Garage power (groan!)...is this ok?

[Damocles]

BAS, you are getting pretty hot on all the if's and but's these days. I remember when you were writing long articles on how stupid, pointless and a waste of time part P would B. Now you are telling people to follow it?

Everyone here knows that a lot of things are a matter of opinion. It is often opinion whether a 6mm or 10mm cable is better. The difference in cost between these two is small, but not necessarily negligible. Especially if someone does not buy it by the roll and know where to get the best price.

A lot of posts are thinking about future-proofing an installation. A DIYer might think about what he will be adding in 10 years, but a developer doesn't give a damn. He will get the cheapest installation he can get away with, 6mm and all if it squeaks in within spec. So a professional sparks might well have in mind a budget install, not a super-duper DIYNOT one.

There is quite a difference between anticipating the absolutely best way of doing a job and the quickest and dirtiest you can get away with. Maybe the guys neighbour was very happy with her job. Maybe his will cost £300 by the time it is finished. If the neighbour's basic install was done competently, then almost certainly she will never have any problem with it.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

BAS, you are getting pretty hot on all the if's and but's these days. I remember when you were writing long articles on how stupid, pointless and a waste of time part P would B. Now you are telling people to follow it?

Err... no....

Firstly, it's no concern of mine whether you comply with the Building Regulations or not - I just wanted to make sure that you knew about them, that's all.

And I've said, basically, that before. I don't have any time for Part P, but there is no use pretending that it isn't there. If someone wants to disregard it that is entirely up to them, but what I don't think is right, yet, is for people to be told "you should do this, that & the other" and have them go off and do it if they are not aware of Part P and would have stuck scrupulously to the law if they had been. Again, as I have said before, there will come a time when it's perfectly reasonable to assume that they know about Part P, but IMO we are not there yet, and until that time I think it is irresponsible to lead people to a position where they might break the law through ignorance.

The other point i was trying to make above was that if Multiplex planned to keep within the law by doing some work himself and some by a registered electrician he was probably in for a rude awakening if he thought he could present one with a circuit installed and expect the guy to test & connect and self-certify compliance with the Building Regulations.

Again - I don't give a toss if he wants to DIY and just have a sparky test it for safety, but I thought that the responsible thing to do was to advise him that that would not result in compliance with the Building Regs...