FAQ

It is recommended to have an EICR every 10 years in a domestic, owner-occupied property. It is a statutory requirement that privately rented domestic properties are inspected and tested every 5 years and that they are passed as satisfactory for continued occupation. This is the landlord’s responsibility. Some more specialist commercial environments require more frequent inspection and testing.

This can vary, but generally it is recommended to test each of your smoke alarms in a domestic property at least once a month using the test button on the alarms. This can be carried out by the occupier. It is also recommended to clean your detectors periodically with a vacuum cleaner or compressed air. Most smoke alarms have a 7-11 year expiry, so if you have had your alarms for longer than 11 years, the chances are they need to be replaced. Commercial fire alarms are different, they should be tested every week by a responsible person within the business/organisation and in addition inspected and tested at least every 6 months by a professional.

An Electrical Installation Condition Report (EICR) is a great way to check if your consumer unit and the wider electrical installation are safe and compliant with the current standards. If you have been experiencing tripping of any of your circuit breakers, can hear a strange noise or smell burning coming from your consumer unit, then we recommend you contact a professional electrician as soon as possible, as this is a sign that a potentially dangerous fault may be present. Remember if you have an older consumer unit, you may not have up to date protection to protect you from faults, so even if nothing is tripping it doesn’t necessarily mean everything is fine.

Electric heating is in theory much more energy efficient than any other type of heating because there are very little losses in the transmission of electrical energy. Unlike long runs of hot water filled pipes feeding your radiators, which waste heat, electricity is converted to energy at the point of utilisation, and almost 100% of that potential energy is converted into heat. Dynamic time and temperature control and cheaper ‘off-peak’ rate tariffs can also be utilised to reduce your heating bills.

All of our estimates are fast, accurate, free and on a no obligation basis. They are tailored to your needs, taking materials and projected time into account. Alternatively you can opt to have work carried out on a time + materials basis, paying by the hour or by the day, for our professional services.

Contact us for any questions about pricing and costs

In the event that one of your circuit breakers trips into the off position, you should immediately contact a professional like Etech Electrical for advice, before you attempt to reset it. The circuit breaker will likely have tripped for a good reason, often to isolate a fault. Resetting it without sound advice and due care may reintroduce that fault into the installation and cause an unsafe situation.