Replace Consumer Unit (photo included!)
- Thread starter tim_s_uk
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Katy Hill
I quite liked Simon Groom....
Let's rename this thread Blue Peter Fantasies.....
Barera - this is the circular mentioned above:
http://www.communities.gov.uk/plann...ionalcircularletters/buildingregulationspart/
There have been reports that some local authorities are asking householders to have electrical installation work inspected, tested and certificated by someone other than the person carrying out the work. Section 33(2) of the Building Act 1984 (which would give power to local authorities to require persons carrying out building work to carry out such reasonable tests, at the person's expense, of or in connection with the work for the purpose of enabling local authorities to ascertain whether the work complies with the requirements of the Regulations) has not been commenced. This means in our opinion that local authorities do not have the power to require householders to retain an electrician to test and certificate the work in accordance with BS 7671. Local authorities which have adopted such a practice should discontinue it immediately.
Additionally, the new Approved Document P now explicitly says
1.26 The building control body may choose to
carry out the inspection and testing itself, or to
contract out some or all of the work to a specialist
body which will then carry out the work on its
behalf. Building control bodies will carry out the
necessary inspection and testing at their
expense, not at the householders' expense.
http://www.communities.gov.uk/plann...ionalcircularletters/buildingregulationspart/
There have been reports that some local authorities are asking householders to have electrical installation work inspected, tested and certificated by someone other than the person carrying out the work. Section 33(2) of the Building Act 1984 (which would give power to local authorities to require persons carrying out building work to carry out such reasonable tests, at the person's expense, of or in connection with the work for the purpose of enabling local authorities to ascertain whether the work complies with the requirements of the Regulations) has not been commenced. This means in our opinion that local authorities do not have the power to require householders to retain an electrician to test and certificate the work in accordance with BS 7671. Local authorities which have adopted such a practice should discontinue it immediately.
Additionally, the new Approved Document P now explicitly says
1.26 The building control body may choose to
carry out the inspection and testing itself, or to
contract out some or all of the work to a specialist
body which will then carry out the work on its
behalf. Building control bodies will carry out the
necessary inspection and testing at their
expense, not at the householders' expense.
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Tim
I was interested to read your post about Building Notice and Part P compliance. Have you got on any further with South Glos Building Control? I am about to do something similar. My first contact with SG BC this week was quite dismissive saying that they don't offer an inspection service.
I was interested to read your post about Building Notice and Part P compliance. Have you got on any further with South Glos Building Control? I am about to do something similar. My first contact with SG BC this week was quite dismissive saying that they don't offer an inspection service.
I've created a new thread for my exchanges with South Gloucestershire Council.
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From what i've quickly read your paying Building Control £120 and supplying the board and bits (approx £80-£100) so all in all just over £200. Why not get a spark in and do the lot for £300-£350 including parts - at least you know everythings done properly and tested, certificated and notified to building control for the sake of another £100?
Are you planning on using a split load board with your power sockets, shower, cooker etc protected by an RCD - if so how do you know that insulation of the cables are ok if your not testing it before replacing the board? You could find yourself with a new shiny board but the RCD wont set as it keeps tripping. I never swap a board without testing the existing cables 1st - i can think of nothing worst then putting a new board in and not being able to get the RCD to set and then its getting late and dark so workign on the board becomes difficult, although its not too bad if its your own house
If you are doing it yourself, use 25mm tails out of the new isolator, replace the main earth with a 16mm and run 10mm earth for both gas/water within 600mm of where they enter the building. If the lighting hasnt got an earth then make sure no metal light fittings/switches are installed.
Are you planning on using a split load board with your power sockets, shower, cooker etc protected by an RCD - if so how do you know that insulation of the cables are ok if your not testing it before replacing the board? You could find yourself with a new shiny board but the RCD wont set as it keeps tripping. I never swap a board without testing the existing cables 1st - i can think of nothing worst then putting a new board in and not being able to get the RCD to set and then its getting late and dark so workign on the board becomes difficult, although its not too bad if its your own house
If you are doing it yourself, use 25mm tails out of the new isolator, replace the main earth with a 16mm and run 10mm earth for both gas/water within 600mm of where they enter the building. If the lighting hasnt got an earth then make sure no metal light fittings/switches are installed.
See here for an example of a professional electrician quoting 1-2 hours to replace a CU and connect up a shed supply.
Don't suppose he plans on doing much testing first....
...or afterwards
....Didn't he go on about his dad's farm in Dethic
Sarah Greene was ok in her day
Suggestion
If you are going to the trouble of replacing your consumer unit why not do it to meet the requirements of the 17th edition which will become live in June. Here is some interesting reading from Hagar.
http://download.hager.com/hagergrou...rmation/ConsumerUnitGuideToThe17thEdition.pdf
If you are going to the trouble of replacing your consumer unit why not do it to meet the requirements of the 17th edition which will become live in June. Here is some interesting reading from Hagar.
http://download.hager.com/hagergrou...rmation/ConsumerUnitGuideToThe17thEdition.pdf
I think I may have been the first for South Beds, as it took them some weeks. To get someone organised to come out and do my testing, when I wired my last extension. The electrician they eventually got to come round came from miles away, and I believe charged them more for the electrical testing, than I paid them to inspect the whole build.
That said they were otherwise very helpful, and easy to work with, doing what they said when they said they would. Although from the way they rushed about they seemed to be somewhat under staffed. Planning on the other hand were a load of officious bast**ds, who acted like they thought they owned the world.
Here they are then, the before and after photos:
I'll admit, there is still a little finishing up to do decoration wise!
The sparks from Western Power Distribution were fantastic. They were booked to replace the service fuse unit, but while they were there they moved it into the corner and moved the meter up the wall so it was out of the way. All for the price of a cup of tea. They didn't even want the biscuits I'd bought for their visit! I had already mounted the new consumer unit (with bottle tops ) and added the necessary bonding to water and gas pipes. They moved the meter and connected it up to the main switch inside the CU. Here's a photo:
The second photo shows the old fused switches, available to anyone who wants to do some work with that pre-2004 look. You know who you are, with your stock piles of red and black!
The DNO fitted an 80A fuse with 16mm tails throughout. A 100A fuse with 25mm tails would have cost money (for an assessment I assume), as would converting the TN-S to PME. The existing 2 circuits (lights and sockets) have been wired into the new CU while I fit the new circuits.
Eventually I'll have 9 circuits:
Upstairs, dowstairs and outside lights.
Upstairs, downstairs and kitchen mains rings.
Sockets in loft with lights on a fused spur.
Bathroom heater, Immersion heater.
This made a full set of RCBOs too expensive, so I'll have the lights on RCBOs and the other circuits on the RCD protected side of the split CU. There's still room for shower and cooker circuits, but I don't need them at the moment. Let me know if this doesn't sound sensible.
I wasn't sure about the insultation either, so I'm installing new ring circuits with new cables. I'll also replace most of the lighting cables.
I'll admit, there is still a little finishing up to do decoration wise!
The sparks from Western Power Distribution were fantastic. They were booked to replace the service fuse unit, but while they were there they moved it into the corner and moved the meter up the wall so it was out of the way. All for the price of a cup of tea. They didn't even want the biscuits I'd bought for their visit! I had already mounted the new consumer unit (with bottle tops
) and added the necessary bonding to water and gas pipes. They moved the meter and connected it up to the main switch inside the CU. Here's a photo:
The second photo shows the old fused switches, available to anyone who wants to do some work with that pre-2004 look. You know who you are, with your stock piles of red and black!
The DNO fitted an 80A fuse with 16mm tails throughout. A 100A fuse with 25mm tails would have cost money (for an assessment I assume), as would converting the TN-S to PME. The existing 2 circuits (lights and sockets) have been wired into the new CU while I fit the new circuits.
Eventually I'll have 9 circuits:
Upstairs, dowstairs and outside lights.
Upstairs, downstairs and kitchen mains rings.
Sockets in loft with lights on a fused spur.
Bathroom heater, Immersion heater.
This made a full set of RCBOs too expensive, so I'll have the lights on RCBOs and the other circuits on the RCD protected side of the split CU. There's still room for shower and cooker circuits, but I don't need them at the moment. Let me know if this doesn't sound sensible.
You're right - I won't be saving much money, but this way I get to have all the fun
I wasn't sure about the insultation either, so I'm installing new ring circuits with new cables. I'll also replace most of the lighting cables.
Of cousre, your NAPIT registered electrician is going to lend you his test kit, so you can test and fill in EIC. Surprisedonly one person mentioned testing your installation.
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