blanking sockets in a bathroom, how much?

[JonoPashley]

Now what you are proposing is to remove some sockets from a room that is not yet a bathroom. Surely you could remove the sockets, pull the cables back to the void space in the ceiling or floor and joint the cables with a suitable junction box. You would then be free to plaster over the old socket holes. This room is not yet a bathroom so one would think you weren't breaking the regs to do that but don't quote me. A sparkie may contradict me on this, but that is what I understand from schedule P.

It's Part P.

Part P (in fact all of the Building Regulations) applies to any work whatsoever on fixed electrical cables or fixed electrical equipment located on the consumer’s side of the electricity supply meter which operate at low or extra-low voltage and are—
(a) in or attached to a dwelling;
(b) in the common parts of a building serving one or more dwellings, but excluding power supplies to lifts;
(c) in a building that receives its electricity from a source located within or shared with a dwelling; or
(d) in a garden or in or on land associated with a building where the electricity is from a source located within or shared with a dwelling.

Some work is notifiable, some is not. That which is not is listed in Schedule 2B.

Removing sockets is not in Schedule 2B, therefore the work proposed is notifiable, no matter which room it is in.

removing sockets is a alteration to an existing circuit which is presently a not a special location. So kindly get off your high horse and shut up with your part p police bull for once.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

removing sockets is a alteration to an existing circuit which is presently a not a special location. So kindly get off your high horse and shut up with your part p police bull for once.

Thank you for your civil and reasoned reply.

When you have finished your logical and rational explanation proving that I am some kind of "Part P policeman" rather than just trying to maintain accuracy could you then please show us where in Schedule 2B this alteration is listed as a piece of work exempt from notification.

 

[slothrop23]

hey peeps. no need to fight. reegulations are in there to protect people so its good to know what needs to be applied for. I appreciate all the comments on here

 

[davelx]

It not really a case of fighting. There seems to be a fundamental problem with some (too many) people in that they don't read documents carefully and seem to see the wording they want to see rather than that which is actually written.

Alternatively perhaps they do read the words correctly and then assign meanings to them that suit their purpose but have no basis in fact.

The wording in Sched/ 2B is perfectly clear and as far as the law is concerned, it means what it says until such time as the courts interpret it to mean otherwise - they are the only body that can do this.

There is another alternative - that these people are stupid and/or don't understand English. I prefer to think this is not the case.

 

[sparkydude]

You do have a fuse box mate, that big grey box with lots of cables going into it is an old fusebox. you turn the switch to off then the front comes of to show your fuses in ceramic holders.

Nick

 

[ColJack]

I recon part 1 a, b and c are applicable depending on what you do.

1. Work consisting of—

(a)replacing any fixed electrical equipment which does not include the provision of—

(i)any new fixed cabling; or
(ii)a consumer unit;

(b)replacing a damaged cable for a single circuit only;

(c)re-fixing or replacing enclosures of existing installation components, where the circuit protective measures are unaffected;

you're either replacing and re-fixing a socket, albeit in another location, or making a repair to a broken cable if you crimp it.. or replacing the damaged cable if you pull it between the 2 sockets either side and replace it.

 

[rebuke]

If you're fixing it in another location then surely the

(i)any new fixed cabling; or

bit applies - since even if you reuse the old cable, it's still going in a new location so is new fixed cabling.

The cable wasn't broken until you broke it, and repairing it is not the same as removing it - if I took my car in to a garage and asked them to repair a punctured tyre, I wouldn't be happy if they just removed it!

Besides, none of this covers the fact you have altered the circuit by removing the existing socket outlet - there is nothing about removing in that list, so even if by your logic the new cabling isn't, the actual removal still is...

 

[ban-all-sheds]

If you think about the potential for relatively serious problems with removing sockets, such as concealed cables no longer in safe zones, poor joints, chock-block wrapped in tape and plastered straight over, inaccessible JBs, ring finals broken, it makes sense that it should be notifiable.

 

[ColJack]

when you get the reply from the LABC after telling them that you'd like to notify them of the removal of a socket outlet, post it here so we can have a laugh..

and it's not new fixed cabling, it's old fixed cabling.. you're not altering the circuit protective measutres or the circuit readings by doing so.. the only thing that changes is the location of a point of utilisation..

so even if you think that a) doesn't apply, c) does because you're re-fixing the enclosure for the existing installation component and the circuit protective measures are unaffected.

 

[JonoPashley]

If you think about the potential for relatively serious problems with removing sockets, such as concealed cables no longer in safe zones, poor joints, chock-block wrapped in tape and plastered straight over, inaccessible JBs, ring finals broken, it makes sense that it should be notifiable.

By your logic adding a socket to a ring or radial final circuit should also be notifiable then.

 

[dentedbread]

I see what you mean about 2B. It seems mad to me that you can add to a ring main, thereby totally altering the wiring within it, but you are not allowed to remove from it. Bizarre. Seems like an oversight really.

However, my use of the words junction box was out of place. When I said suitable jb i was implying none screwed connection. I apologise for my ambiguity.

 

[slothrop23]

i had my mate round today, he is a sparky but i couldn't get hold of him until now. he had a look and actually the two double sockets ran under the floor to a switched fuse (it had both socket connections) the socket casing was screwed onto the skirting board, so there isn't even anything to fill. i don't know what he did exactly but he didn't find any problem with just removing them. took him about 30 minutes. he said something about spurs? i thought he just enjoyed watching bad football.

thanks for all your help peeps.

 

[dentedbread]

Hang on, so if you have to notify new fixed cabling, but don't have to notify addition to an existing ring main or lighting circuit...

Surely that is a massive contradiction in terms.

 

[ericmark]

To build means to make or increase, erect, construct so why should "Building Regulations" have anything to do with doing the opposite?
This is basic English how is it other nationalities seem to have a better grasp of English than the English? It's not rocket science just everyday language maybe because I am Welsh I keep an English dictionary to hand!

So of course there will be no reference to removing anything in a building regulation.

Yes there maybe some regulations controlling demolition if fact I am sure there are and if your going to quote regulations it will be from those controlling demolition not building. Seems so simple I can't understand why no one seems to grasp it.

And still no one has answered his original question. Although seems no longer a problem and likely I over estimated the cost! However looking at the pictures I do think it is time to back out and let the lawyers take over? The idea of fuses in one flat and meters in another does seem to be a complete mess up.

I was once asked to move a socket down a wall in a house on a hill. Owner still had not moved in so simple just switched off main isolator. I was some what shocked to see the neon on my screw driver light as I came to remove socket. Seems owner before had been given keys to neighbours house when they went on holiday and had drilled a hole through adjoining wall and connected a socket to the neighbours supply. With just one socket no one had realised and not a clue on date so no idea which occupier had done it.

I would be rather worried with flats as described in case I was paying for power used by some one else?

 

[ban-all-sheds]

If you think about the potential for relatively serious problems with removing sockets, such as concealed cables no longer in safe zones, poor joints, chock-block wrapped in tape and plastered straight over, inaccessible JBs, ring finals broken, it makes sense that it should be notifiable.

By your logic adding a socket to a ring or radial final circuit should also be notifiable then.

I do think that overall the potential for mistakes and dangerous legacies is higher for removing sockets than adding them.