House buying - No Bs7671 for hot tub installation

[413x]

So we've gotten to the fittings and contents paperwork and I've noticed

1 - hot tub installed but no certificate (post 2005)
2 - no gas inspection

The later is less of a concern but the former is more so.


What I'm mainly wanting to know (will ring solicitors on Monday) is if any issues (such as house burning down) might invalidate our house insurance??

I'm guessing the sellers have had it installed by a 'mate' or something?

Annoying thing is tub is of no importance to us.

Any ideas of if it's 100s or 1000s to remedy if its found to be non compliant ?

 

[StevieP]

I'd be surprised it it invalidated your insurance to be honest - I've dealt with a number of house fire claims and I've never known an insurer to drill down into what equates to having PAT testing done (albeit I appreciate this isn't a small appliance!)

Surely you could just get a qualified sparky in to give it a clean bill of health?

 

[413x]

I'd be surprised it it invalidated your insurance to be honest - I've dealt with a number of house fire claims and I've never known an insurer to drill down into what equates to having PAT testing done (albeit I appreciate this isn't a small appliance!)

Surely you could just get a qualified sparky in to give it a clean bill of health?

Basically I'm not bothered if the insurance company isn't.
Just don't want a burnt down home and insurance come back and say... Sorry. That tub is installed without a certificate. No money for you.

 

[SeatIbiza]

Who is responsible for ensuring electrical work meets Part P requirements?
It is the responsibility of the homeowner to prove that any electrical work carried out meets Part P requirements and it is a criminal offence if it does not.

To comply with Part P, all electrical work must follow the rules set out in BS 7671.

 

[NoobCannon]

Bs7671 isnt a certificate. Its just a set of regulations

does he mean its not been signed off?

edit:- appears what i know as a handover cert is also known as a bs7671 cert or a part p cert so i suppose tis just known as different things.

if you dont want to pay for certification and dont want to use it then switch it off. No need for a cert then or will prob be 1-200 to get it signed off depending on where you live and who you know.

 

[Skillmister]

Ask an insurance company not your solicitor.

 

[413x]

We don't have insurance yet. Not at point of exchange. But may well have to ring.

I am hoping to avoid a bill of remedial action on this. And obviously make sure buildings cover is valid.

I don't want to arrange certification if I don't have to.

 

[413x]

Bs7671 isnt a certificate. Its just a set of regulations

does he mean its not been signed off?

edit:- appears what i know as a handover cert is also known as a bs7671 cert or a part p cert so i suppose tis just known as different things.

if you dont want to pay for certification and dont want to use it then switch it off. No need for a cert then or will prob be 1-200 to get it signed off depending on where you live and who you know.

Yes, I believe this is the same thing.

 

[413x]

On research I believe its only a legal requirement for letting a property

Ill check with insurance we decide to go with.

 

[Skillmister]

We don't have insurance yet. Not at point of exchange. But may well have to ring.

I am hoping to avoid a bill of remedial action on this. And obviously make sure buildings cover is valid.

I don't want to arrange certification if I don't have to.

Well I wouldn't expect your solicitor to know the T&Cs of buildings insurance!

 

[b0rn2sk8]

Can’t you get the seller to sort out the relevant certificate? If they won’t the you tend to drop your offer by the relevant cost of getting it sorted. For £200 it’s a bit petty but that’s how that sort of thing normally works.

 

[JC]

We don't have insurance yet. Not at point of exchange. But may well have to ring.

.

Hi, you would be advised to have building insurance at least from exchange (earlier than completion)

 

[Burned_Alive]

Essentially you will require an inspection certifcate for the electrical aspect of the hot tub and an installation certificate for the gas installation.

Just get the seller to get them both inspected. Will only cost about £50-100 each and is their problem not yours.

 

[K.C. Leblanc]

What documentation is in place for the rest of the electrical installation. If it's not been inspected in the last 5 years I'd ask the vendors to have a full EICR done (basically a full inspection). They might tell you to do one but it's worth a try.

 

[Abraxaz1]

Electrti

Who is responsible for ensuring electrical work meets Part P requirements?
It is the responsibility of the homeowner to prove that any electrical work carried out meets Part P requirements and it is a criminal offence if it does not.

To comply with Part P, all electrical work must follow the rules set out in BS 7671.

Which version of bS7671?

When was the tub installed?

The regs between 16th, 17th and 18th have massively changed when concerning certain aspects.

There is a cravat that the house wiring only has to be up to the standard of the day it was installed, otherwise everyone would need a new rewire every 6 years as the regs change.

Best bet op, is to get a periodic inspection and test done as part of the house sale, 3 bedroom should be a half day work load so around £250-300.

 

[SeatIbiza]

Electrti


Which version of bS7671?

When was the tub installed?

The regs between 16th, 17th and 18th have massively changed when concerning certain aspects.

There is a cravat that the house wiring only has to be up to the standard of the day it was installed, otherwise everyone would need a new rewire every 6 years as the regs change.

Best bet op, is to get a periodic inspection and test done as part of the house sale, 3 bedroom should be a half day work load so around £250-300.

It doesn't matter which version. The real question is, for the sake of a few £, do you want to be answering a judge in the dock as to why someone died on your property through fire or electrocution without a current certificate from the hot tub. The answer to that is no and the solution is get it checked by somebody competent.

Or disconnect it all together and job done - no risk if it's disconnected.

 

[Abraxaz1]

It doesn't matter which version. The real question is, for the sake of a few £, do you want to be answering a judge in the dock as to why someone died on your property through fire or electrocution without a current certificate from the hot tub. The answer to that is no and the solution is get it checked by somebody competent.

Or disconnect it all together and job done - no risk if it's disconnected.

Yes it does.

As long as the unit is installed to the version that was valid at the time during installation then you dont need to upgrade it other wise every house would have to be upgraded every couple of years.

As long as it's to the standard when installed it can be signed off in the periodic inspection. It's only new installations or modifications to an existing system that requires to be up to the latest set of regulations.

And I'd like to point out that bs7671 is not a hse set of laws, so you don't actually need to follow them but they can be used against you under competency and duty of care in a investigation.
If they were law every household in the uk would be breaking the law. As I doubt they have the following on site;
*circuit drawings
* circuit calculations
* zs value
* periodic inspections

Also I did say to get it looked at for a periodic I inspection....

But the spark will just do it to the standards of the date of installation. Plus they can only advise work is carried out and cannot permanently isolate.
So the sellers might get one done and not do any of the recommendations

 

[413x]

Our solicitors are still on the search for anything in regards to certificates on the tub. At this point I'm thinking of just getting it gone.

The electrics/gas thing is proving the only real headache
There have been no electrical checks on this house that's kind of normal, but I'm dubious over the gas situation

I'm wondering if there is any evidence of servicing on the boiler at all (20 years old)

We are going to insist on a electric and gas check.
But is a gas check even enough? Or is a service necessary in this scenario?

This is going to mean haggling annoyance, I can see it now.

I can see getting a new boiler anyway towards September, so as long as its safe and works (gas check) I might just go with that?

 

[Skillmister]

I didn't bother getting the boiler checked in mine as I figured if it died I'd replace it. 2 years on and it's now a 19 year old boiler going strong

I queried getting the electrics checked with a couple electricians that I knew and they said bit to bother as it would probably come back saying it needed rewiring which I wasn't going to do anyway. In the end when I got the prepayment meters switched out for normal ones they ended up checking most of the downstairs electrics anyway!

 

[413x]

I didn't bother getting the boiler checked in mine as I figured if it died I'd replace it. 2 years on and it's now a 19 year old boiler going strong

I queried getting the electrics checked with a couple electricians that I knew and they said bit to bother as it would probably come back saying it needed rewiring which I wasn't going to do anyway. In the end when I got the prepayment meters switched out for normal ones they ended up checking most of the downstairs electrics anyway!

Yeah this is the other side of my thinking. Especially with the electrics. It's not like there is any new extension or anything like that

I'm going to have to go for the safety check on the boiler but unless the sellers will pay for a service I don't know if it's worth it. A 20 year old boiler is going to be awfulness the efficiency l