Commercial EICR and Distribution Board Upgrade in Brighton Hill, Basingstoke

Keeping a retail outlet open during major electrical work requires careful planning.

Wessex Electrical Services Ltd completed a five-yearly Electrical Installation Condition Report at a retail outlet supporting a charity in Brighton Hill, Basingstoke.

The inspection identified several items requiring improvement. These included excessive earth fault loop impedance readings, incorrect circuit protection, low insulation resistance, damaged accessories and problems with cable containment.

We quoted for the remedial work and the replacement of the existing three-phase distribution board. As the shop needed to remain open during its normal trading hours, we arranged the main changeover overnight.

The distribution board replacement took 14 hours. Once the new board and associated repairs were complete, every circuit achieved satisfactory test results.

Why was the EICR arranged?

The EICR formed part of the premises’ five-yearly inspection and testing programme.

Commercial electrical installations can change as a building is altered and new equipment is added. Circuits may be extended, protective devices changed and additional supplies installed for lighting, heating or shop equipment.

An EICR provides a record of the installation’s condition at the time of inspection. It includes a visual assessment and electrical testing of the circuits, protective devices, earthing arrangements and accessible equipment.

At this Brighton Hill shop, the inspection covered two distribution boards and circuits supplying the shop lighting, sockets, sorting area, air curtain and water heater.

What did the EICR find?

The EICR identified a combination of circuit faults, damaged equipment and installation issues.

Excessive earth fault loop impedance readings were recorded on the three-phase shop lighting circuit, three-phase shop socket circuit and the sorting-area socket circuit.

Earth fault loop impedance forms part of the assessment of whether a protective device can disconnect the supply within the required time if an earth fault occurs. Where a reading is too high for the protective arrangement, the cause needs investigation.

A circuit protective conductor on a radial circuit also returned a high resistance reading. A loose or poor connection was considered a possible cause and required further investigation.

Low insulation resistance was measured between live conductors and the circuit protective conductor on another circuit. This pointed to a fault within the circuit that needed to be located and repaired.

Wessex Electrical Services Ltd recorded these results so the affected circuits could be investigated as part of the remedial work.

Were the protective devices suitable for the circuits?

Some of the existing protective devices needed changing.

The protective device supplying the three-phase water heater was incorrectly rated for the circuit.

A socket circuit connected to the second distribution board had been described as a ring final circuit, but testing established that it was not a complete ring. It remained protected by a 32-amp MCB, so the protective arrangement needed to be corrected.

Circuit protection must suit the cable, installation method, circuit arrangement and connected load. A label on a distribution board cannot confirm that a circuit has been designed or connected correctly. Inspection and testing provide the evidence needed to assess it.

Wessex Electrical Services Ltd changed the affected protective devices and repaired the circuit faults identified during the EICR.

What physical damage and containment problems were found?

Several parts of the containment and accessory installation required attention.

The EICR recorded cables and conduit that were not adequately supported. This included conduit above the rear fire escape that had not been secured correctly.

Other observations covered the condition of flexible conduit, cable containment and the integrity of the conduit and trunking systems.

A socket connected to the second distribution board was broken. The back box for the air curtain’s switched fused spur was also damaged.

Cable entries into the metal distribution board did not have suitable grommets or bushes. A grid-switch back box had a similar issue.

Grommets, bushes and suitable cable-entry systems protect cables where they pass through metal openings. Without that protection, a sharp edge can damage the cable sheath or insulation.

Wessex Electrical Services Ltd corrected the cable-support and containment faults, repaired the affected accessories and dealt with the unprotected cable entries.

Why was additional RCD protection required?

The inspection found PVC-insulated and PVC-sheathed cables concealed within a metal-framed partition without additional RCD protection.

Cables concealed in a wall or partition containing metallic parts require careful assessment. The cable route, installation method, mechanical protection and protective arrangements all affect what action is required.

This finding formed part of the decision to upgrade the distribution equipment and provide RCBO protection for each final circuit.

An RCBO combines overcurrent protection with residual-current protection. Giving each circuit its own RCBO can also reduce the disruption caused by a fault because an issue on one circuit is less likely to disconnect unrelated circuits.

What was wrong with the circuit terminations?

The neutral conductors and circuit protective conductors in the second distribution board were not terminated in corresponding numbered terminals.

Clear and corresponding terminations help with circuit identification, inspection, testing and future maintenance. When the conductors do not match the circuit references, tracing and isolating a circuit becomes more difficult.

The new installation was arranged and labelled so the protective devices, neutral conductors and circuit protective conductors could be identified correctly.

Why was the Crabtree Starbreaker distribution board replaced?

The original three-phase distribution board was a Crabtree Starbreaker unit.

The EICR findings showed that the installation required changes to its protective devices, circuit arrangements and cable entries. Wessex Electrical Services Ltd quoted to complete the remedial work and upgrade the board as one planned project.

We replaced it with a Contactum eight-way three-phase distribution board. The new board included surge protection and individual RCBO protection for each circuit.

The distribution board was labelled to provide a clearer circuit schedule for the people responsible for the premises and for electricians carrying out future inspection or maintenance.

What were the Klick lighting distribution boxes used for?

Wessex Electrical Services Ltd installed eight-way Klick lighting distribution boxes within the shop area.

These boxes provided organised distribution points for the shop lighting circuits. They also improved access for identification, maintenance and future testing.

The installation of the lighting distribution boxes formed part of the wider remedial work identified following the EICR.

How did the shop remain open during the work?

We completed the distribution board change outside the shop’s normal working hours.

A local isolator allowed the electrical installation to be isolated for the work. Wessex Electrical Services Ltd planned the shutdown in advance and carried out the main changeover overnight.

Replacing the distribution board, transferring the circuits, completing repairs and performing the required testing took 14 hours.

This approach allowed the charity shop to remain open during its usual trading hours. The work still had the time needed for a controlled changeover and full testing before handover.

How was the completed installation tested?

Wessex Electrical Services Ltd inspected and tested the circuits after completing the distribution board replacement and remedial work.

The final testing confirmed that all circuits achieved satisfactory results.

This included confirming that the repaired circuits and new protective arrangements met the required test criteria. The completed distribution board was checked, the circuit labelling was confirmed and the individual RCBOs were tested as part of the handover process.

An Electrical Installation Certificate was issued for the completed work.

What was the outcome for the charity shop?

The shop received a safer electrical installation, a correctly labelled distribution board and satisfactory circuit test results.

The original Crabtree Starbreaker board was replaced with a Contactum eight-way three-phase distribution board with surge protection and individual RCBO protection for each circuit.

Wessex Electrical Services Ltd also installed Klick lighting distribution boxes, changed incorrectly rated protective devices, repaired the circuit faults and resolved the physical defects recorded during the EICR.

Completing the 14-hour changeover overnight allowed the shop to remain open during its normal working hours.

Commercial EICRs and distribution board upgrades in Basingstoke

A commercial EICR should give you a clear account of the installation’s condition and the work required where faults are found.

Wessex Electrical Services Ltd carries out commercial EICRs, remedial work and three-phase distribution board upgrades in Brighton Hill, Basingstoke, Alton and surrounding areas.

We can inspect the installation, explain the findings, quote for the necessary repairs and plan disruptive work around your normal operating hours.

Call 01256 957360 to arrange a commercial electrical inspection or discuss a distribution board upgrade.