Is my shed replacement notifiable?

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Hi,

I have a shed that has electrics installed. This was in place when I moved into my house.

I have ordered a new shed as the old one is rotting away. I plan to remove the electrics and cap off the supply cable until my new shed arrives. I intend to then install the strip light, sockets and CU.

Ini this work notifiable or not. I note that garden power is a special location, but this is pre existing is it not?

Thanks
 
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If you put a consumer unit in there, it is notifiable.
If you do not, it is not.

A shed does not need a consumer unit.
 
A shed does not need a consumer unit.
I dis-agree.

A CU provides a simple one item means to "fuse" the sockets and the lights separately, provides a single point of disconnection and, if necessary, allows easy fitting of an RCD.

An overload ( or accident related fault ) on the socket would then ( subject to a good design ) take out the say 16 amp fast MCB in the shed and leave the 32 slow MCB protecting the sub main in the house CU. Hence lighting is still avialable in the shed. maybe necessary to clean up the accident.
 
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The use of a switched FCU with 3A fuse for lights as the light switch protects the lights, the 13A fuse in any plug protects the device being used so even without a consumer unit there is protection to the two circuits. Where the shed is supplied with a B32 in the house that is of course. But often in house only a B16 or 13A fuse in which case a consumer unit is rather pointless.

There is the question is a distribution board fed from a consumer unit to be considered as a consumer unit as far as Part P goes. Fact that the distribution board is type tested really should not mean it needs more care to fit, really it needs less care to fit a type tested than non type tested distribution board. So fit another make of MCB in the consumer unit and it's no longer a consumer unit it's just a distribution board which since the MCB's don't match is more not less likely to have safety issues.

There must be some common sense, there is in real terms no difference in fitting a grid switch in a shed with four fuses 3A for lights and 13A for sockets, as there is to fitting a consumer unit. Except the consumer unit is easier to wire. Maybe Part P does say consumer units need registering, but common sense says this is when connected direct to DNO supply, not when used as a sub main.
 
If you put a consumer unit in there, it is notifiable.

What if there already is one. I had my CU changed earlier this year, which included supplying the shed. They used an MCB in the house CU, feeding a CU in the shed, which then had 3 circuits: lights, internal sockets and external sockets.

If I ever had to change my shed, could I carefully de-wire it, put in new shed and re-wire the same way. Without notifying?

PS: Not that I would, just asking (I myself put the shed in before the wiring was done, so don't expect to have to change the shed for a few years!
 
If you put a consumer unit in there, it is notifiable.
What if there already is one.
Ironically, in terms of the way in which the law (in England) has (I presume 'unintentionally') been written, it is when there 'already is one' that the problem arises - since they have said that "replacement of a CU" is notifiable (whereas they have not said that installation of a new one, where there was none before, is notifiable!).

I suppose that you could try arguing that 'replacing' a CU with the same one does not qualify as "replacement", but anyone with a dictionary might contest that!

Kind Regards, John
 
Maybe Part P does say consumer units need registering, but common sense says this is when connected direct to DNO supply, not when used as a sub main.
So what's the common sense electrical difference in the design, construction and testing requirements for a CU and its final circuits when the CU is supplied:

  1. From a device in another CU
  2. From a switchfuse connected to the meter tails
  3. From an isolator connected to the meter tails
  4. Directly from the meter tails

?
 
Ironically, in terms of the way in which the law (in England) has (I presume 'unintentionally') been written, it is when there 'already is one' that the problem arises - since they have said that "replacement of a CU" is notifiable (whereas they have not said that installation of a new one, where there was none before, is notifiable!).

I suppose that you could try arguing that 'replacing' a CU with the same one does not qualify as "replacement", but anyone with a dictionary might contest that!
In a way it is a bit of a moot point. Firstly you are right about what the law as written says, but we know that that wasn't the limited applicability that the authors had in mind. Should it ever come to court I guess it would depend on whether the judge's piles were giving him gyp as to whether he would agree with them or send them packing with a rollicking for doing such a PP job. It really would not have required an acute legal mind to have written "installation", or "provision or replacement" etc.

But ultimately it is a matter of conscience, as the reality is that people don't get prosecuted for failing to notify. Whilst nobody should advise others to not notify when required, the reality is that there few practical consequences from failing to do so, as long as people are truthful if asked about it. So there's no point in trying to wriggle into a position where you think you don't have to notify because of the way the law is actually worded.

Because all of those considerations are far, far less important than the ones about actually installing a CU competently and safely, and those do matter very much. Even if prosecution for non-notification were a real concern, there's no death penalty for it.
 
In a way it is a bit of a moot point. Firstly you are right about what the law as written says, but we know that that wasn't the limited applicability that the authors had in mind. Should it ever come to court I guess it would depend on whether the judge's piles were giving him gyp as to whether he would agree with them or send them packing with a rollicking for doing such a PP job. It really would not have required an acute legal mind to have written "installation", or "provision or replacement" etc.
Indeed. Mind you, as for the Judge's piles etc., when the law is written as 'clearly' as this is (even though it obviously doesn't reflect the 'intention'), whilst a Judge can, as you say, say strong things about/to the legislators, (s)he would have no authority to 'over-ride' what was ('clearly') written.

Kind Regards, John
 
Maybe Part P does say consumer units need registering, but common sense says this is when connected direct to DNO supply, not when used as a sub main.
So what's the common sense electrical difference in the design, construction and testing requirements for a CU and its final circuits when the CU is supplied:

  1. From a device in another CU
  2. From a switchfuse connected to the meter tails
  3. From an isolator connected to the meter tails
  4. Directly from the meter tails

?
BAS, just curious regarding your 1-4 points.
Regarding number 1 "From a device in another CU", does this mean something actually in the CU, or could it refer to a socket on a ring circuit protected by a 32A MCB? i.e. Can the garage be fed as a spur from such a socket and would it comply with the regs? (Just idle curiosity, nothing else).
 
So what's the common sense electrical difference in the design, construction and testing requirements for a CU and its final circuits when the CU is supplied:
  1. From a device in another CU
  2. From a switchfuse connected to the meter tails
  3. From an isolator connected to the meter tails
  4. Directly from the meter tails
?
... and what is "the common sense electrical difference in the design, construction and testing requirements" for any of those situations as compared with an electrically-equivalent situation achieved with two or more FCUs (or even MCBs, in enclosures), and maybe a switch, rather than a custom-made CU?

Kind Regards, John
 
Ironically, in terms of the way in which the law (in England) has (I presume 'unintentionally') been written, it is when there 'already is one' that the problem arises - since they have said that "replacement of a CU" is notifiable (whereas they have not said that installation of a new one, where there was none before, is notifiable!).

I suppose that you could try arguing that 'replacing' a CU with the same one does not qualify as "replacement", but anyone with a dictionary might contest that!
I've been somewhat out of touch with the changes since I left Britain, but on a quick search it appears that the list of notifiable electrical work is now just the following:

(a) the installation of a new circuit;

(b) the replacement of a consumer unit; or

(c) any addition or alteration to existing circuits in a special location

- With a definition of what constitutes a special location.

Is that how it stands at present? If so, then that's a pretty drastic rewrite and simplification from the rules which existed previously, although still open to some interpretation.
 

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