Installation of New Electric Shower-Certification

[shakermaker]

Hi All

Need some quick advice about certification of new electric shower installation.

I rent out my old flat & rec ently had a PIR done when we had a change of tenants, we just decided to install a new electric shower & my plumber said he would be using an NICEIC electrician & would send me the pertinent certification along with his invoice.

I have been using the same plumber for 10 years & he has never let me down or done bad work-a good guy !.

He just finished the job & submitted the invoice but when I asked for the certification he said I didn,t need to worry, it was a seperate circuit with an isolater outside the bathroom door, therefore no certificate required.

Hopefully he is correct, BUT just wanted to check, I would hate to be outside the law, even if the job is totally fine.

Any advice/thoughts gratefully received, is it just a simple case that it costs money to write out a certificate.

Cheers

 

[flameport]

The new circuit should have been installed and tested to BS7671, and a certificate issued including the test results. Without this, how can anyone know that the circuit and shower is safe?

Installing a shower or anything else in a bathroom is notifiable work, so either a member of a competent persons scheme should have done it, or if not, building control should have been notified before the work started (This involves paying them a fee).
If not notified, someone has broken the law.

 

[davelx]

And in addition, if it has been correctly notified/self-certified,you should then get a building regs completion cert. from your local authority (who would also have had to inspect the work if this was done under a building notice rather than via a scheme)

 

[ban-all-sheds]

If the circuit was already in place, and all he did was to change the shower then he's quite right - no certificate is needed, and it's not notifiable.

 

[davelx]

If the circuit was already in place, and all he did was to change the shower then he's quite right - no certificate is needed, and it's not notifiable.

Good point - not clear from the OP so I guess we ASS-U-MEd the worse!

 

[shakermaker]

Thanks for the information so far guys.

I just chatted with my plumber & he explained that because it wasn't possible to connect the new shower circuit to my existing CU, they installed a new mini Consumer Unit with RDC protection to house the MCB for the shower.

Because the install was performed in this way, he went on to explain, the work did not need to be certificated.

This sounds strange to me but would welcome further advice

Cheers

 

[DetlefSchmitz]

Surely a minor works certificate, at the least, would be required from a NICEIC registered electrician (if working to BS7671)?

 

[ban-all-sheds]

It's an appliance, not an electrical installation....?

 

[DetlefSchmitz]

they installed a new mini Consumer Unit with RDC protection to house the MCB for the shower.

 

[flameport]

As this involved a CU, what I said originally is correct.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

I just chatted with my plumber & he explained that because it wasn't possible to connect the new shower circuit to my existing CU, they installed a new mini Consumer Unit with RDC protection to house the MCB for the shower.

Somehow I missed this earlier. Clearly not just an appliance swap.

Because the install was performed in this way, he went on to explain, the work did not need to be certificated.

Complete b******s - did he really use a NICEIC registered electrician?

Needs a full EIC, not a Minor, and must be notified to LABC.