Your home's installations after handover: electricity, water and heating

You do not need to be able to repair the installations yourself. But you should know where the most important parts are and who is responsible for them.

In brief

A home's installations typically include:

• Electrical installation and fuse box
• Water installation and main stopcock
• Drains and sewer
• Heating system
• Ventilation
• Gas installation, if the home has gas

After handover, you can locate the installations, read the reports, gather the documentation and note any visible problems. Alterations and repairs may require an authorised firm.

What are installations?

Installations are the systems that make the home work.

They are often hidden in walls, floors and utility cupboards. That is why a home can look nice even if there are older or poorly documented installations behind the surfaces.

This does not mean that everything old is illegal. An older installation may have been legally carried out under the rules that applied when it was installed. But age, condition and capacity can still matter for safety, day-to-day operation and future renovations.

Your first walk-through

Find and photograph:

1. The fuse box
2. The main switch
3. The RCD, previously called HFI or HPFI
4. The main water stopcock
5. Isolation valves at the toilet, washing machine and dishwasher
6. The heating system
7. Any pumps and ventilation systems
8. Meter numbers and current meter readings

Also ask to be shown where manuals, service papers and previous invoices are kept.

The fuse box

The fuse box distributes power to the home's various circuits.

The circuit list should make it possible to see which fuses or circuit breakers belong to, for example, the kitchen, bathroom and outdoor installations.

Note:

• Whether the circuits are clearly labelled
• Where the main switch is
• Where the RCD is
• Whether there is visible damage or heat discolouration
• Whether the board is accessible

Do not open the board to inspect wiring. If something looks damaged, smells burnt or repeatedly trips, an authorised electrical contractor should assess it.

RCD, HFI and HPFI

RCD (residual current device) is the current term. HFI and HPFI are older Danish terms for the same device.

The device must cut the power in the event of certain faults. The Danish Safety Technology Authority (Sikkerhedsstyrelsen) recommends testing it twice a year using the test button.^[1]

If it does not trip or cannot be switched back on, do not try to repair it yourself.

What does the electrical installation report cover?

The electrical installation report (elinstallationsrapport) is part of the Danish home inspection scheme (huseftersynsordningen) when the scheme is used. The reports became part of the scheme on 1 May 2012.^[2]

The report shows the results of the inspection carried out under the scheme's rules. It is not a guarantee that all hidden installations have been examined or are free of faults.

Use the report to:

• See the faults recorded
• Understand the remarks
• Compare the report with the home
• Plan which issues need to be assessed
• Keep documentation for later repairs

If a fault has been fixed, keep the invoice and a description of the work.

What electrical work can you do yourself?

The Danish Safety Technology Authority has specific lists of electrical work that consumers may carry out without authorisation. Other tasks require an authorised firm.^[3]

Where the line falls depends on the exact task. So use the authority's current guidance rather than guessing.

A fixed installation should not be altered just because the work looks simple.

Water and the main stopcock

Find the main stopcock before a leak occurs.

It may be located in places such as:

• Utility room
• Basement
• Utility cupboard
• Meter pit
• Shared service shaft

Also find the isolation valves for the toilet, washbasins, dishwasher and washing machine.

If a valve is stuck, it should not be forced. An authorised plumbing firm can assess whether it needs servicing or replacing.

What water and gas work can you do yourself?

Some simple plumbing tasks may be carried out without authorisation, while others require an authorised firm. The Danish Safety Technology Authority points out, among other things, that you may not repair a gas boiler or dismantle a gas installation yourself.^[4]

If the task involves fixed water, gas or drainage installations, you should check the rules before the work starts.

Drains and sewer

Drains often only reveal problems once the home is being used more intensively.

Keep an eye out for:

• Slow drainage
• Recurring bad smells
• Gurgling noises
• Water coming up through another drain
• Damp around floor drains
• Signs of rats

A blocked trap is a different matter from a fault in the fixed sewer installation. Work on the sewer may require an authorised drainage contractor.

The heating system

Find the home's heat source and ask to be shown how it is normally operated.

It may be:

• District heating
• Heat pump
• Gas boiler
• Oil boiler
• Electric heating
• Shared heating system

Note:

• Model and age
• Most recent service
• Normal temperature and pressure
• Any error codes
• Contact details for the service company
• Who owns the system

Also read the guide on heating and electricity when moving for registration, meters and agreements.

House or owner-occupied flat

In a house, you are typically responsible for more of the installations yourself.

In an owner-occupied flat (ejerlejlighed), the dividing line between your maintenance obligations and those of the owners' association (ejerforening) is often set out in its articles of association. Soil stacks, rising mains, shared heating and main supply lines may be shared, while installations inside the flat may be your responsibility.

Contact the managing agent before you alter shared or connected installations.

Documentation

Gather:

• Electrical installation report
• Condition report (tilstandsrapport)
• Manuals
• Service agreements
• Invoices
• Warranties
• Drawings
• Photos before and after work
• Name and CVR number (Danish company registration number) of the firm that did the work

The documentation makes it easier to understand the home, plan maintenance and explain alterations if you sell later.

Signs you should not ignore

Get the relevant professional help in cases such as:

• A burning smell from the fuse box or a socket
• Repeated power cuts
• Hot sockets
• Visible water from pipes or joints
• Damp around installations
• A smell of gas
• Recurring drainage problems
• A heating system with persistent faults

If there is immediate danger, people must first be brought to safety and the relevant emergency services contacted.

Checklist

• I have found the fuse box and the main switch
• I have identified the RCD
• I have found the main stopcock
• I know where the isolation valves for appliances are
• I have found the heating system and its manual
• I have read the electrical installation report
• I have gathered service papers and invoices
• I know what the owners' association is responsible for
• I know who to contact if something goes wrong
• Work carried out is documented

Common misconceptions

An old installation is automatically illegal

No. It may have been legally carried out under earlier rules. Condition, alterations and safety must be assessed case by case.

The electrical installation report examines everything

No. The report follows the scheme's method and cannot uncover every hidden issue.

I can do the work myself if I know how

Not necessarily. The rules depend on the task, and certain work requires authorisation.

The owners' association pays for all installations in a flat

Not necessarily. The articles of association normally determine how responsibility is divided.

In summary

You do not need to be able to repair the home's installations. But you should know where they are, how to cut off the electricity and water, and who is responsible.

If you are planning alterations, you can continue with the guide on renovating after buying a home.

BoligKlar gives you a second pair of eyes and an overview. The specific technical assessment and the work itself belong with the relevant authorised professionals.

Frequently asked questions