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Electricity conformity regulation for an apartment that is not new
Dear xpats, I am the owner of an apartment I bought a year ago. I'm supposed to get the electricity conformed within 18 months of the purchase. I've had two electricians to see what all works are outstanding and they both found different issues. One of the electrician says that the regulation requires the apartment to be 'grounded' (earthed). In my apartment the sockets used for the kitchen appliances (cooker and dishwasher) and the sockets used by the washing machine/dryer are grounded. But all the other sockets are not 'grounded'. I was told by someone that the regulation to have all sockets grounded only applies to new houses/apartments and not old builds. Can someone who knows the regulation please clarify this? Are they any other important issues that I should be aware of. Many thanks for your help and advice.
If you look at the official form that you received during the sale, the issues which are not in conformity should be spelled out by the inspector who inspected the flat and signed the form. The electrician you call in should correct the problems stated. Then you call back the body who did the original expertise, and the inspector will verify that the corrections have been made, and provide a certificate of conformity. I can recommend an electrician who I found reliable if you want. If you can't find the form, go back to your notaire and ask for a copy.
Why would you risk your life to save a bit of money? When was the electricity last updated? I renovated already two houses in Belgium, an 18th century house in Brussels , that still had fabric coated wires and a late sixties house in the country side that had mostly grounded plugs. I had the complete electricity redone in both cases. Cost me around 5000€ (done by a registered electrician!). I know someone whose house burned down because of faulty wiring. Luckily they were on holiday when it happened, or they would not have survived. It happened very fast...
