Gas and Electrical Checks When Buying a House: What Should You Arrange?
Gas and electrical checks can be important when buying a house, but a Home Survey does not replace specialist testing of these installations.
One of the common questions from buyers is whether the gas and electrical installations are checked as part of a property survey. A surveyor can observe accessible parts of the installations and comment on their apparent age, condition and visible defects, but this is different from carrying out specialist electrical or gas safety testing.
Does a house survey check the electrics and gas?
A Home Survey includes a visual inspection of accessible parts of the building services within the scope of the survey. This can provide useful information about the apparent age and condition of components, obvious defects and evidence of alterations.
It does not, however, constitute an Electrical Installation Condition Report (EICR), a gas-tightness test or a specialist gas appliance safety inspection. Surveyors do not dismantle installations or test concealed wiring and pipework as part of a standard Home Survey.
Why can installations be difficult to judge from appearance?
Residential installations are frequently altered in stages rather than replaced completely at one time.
A property may therefore have a relatively modern consumer unit while some of the wiring is considerably older. Similarly, a newer boiler does not necessarily mean that all gas pipework, heating components or other parts of the installation were renewed when the boiler was installed.
This mixture of old and new can create false reassurance. A modern-looking component should not be taken as evidence that the whole installation has been upgraded.
What can a surveyor look for?
During a visual inspection, useful observations can include the apparent age and general condition of accessible components, the type of consumer unit, visible wiring, sockets and fittings, signs of alteration, accessible gas pipework, heating equipment and any documentation made available during the inspection.
Visible damage, poorly executed alterations, unsupported pipework, inappropriate materials or other unusual features may justify further investigation.
Repeated operation of an RCD or circuit breaker can also indicate that something requires investigation, although the operation of a protective device does not by itself identify the underlying fault.
Older does not automatically mean unsafe
The age of an installation is relevant, but age alone does not establish that it is unsafe. Older wiring or pipework may have remained in service for many years without an obvious problem.
Equally, the fact that an installation appears to be functioning normally on the day of a survey does not establish the condition of concealed components or predict when deterioration or a fault may become significant.
This is one reason why the history of alterations matters. Problems can arise where installations have been modified, extended or partly renewed over many years, particularly where the standard or extent of previous work is uncertain.
When should an electrical inspection be considered?
If the electrical installation appears dated, has been extensively altered, its inspection history is unknown or there are visible concerns, a buyer can consider obtaining an EICR from a suitably qualified electrician before exchange of contracts where practicable.
An EICR is substantially different from the visual observations made during a Home Survey. It is intended to assess the condition of the electrical installation using specialist inspection and testing.
What about the gas installation?
A surveyor may record the visible presence and apparent condition of gas-related components, but a Home Survey does not establish that the gas installation is gas-tight or that appliances are safe to operate.
Where the condition, alteration history or safety of a gas installation is uncertain, appropriate checks should be undertaken by a Gas Safe registered engineer.
Check the paperwork as well as the installation
Buyers should ask their legal adviser to obtain available documentation relating to electrical and gas work, including relevant certificates, inspection records, installation documents and servicing information.
Documents do not replace inspection where there are concerns, but they can help establish when work was carried out and provide useful evidence about the history of an installation.
What should a buyer actually do?
The appropriate level of investigation depends on the property. A relatively recent installation with good documentation and no obvious concerns presents a different situation from an older property containing installations of mixed ages and uncertain alteration history.
The Home Survey can help identify those circumstances and highlight when further investigation is appropriate. Specialist electrical and gas testing should then be carried out by suitably qualified contractors where required.
The important distinction is between observing an installation and testing it. A survey can identify visible features and potential warning signs; specialist testing is required to assess matters that cannot be established by visual inspection alone.
