Residential Electrical Inspection

Budget: £250 - £750

I need a chartered electrician to inspect my home's electrical system. I suspect the design may not comply with building regulations.

Key areas of concern include:

• Wiring
• Electrical panels
• Outlets and switches

Ideal Skills and Experience:

• Chartered electrical qualification
• Extensive experience with residential inspections
• Knowledge of building regulations
• Attention to detail and thorough reporting

Please provide relevant certifications and past experience in your bids. Good morning

I am seeking a chartered electrical engineer to provide an initial desktop opinion on the electrical design of a block of six flats in Caterham.

We do have an EICR; however, this is a condition report and does not assess the original system design. At this stage, we are not seeking a report for litigation, but rather an informed professional view on whether the design is likely to comply with relevant standards and building regulations.

We have been in contact with UK Power Networks (UKPN), who have provided the following information: • They have confirmed that the installation involves bunched supply cables • They have indicated that a phase (L1) is being reused/shared across multiple supplies • They have advised that such arrangements are not permitted under their Engineering Design Standards (EDS) • They have also stated that they were not informed that the development consisted of multiple flats, which would ordinarily require a different design approach and load assessment

In addition: • The total declared supply capacity for the development is approximately 46 kVA across six flats equating to just over 7kVA per flat. • Each flat contains:

By way of example: • During testing, a single flat recorded a load of over 100 amps with heating, cooker, and oven in use (excluding the EV charger). Just putting my heating on alone would double the declared load for my flat.

We are also experiencing ongoing real-world issues, including: • Cable overheating and melting (once in the past 12 months ) • Blown fuses on the main incoming supply once in the past 12 months ) • Daily light flickering when heating or hot water systems are in use across the building or appliances slowing.

We are also concerned about the configuration of the supply phases. From what we have been told and observed, it appears that: • The system may not be operating as a properly balanced three-phase supply (i.e. loads distributed 120 degrees apart) • Multiple flats may be sharing the same phase (notably L1), rather than being evenly distributed

Our understanding is that, if this is the case, it could: • Prevent the normal load balancing effects expected in a three-phase system • Lead to increased loading on individual phases and potentially the neutral conductor • Contribute to the thermal and performance issues currently being experienced

At this stage, we are looking for a proportionate, initial desktop view rather than a full technical or litigation report. Depending on your findings, we may then look to commission a more detailed assessment.

We are able to provide supporting information, including: • Photographs of the intake and distribution arrangement • Correspondence with UKPN confirming the current configuration • Extracts from UKPN Engineering Design Standards (EDS) identifying arrangements that are not permitted but appear to be in place

If this is something you would be willing to assist with, I would be grateful if you could confirm your availability and outline your proposed approach and fees.

Kind regards Ben Commins