaves the phone at risk of overheating and causing a fire.  In the past there have been cases of housefires which were caused by the householder charging their phone under a pillow. Whilst this situation could easily be rectified, we reckon that lots of people are guilty of charging their phone under their pillow without realising how dangerous this could be.

When phone charging can become dangerous

As electricians in Hertfordshire we are seeing increasing electrical jobs where we are repairing electrical damage caused by using the wrong type of charger when charging items such as smartphones. Typically this is when universal chargers are being used which are not compatible with the type of phone being charged.

When the wrong charger is used, it can cause expensive damage to the phone itself and your home electrics. It can even start a house fire or explode leaving you with serious burns. The socket quickly overheats and damages the wiring within the wall. This is why we do not recommend the use of universal chargers for any electrical device.

We recently attended a fire damaged property in Hertfordshire which was believed to be caused by a faulty phone charger. You can see from the photos on the right the level of damage which can be caused by simply using a faulty or incompatible phone charger.

Charge your phone on a hard surface

Charging using a genuine phone charger is safe so long as the manufacturers instructions are followed. However this doesn’t rule out an electrical fault developing which could still result in a fire. This is why it is important that you charge your phone in a sensible location at all times. If the worst does happen and a fire occurs when charging, the fire is unlikely to spread as quickly if the phone is situated on a hard surface such as a table top. Soft furnishings such as bedding, cushions, and rugs can often act as fuel to the fire which can quickly spread to other areas including wiring inside walls.

If you suspect electrical damage has been caused by using an incorrect charger, please contact a qualified and registered electrician as soon as possible.

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Understanding your Fuse Board

Fuse boards are known within the electrical industry as consumer units, however many of our clients still refer to them as fuse boards, so to keep things nice and simple, we will refer to consumer units as fuse boards within our article.

Your fuse board is the hub of your home electrical system, so it is important that you have a basic understanding of how it works. Should your lights trip or you need to test your RCD or worse still an electrical emergency occurs, you will know what you need to do.

It is better to prepare yourself in advance rather than panic should an incident occur.

Your fuse board should be accessible

Firstly, it is important that your fuse board is easy to access. Commonly fuse boards are located in outside cupboards, under stairs cupboards or hallway locations. Ideally you should be able to safely reach it. Avoid storing items around the fuse board, which can make it difficult to access should you need to. If your lights do go off in your home, the last thing you need to be doing is trying to move things around in order to find the fuse board!

Fuse board basics

There are three things that are useful to know about which you will find on your fuse board:

Main Switch
Residual Current Devices (RCD)
Circuit Breakers (or fuses)

Next, we will explain in more detail what each item does and how it keeps you safe.

Main Switch

As the name suggests, the mains switch allows you to turn off the electricity supply to your home. It is worth familiarising yourself with the main switch in your fuse board as this is what you will need to use in an emergency. Some homes will have more than one mains switch, for example if you have electric storage heaters, in which case you may have more than one fuse board. The mains switch is the large red switch located on the left hand side.

Residual Current Devices (RCD)

The RCD trips a dangerous circuit by disconnecting the electrical supply instantly. It’s action is far quicker than fuses or circuit breakers which only offer limited protection. In our opinion, every home should have RCD protection.

If your home has RCD protection, you will find the RCD test button on your fuse board. The button will be clearly marked with ‘T’ or Test. To ensure the RCD protection remains activated, it should be tested at least every 3 months. Pressing the Test button should activate the RCD instantly. If the electricity does not switch off, this indicates a problem, and you need to consult a domestic electrician in your local area.

Circuit Breakers

These are protection devices found in your fuse board that switch off a circuit if a fault develops. They are a similar size to fuses and are found in a row across the centre of your fuse board. They also offer more precise protection than a fuse. Should a fault occur the fuse ‘trips’ by turning the switch ‘off’. Should a trip occur, simply look at your fuse board to see which switch is ‘off’ and simply switch it back on to reset it. However if the trip is a persistent problem, it is worth contacting an electrical contractor to take a look.

Older Fuse Boards

Older fuse boards may have re-wirable fuses in place or circuit breakers. Re-wirable fuses have special wire that runs between screws. If a fault develops it burns and melts the wire which disconnects the circuit.

If your fuse board has a wooden back, cast iron switches or a mixture of fuses it is likely to require a replacement to ensure your electrical safety in your home is not compromised.

We always recommend upgrading your fuse board to one which has RCD protection even if your fuse board is more modern than what we have suggested above!

Remember a replacement consumer unit must be installed by a qualified electrician. Here at Fulcher Edwards we are committed to your safety and would always recommend that you consult a qualified electrician if you have any concerns about your electricity.

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