A residential property in Roche received a full electrical condition report alongside several practical upgrades - a new PIR floodlight above the garage, a wired doorbell system, and a replacement fused spur for the porch plinth heater. All work was completed to current wiring regulations.
A homeowner in Roche got in touch needing a few things sorting – some practical additions to the property and a replacement for a faulty component that had stopped working. The job covered four areas: an electrical inspection of the property, a new floodlight above the garage door, a wired doorbell installation, and a replacement switch fused spur for the porch plinth heater.
Electrical Installation Condition Report (EICR)
Before any new work got underway, the customer wanted the existing electrical installation checked over. An EICR – Electrical Installation Condition Report – is a formal inspection and test of a property’s electrical system. Every circuit gets tested against current standards, with the findings recorded in a detailed report that classifies any observations or defects. A C1 indicates a danger present requiring immediate action, a C2 flags a potentially dangerous condition, and a C3 is a recommendation for improvement rather than a defect as such.
It’s worth noting that an EICR isn’t just something landlords need. For homeowners in older properties or those buying or selling, having a clear picture of the electrical installation is genuinely useful. In this case the property’s circuits were inspected and tested, with the report produced covering all circuits on site.
PIR Floodlight Above the Garage
The customer wanted a 20W PIR floodlight installed above the garage door, positioned centrally to cover the approach to both the garage and the main entrance. The supply was taken from the existing garage lighting circuit, which kept the work contained and avoided the need to run a new circuit back to the consumer unit.
The existing 1-gang light switch inside was swapped out for a 2-gang unit. This gives independent control over the original garage lighting and the new floodlight from the same switch position, rather than having both on the same switching arrangement. A straightforward change, but one that makes daily use much more practical.
PIR floodlights at this wattage work well for driveways and garage approaches. The passive infrared sensor detects movement and triggers the light automatically, so there’s no need to manually switch it on when arriving after dark. The sensitivity and duration can usually be adjusted depending on preference and the layout of the area.
Wired Doorbell System
A wired doorbell was installed to replace what was presumably a battery-operated unit or no doorbell at all. Wired systems draw their supply from the property’s mains rather than batteries, which means no changing cells and no loss of function when the battery runs low.
The supply for this was taken from the existing light switch circuit in the porch, keeping the installation tidy and avoiding unnecessary additional cabling back to the distribution board. The chime and transformer were sited at high level, which is standard practice – it keeps the transformer away from accidental knocks and positions the chime where it can be heard across the property without being obtrusive.
All wall-mounted cabling was run inside 25mm white PVC trunking. Where cables can’t be chased into the wall – particularly on rendered or solid wall construction – surface trunking is the practical and neat solution. It protects the cables and gives a clean, finished appearance rather than cables running exposed along the wall.
Replacement Switch Fused Spur – Porch Plinth Heater
The switched fused spur controlling the porch plinth heater had become defective and needed replacing. A fused spur provides a local point of isolation and overcurrent protection for a fixed appliance – in this case the plinth heater fitted below the porch area. Because plinth heaters are hardwired rather than plugged in, they’re connected through a fused connection unit rather than a standard socket.
Replacing a defective unit like this is straightforward enough but does need to be done properly. The fuse rating needs to match the load of the appliance, and the connections need to be sound. A faulty fused spur can cause the heater to stop working altogether, or in worse cases create a potential fault condition. The new unit was fitted and the heater confirmed as working correctly before we left site.
The Work as a Whole
Taking everything together, this was a fairly typical mix of jobs for a residential property – a combination of maintenance, safety checking, and practical improvements. The EICR gave the homeowner a clear view of the condition of their electrical installation, the floodlight and doorbell improved the security and usability of the front of the property, and the heater spur replacement got an existing but faulty appliance back into service.
Work like this is carried out to the requirements of BS 7671 – the IET Wiring Regulations – and notified where required under Part P of the Building Regulations. For anyone in Roche or the surrounding area of mid-Cornwall considering similar work, whether that’s an inspection, additional outdoor lighting, or replacing aging components, getting a qualified electrician to assess and carry out the work keeps everything above board and safe.
