Electrics and gas
Outdoor lights have perished gaskets. What can the survey say, and what can it not?
It can say the seals look cracked, missing or painted over, so water may be able to reach the fitting. It cannot test the circuit, and it has not classified the fitting with an electrician’s code. A worn gasket is a visual defect, not a completed electrical inspection.
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?
Outside lights fail at the seal, the gland where the cable enters, and the fixing into the wall. The surveyor sees those parts from the ground or a short ladder only if that was safe. They do not open the lantern as a test, and a standard inspection does not remove electrical fittings. Perished rubber tells you the fitting is tired. It does not tell you whether the cable in the wall is sound, whether the circuit has residual-current protection, or whether the switch indoors is the right type. Do not hose the light to see if it trips.
Replacing a gasket or a fitting is a small job only after someone competent has looked. If you want the outdoor circuit included in a formal inspection, say so when you book an EICR. That report’s codes are C1 for danger present, C2 for potentially dangerous, C3 for improvement recommended, and FI for further investigation without delay. None of those is a RICS condition rating. An owner-occupier seller does not owe you the landlord’s five-year inspection. Ask for one if the lights, and the rest of what you saw, justify it. Do not expand one cracked seal into a rewire of the house.
What should you ask your surveyor?
- Which fittings had failed seals, and which did you not see closely?
- Did you see a damaged cable, or only a perished gasket?
- Are you recommending a visual repair, an electrical test, or both, as separate steps?
What are the typical next steps?
- Do not dismantle the lantern on a viewing.
- Point the fittings out if an electrician inspects, so the outdoor circuit is not forgotten.
- Keep a cracked seal separate from any wider comment on the consumer unit.
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
Does a perished gasket mean the garden circuit has no earth?
No. The seal and the earthing are different. The survey tested neither.
Will a new lamp automatically make the cable in the wall acceptable?
Not by itself. The fitting and the circuit that feeds it both need a proper look if you are worried.