Hello,
I have some repeatedly troublesome downlights in my house. They keep failing (I understand why - oxidation on GU5.3 pins and rubbish mating connectors). So, I decided to get them replaced.
I asked an electrician to replace only the troublesome ones. He had a look around the house, and said that he needs to do the entire place, as there are lights elsewhere (that aren't giving trouble) that aren't compliant (wrong junction boxes) and also aren't fire-rated. He said that it would be prudent for all fittings to be fire rated. The issue is that the floors are all concrete (upstairs too), with suspended plasterboard beneath. My understanding was that fire-rated fittings are only needed when they are cut into a fire barrier. The plasterboard isn't the fire barrier - the concrete slab is pretty good at that. I can see why the upstairs fittings, with the holes going in to the loft should be fire rated, though.
Anyway, my query isn't really about fire-rating. He says that he's unable to do only the lights I would like done, as he's an NICEIC approved contractor, and can't do any work at all knowing that other parts of the installation aren't compliant with BS7671:2011.
Is that true? Is it the case that any approved contractor must put right everything that is non-compliant, or they can't do anything at all? It seems improbable to me, but I'm no expert.
Thanks a lot for reading.
I have some repeatedly troublesome downlights in my house. They keep failing (I understand why - oxidation on GU5.3 pins and rubbish mating connectors). So, I decided to get them replaced.
I asked an electrician to replace only the troublesome ones. He had a look around the house, and said that he needs to do the entire place, as there are lights elsewhere (that aren't giving trouble) that aren't compliant (wrong junction boxes) and also aren't fire-rated. He said that it would be prudent for all fittings to be fire rated. The issue is that the floors are all concrete (upstairs too), with suspended plasterboard beneath. My understanding was that fire-rated fittings are only needed when they are cut into a fire barrier. The plasterboard isn't the fire barrier - the concrete slab is pretty good at that. I can see why the upstairs fittings, with the holes going in to the loft should be fire rated, though.
Anyway, my query isn't really about fire-rating. He says that he's unable to do only the lights I would like done, as he's an NICEIC approved contractor, and can't do any work at all knowing that other parts of the installation aren't compliant with BS7671:2011.
Is that true? Is it the case that any approved contractor must put right everything that is non-compliant, or they can't do anything at all? It seems improbable to me, but I'm no expert.
Thanks a lot for reading.