EICR testing in Bridgend
Bridgend has two very different rental markets sitting side by side. Brackla and the estates built from the 1970s onward are largely sound but rarely documented, while the older stock around Nolton, Oldcastle and the outlying villages carries wiring from several different decades in the same house. We test right across CF31 to CF35.
Book an EICR in Bridgend
The housing stock in Bridgend
Estate houses here often pass on the numbers and fail on the paperwork: a board changed by a previous owner, a shower circuit added later, and nothing on file to show either was tested. The older properties nearer the town centre and out towards Porthcawl are where rubber and early PVC still turns up, usually on lighting circuits that were never disturbed when the kitchen was done.
Town centre terraces are permit parking, so we ask for a bay to be freed where possible. Brackla and Broadlands are driveway parking and straightforward. Coastal properties towards Porthcawl need loft and garage access booked in, because salt-air corrosion on external accessories is worth photographing properly.
What we typically find here
- Consumer units replaced without a certificate on file
- Shower and cooker circuits added after the original install
- Corroded external sockets and lights on coastal properties
- Bonding to water services missing after a boiler replacement
- Garage and outbuilding supplies run in unsuitable cable
Two to three hours for a typical three bedroom estate house. Older properties with subdivided circuits and outbuildings run closer to four.
C1, C2, C3 and FI in plain English
Something on the installation presents an immediate risk of injury, for example exposed live parts. We make it safe on the day where we can and it is reported straight away. A C1 means the report is unsatisfactory.
Not dangerous right now, but it could become so, for example missing earthing or bonding. A C2 also makes the report unsatisfactory and needs remedial work before a satisfactory report can be issued.
The installation is safe but does not meet the current standard, for example no RCD protection on a circuit that would need one today. A C3 on its own does not fail the report.
Something could not be fully assessed during the inspection and needs more work to establish whether it is a fault. An FI also results in an unsatisfactory report until it is resolved.
Any C1, C2 or FI makes the report unsatisfactory. If your Bridgend property fails, you get an itemised written quote for the remedial work, and you are free to have that work done by anyone you choose.
How the visit runs
- 1Booking and accessWe agree a slot, including evenings and weekends, and confirm who is providing access to the consumer unit, intake position and every room.
- 2Visual inspectionAccessories, protective devices, bonding and cable condition are inspected before any instrument is used.
- 3Dead testingPower is off in stages while continuity, insulation resistance and polarity are tested circuit by circuit.
- 4Live testingEarth fault loop impedance and RCD operation are measured with the supply restored.
- 5Coding and reportEvery observation is coded C1, C2, C3 or FI, photographed, and written up in plain English alongside the schedule of test results.
- 6Remedials, if neededAnything that needs putting right is quoted in writing at a fixed price. You are free to use another electrician, and we will still verify and re-issue.
EICR questions from Bridgend customers
I have five properties around Bridgend. Can they be done in one run?
Yes. We block book portfolio testing by area and invoice once, which is usually cheaper on travel than booking each certificate separately. The letting agent page covers how the scheduling works.
Do you cover Porthcawl and Pencoed as well as Bridgend town?
Yes, along with Brackla, Broadlands, Coity, Sarn, Maesteg and the surrounding villages.
The property is coastal. Does that change anything?
It changes what we look hardest at. Salt air attacks external accessories, garage consumer units and outdoor lighting, so those get particular attention and photographs in the report.
How quickly can you get out?
Usually within a few days, and we work 8am to 9pm seven days a week, so evening and weekend appointments are normal rather than a favour.
What is an EICR?
An Electrical Installation Condition Report is a formal inspection and test of the fixed wiring in a property. It records the condition of the installation against BS 7671 and codes anything that falls short.
How often does a rented property need one?
Domestic rented property in England and Wales is generally on a five-year cycle, with a copy provided to tenants. Check the current guidance from your local authority for your specific situation.
How long does an EICR take?
Most domestic properties take two to four hours depending on the number of circuits. HMOs and subdivided houses take longer because each supply is inspected separately.
Also covered nearby
Brackla, Porthcawl, Pencoed, Maesteg, Coity, Sarn