Certificate of Compliance
The following is a guide to understand the process of obtaining a Certificate of Compliance for the property that you will be selling:
The cost for an inspection and report for a standard 3 bedroom house is R950 ex vat.
The cost for an inspection and report for a 2 bedroom apartment is R800 ex vat.
The above charge is for one hours inspection, any additional time spent will be charged at R620 per hour ex vat.
If no faults are found then a Certificate of Compliance will be issued at no extra cost.
For larger residential properties and commercial / industrial property we will have to quote this separately due to the complexity of the work.
Procedure:
1. An physical, visual and instrument test will be done. If all the testing is deemed correct then a certificate of compliance will be issued.
2. If issues are detected, these will be documented on a report, and emailed with a corresponding quotation for work to be done so a certificate of compliance may be issued.
To save your self money please refer below to "Helpful Hints to save you money"
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It’s compulsory to be in possession of a valid Electrical Certificate of Compliance (CoC) when selling your home.
This is a provision of the Electrical Installation Regulations which came into effect in 2009 under the Occupational Health And Safety Act (No. 85 of 1993).
Although the CoC is valid for a period of two years, it’s only necessary to have the house inspected when it’s to be sold: you don’t need to have it done as long as you plan to remain in possession of the property.
The document verifies that the electrical work and installations that have been completed on the property are up to standard in accordance with the regulations as required by the South African National Standards.
While the certificate covers distribution boards, wiring, earthing and bonding of all metal components (include antennae and satellite dishes), as well as wall sockets, light switches and the isolators of fixed appliances, it doesn’t cover the fixed appliances themselves (geysers, stoves, motors, fans, under-floor heating.
Please note that Commercial and Industrial require valid Certificates of Compliance.
WHAT DOES THE ELECTRICALCERTIFICATE OF COMPLIANCE COVER?
- The main distribution board and any sub-distribution boards
- Socket outlets and light switches
- Wiring – is it in a safe condition and compatible with the circuit breakers in the distribution board
- Isolators – have isolators been installed for fixed appliances such as stoves, hot water cylinders (HWC’s), gate and door motors, fans etc.
- Earthing – all metal parts of the installation need to be earthed.
- Bonding – HWC pipes, TV antennae and satellite dishes etc, may need to be bonded.
- Bathrooms - SANS10142-1 is very strict regarding electrical installations in bathrooms. Click to download bathroom document.
WHAT DOES ELECTRICAL CERTIFICATE OF COMPLIANCE NOT COVER?
Electrical Certificate of Compliance does not cover fixed appliances for example:
- Geysers & Stoves
- Motors & Fans
- Under floor heating
- Pool motors
Please note: The wiring ONLY to fixed appliances are covered by the Certificate of Compliance.
HOW LONG IS AN ELECTRICAL CERTIFICATE OF COMPLIANCE VALID?
For the purpose of transfer of ownership, an Electrical Certificate of Compliance older than 2 years may not be used.
If any electrical work was done after the certificate was issued, a new Electrical Certificate of Compliance will be required.
HELPFUL HINTS TO SAVE YOU MONEY
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- The best advice one can give is to have the inspection done early, before a potential buyer is introduced to the property. This may help you to make decisions that will reduce the costs of repairing any defects.
- Garden lights – the wiring to garden lighting is often done incorrectly and can be costly to rectify. These can be removed rather than re-instated.
- Extension leads – temporary leads are often installed for the owner’s benefit and can easily be removed.
- Additional exterior lighting – these are often non-compliant and can be removed rather than re-instated.
- TV antennae – may no longer be in use – remove. If the seller leaves it as a fixture it will need to be bonded.
- Decorative water features and ponds – as fixed appliances, these items require isolators. This is seldom done correctly and can be costly. The electrical supply to these features can be removed to save costs.
- Electrical installations to wendy houses – are often done illegally. Removing the supply can reduce the costs.
- Light bulbs – are consumables and are not covered by the Certificate of Compliance. However, it is good practice to ensure that all fused light bulbs are replaced before the inspection is done. This will reduce wastage of time during the inspection process.
IS A COC REQUIRED FOR AN ALTERNATIVE SUPPLY (SOLAR SYSTEM WITH HYBRID INVERTER OR INVERTER AND BATTERY BACKUP ONLY)?
A Certificate of Compliance is required for any electrical work that is done. This is critical if your insurance company is expected to cover your alternative supply. Many solar systems are being installed by non-qualified persons who do not issue certificates after installation.
At RSA Electrical, we do not issue COCs for other installers of alternative supplies, as they are required to employ qualified and licensed personnel who should be able to issue their own COCs.
It is important to ensure that your installer is capable of issuing a COC, before appointing them to proceed with your installation.
NB! If a COC is not issued, you will not be able to register your installation with the supply authority (Eskom or City of Cape Town).
DO I NEED AN ELECTRICAL COMPLIANCE CERTIFICATE (COC) FOR MY EXISTING INSTALLATION BEFORE INSTALLING A SOLAR SYSTEM?
Yes, you should not proceed with a solar installation or a backup system (inverter and batteries only) if you do not have an existing COC. Your solar installer must also issue you with a supplementary COC for their installation work. If there is no existing COC, you will be taking a risk by installing a solar system.
IS A COC REQUIRED FOR AN ALTERNATIVE SUPPLY (SOLAR SYSTEM WITH HYBRID INVERTER OR INVERTER AND BATTERY BACKUP ONLY)?
Yes, a COC is required for any electrical work that is done. Many solar systems are being installed by non-qualified persons who do not issue certificates after installation.
At RSA Electrical, we do not issue COCs for other installers of alternative supplies, as they are required to employ qualified and licensed personnel who should be able to issue their own COCs. It is important to ensure that your installer is capable of issuing a COC, before appointing them to proceed with your installation. NB! If a COC is not issued, you will not be able to register your installation with the supply authority (Eskom or City of Cape Town).
DO I NEED TO REGISTER MY ALTERNATIVE SUPPLY WITH THE SUPPLY AUTHORITY (ESKOM OR CITY OF CAPE TOWN)?
Yes, all alternative supplies (solar or backup only systems) need to be registered with the supply authority. This is the owner's responsibility and
not the responsibility of the installing contractor. In order to do this, you will need valid COC's and the services of an engineer.
Although the Electrical Certificate has been a legal requirement for a long time, we still find that “misunderstandings” occur on a regular basis owing to the complexity of the Electrical Installation.
The SANS10142-1 electrical installation regulations comprise of an entire book of complicated regulations and then we also have the Occupational Health and Safety Regulations to consider from time to time.
Why do I need an Electrical Compliance Certificate?
A valid electrical certificate is a legal requirement. The owner of an “electrical installation” should be in possession of a valid electrical certificate at all times.
Electricity is potentially dangerous and a faulty or non-compliant installation has the ability to cause damage to property or harm to people through fire or electrocution. Sadly, in South Africa we see the results of “shoddy” electrical installations all too often.
The laws are there to protect you and your family.
How long is the Electrical Certificate Valid for?
For a long time, the regulations on validity were quite vague, it seemed that an electrical certificate was valid forever as long as the electrical installation was not amended or worked on in any way.
Two shortcomings in this ruling are immediately evident:
1: Wear and Tear. Everything eventually breaks or wears out, including electrical equipment. There is simply no way an Electrical Certificate can be valid forever.
2: The new owner was simply expected to take the sellers word for it that he had not amended or worked on the electrical installation in any way in all the years he had lived in the premises. It’s quite conceivable that he may just have forgotten that during that period he installed a swimming pool, automated the garage doors and front gate, installed 3 aircon units, replaced 90% of the light fittings and 3 socket outlets and added a few ceiling fans here and there.
The property industry realised that the purchaser, and all other parties involved, required better protection and reacted by making it a contractual requirement that a new certificate be issued each time a property is sold. It’s important to bear in mind that it’s not a piece of paper that’s being transferred, it’s an electrical installation that’s being transferred and you need to be sure that the electrical installation that is being provided to the new property owner is safe.
The authorities eventually came to the party and passed a regulation stating that the electrical certificate can only be valid for an absolute maximum of two years, subject to no alterations or work being done during that period, sometimes an affidavit needs to be signed to this effect.
What is and what is NOT covered by the Electrical Certificate?
(a) What is covered by the Electrical Compliance Certificate?
Unfortunately, we do not have the space here to discuss every little detail regarding what is checked during an electrical inspection as that would result in a rather lengthy book, but essentially the electrical certificate covers the permanent electrical installation which includes all the cables from the mains incoming point to the main distribution board.
Everything in the main distribution board and any sub boards, circuit breakers, earth leakage etc.
All the cabling from the distribution boards to switches and plugs, including the wall plugs and light switches, through to the connection at the lights.
It further includes all circuits and wiring to any fixed appliances, even if they are plugged into a wall socket, but it does not include the actual appliance itself.
The earthing system and connectivity throughout the installation.
The electrical certificate also includes the positioning of electrical equipment, e.g. light switches and plugs may not be within a certain distance of taps, shower, baths etc., the mains switch must be accessible and a within a certain height from the floor in case of emergencies.
All electrical equipment in the installation must be approved, SABS or other relevant approvals, and be of the correct type and rating for the application.
All electrical equipment must be installed in an approved manner, must be securely attached in place and suitably protected from little fingers gaining access.
All parts of the permanent electrical installation must be in good working order, including safety features.
The electrician will also take various readings to ensure that voltages, insulation, earthing and other values are within requirements.
The distribution board contains the heart of the electrical installation.
From here the mains incoming supply is split to the various plug, light and other circuits.
The circuit breakers protect against overload and short circuit faults, which could cause fires.
The circuit breakers and wire size need to be correctly rated according to the maximum amount of electricity that the connected circuit may be expected to carry.
The earth leakage protects against potential electrocution situations.
At least the main switch must be easily accessible in case of emergencies, preferably the entire board should be accessible.
(b) What is NOT covered by the Electrical Compliance Certificate?
As with all Certificates, we are obliged to follow the regulations. We do what is required and only what is required, we cannot compel the seller to do something that is not required.
An electrical certificate is very similar to the roadworthy test on a car, we are not servicing or upgrading the electrical installation but ensuring that what does exist complies with regulations and is deemed safe.
We do not simply replace things just because we do not like the way it looks or we suspect that it might break two months from now, if it’s compliant and operational at the time of the inspection it passes.
We do not upgrade the electrical installation, older homes often have fewer socket outlets and light fittings simply because there was no demand for more at that time, they simply did not have the number of appliances we take for granted today.
The regulations state that each room only requires at least one operational light.
There are no regulations stating that a home must have a certain minimum number of socket outlets per room or a number of plug circuits, we have seen many older homes with no plugs in some rooms and only one circuit for the whole house.
In some cases, even the old fuse boards are still perfectly legal.
Many homes get sold with fixed appliances in place, we DO NOT check the actual appliances, but we do check that they are connected to the installation via approved means.
This includes items such as ovens, stoves, hobs, aircon units, swimming pool pumps, bore hole pumps, pool lights, garage and gate motors, pond pumps, HVAC system, alarms, wall heaters and any other fixed appliance you can think of.
Temporary installations are not included, defined as something that can simply be unplugged and removed by hand that was clearly intended for temporary use only. E.g. you have run an extension lead from a plug in your bedroom through the window to a camping light you stick in the ground while braaiing outside, when you're finished you just unplug it roll up the lead and put it away, however if you have performed the installation in such a manner as to indicate that it is intended for permanent usage then it will need to be done according to regulation.
Appliances are NOT included in the Electrical Certificate.
Why do we sometimes experience “tripping problems” after an Electrical Certificate has been issued?
Part of the electrician’s responsibility is to ensure that all the safety features and functions of the electrical installation are functioning correctly.
What should be earthed is earthed and that the earth leakage relay is operational and trips accordingly.
Remember when your safety features are operational and “tripping” it’s not actually a problem, it’s your electrical installation doing exactly what it is designed to and supposed to do to protect you from a potentially dangerous situation.
It could be a faulty appliance or circuit.
Very often what happens over the years is that safety features go faulty, are deliberately disabled or bypassed to “fix” a tripping problem instead of the actual fault being traced and rectified properly.
As part of our process of issuing a certificate, we replace faulty safety equipment and re-enable all the safety features and then suddenly that existing faulty circuit or appliance starts causing the earth leakage relay to trip when next used and the natural assumption is that we have somehow created a fault.
What also happens is the new owner moves in and they bring a “faulty appliance” with them which now causes the earth leakage to trip in the new home, or they move to an older home with fewer circuits that simply cannot meet the demands of all their modern appliances and they over load the circuits. Overloading is not a certificate issue; the new owner may need to upgrade the installation.
9 times out of 10 the tripping is caused by a faulty appliance that is being plugged in which can make it a very difficult “fault” to find as the fault condition is only evident when that particular appliance is being used, normal culprits can include, steam irons, kettles, geyser elements, pool pumps and many other appliances that involve heating, water or moisture, even extension leads.
So, if your earth leakage or circuit breakers are tripping it’s actually a good sign, it means your electrical installation is doing what it should be doing.
What is the procedure to obtain an Electrical Certificate & what is involved in the Electrical Inspection?
Anyone can make the request for an Electrical Certificate: the seller, estate agent or transferring attorney, even if you’re not selling yet, but just want to have your electrical installation checked.
The Electrical Inspectors will require access to every part of the electrical installation, the main distribution board, every plug, light switch, light fitting etc. on the premises, not just inside the main dwelling, but garage, outside buildings and even roof spaces, etc.
It is necessary that all socket outlets and plugs be tested, so all appliances will be unplugged during the inspection. Readings will be taken once all appliances have been unplugged. Power will be switched off for a short period or two during the inspection.
Should the electrical installation be 100% compliant, an electrical compliance certificate is issued. In the event that rectifications are required in order to make the electrical installation compliant, a quotation is supplied for the repairs, which will have to be accepted before the repairs can be affected.
All new, altered, and temporary electrical installations must have a Certificate of Compliance which includes a Test Report.
All work undertaken and the Test Report must conform to SANS-10142.
SANS 10142-1 is also known as the Wiring Code.
SANS 10142-1 covers the following:
a) Circuits supplied at nominal voltages up to and including 1000Vac or 1500Vdc. The standard frequency for alternating current is 50Hz.
b) Circuits, other than the internal wiring of apparatus, that operate at voltages exceeding 1000Vac and are derived from an installation that has a voltage not exceeding 1000Vac.
c) Any wiring systems and cables not specifically covered by the standards for appliances.
d) All consumer installations external to buildings.
e) Fixed wiring in the power supply circuits for telecommunication equipment
The wiring of premises:
1.1 SANS 10142 applies to electrical installations of:
a) Residential Premises
b) Commercial Premises
c) Public Premises
d) Industrial Premises
e) Prefabricated Buildings
f) Fixed surface installations on mining properties
g) Construction and demolition site installations
h) Agricultural and horticultural premises
i) Caravan sites and similar sites
j) Marinas, pleasure craft and house boats
k) Medical locations (Master Electrician)
l) Exhibitions, fairs and other temporary installations
m) extra low voltage lighting installations
n) electrical installations for street lighting and street furniture
o) Equipment enclosures (structures that provide physical and environmental protection for telecommunication equipment).
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