Now and then we find old live wires while working in the homes and businesses of Essex. Whenever electrical work’s undertaken in the home or commercial premises old cables connected to the electrical system should be dealt with so they don’t pose an electrocution threat.
Sadly negligent Electricians or irresponsible DIYers have and do leave live cables lying around. Unless you live in a brand new home, you don’t know who’s worked in your home previously and what work’s been undertaken.
Old live cables are found in walls, ceilings, underground and other places. Live cables are a real danger if touched they will cause electrocution which will give you a shock and can even kill.
Imagine drilling into a wall and touching an old live cable?
Old cables are insidious as no one knows they have one or where it’s located.
The only way to establish if you have old live cables in your home or business is to get a qualified Electrician to carry out an Electrical Installation Condition Report (EICR).
During the EICR the whole electrical system of your home or business is thoroughly inspected this includes the Consumer unit, RCD Fuses, Internal wiring, Light fittings Sockets, Earthing And Bonding and all other parts of the Electrical system.
During this process, we can identify and deal with any old live wires that remain from previous electrical work. On completion of the EICR, a certificate’s issued. Not only will you have peace of mind that your home is safe, but you’ll also have proof as well.
An EICR is the only way to establish if there are any old live cables present you’ll also receive recommendations on any upgrades that are required for your existing Electrical System.
In the event, you find an unusually placed cable that you suspect could be live DO NOT touch it or attempt to move or remove it. Call a qualified Electrician immediately, stay away from the area, and don’t let any members of your family (or colleagues/employees if at work) go near the cable.
One of our Electricians can be with you within a couple of hours and will establish if the cables live. There are several quick and efficient methods we can use to make an old cable safe, so give us a call if you ever find a suspect electrical cable.