Electrics and gas
A fused spur seems to feed an electric shower. What is still only a visual note?
Everything electrical about that shower. The surveyor may have seen a fused connection unit, a cable, or the shower itself. They have not tested the circuit, checked that the fuse matches the shower, or confirmed the cable. A neat spur is not a pass.
Last reviewed 24 October 2026. Written for buyers in England and Wales unless this answer says otherwise. No named surveyor has signed this page. It is general guidance, not a report on your house, and not legal advice.
What is the fuller explanation?
Electric showers draw a heavy load. How they are fed matters, and a home survey is the wrong tool to settle it. The visit does not remove the spur cover as a standard step, does not read the shower’s rating plate as a design check, and does not measure the cable. A fused unit can be appropriate for some equipment and wrong for a shower. The survey should not guess which, and it should not invent a cable size. Say what was visible: the unit, the shower, any heat staining, and that no test was done.
The next step, if you need one before exchange, is a qualified person and, if you want codes, an EICR that includes this circuit. C1, C2, C3 and FI are that report’s words, not RICS condition ratings. GOV.UK requires landlords in the private and social rented sectors to have installations inspected at least every five years. Selling an owner-occupied house does not, by itself, put the seller under that rule. Do not replace the shower on the strength of a glance at a spur, and do not ignore scorching around it because nobody has written a code yet.
What should you ask your surveyor?
- Did you see a fused spur, the shower, or both?
- Did you open the spur or test the circuit?
- Is any scorching or heat staining separate from the mere presence of the spur?
What are the typical next steps?
- Do not pull the fuse out to see what is printed on it.
- Ask an electrician to look at this circuit if the shower is part of your decision.
- Keep the shower note off any general sentence about the lights.
Costs vary with the building and with who you instruct. Where this page does not cite a published figure, ask the surveyor, a relevant specialist, or your solicitor for a written quote. Do not treat a forum average as the price.
Also asked about this
Is every fused spur a defect?
No. The note is that this one appears to feed a shower and was not tested. The electrician decides whether the arrangement is suitable.
Does the shower running on viewing day prove the spur?
No. Water coming out is not an electrical test.