Interesting Regulation of Yesteryear

[mikehammer69]

OK, if the appliance has heating elements that can be touched (like the old open element wall-mounted fires), or an appliance fed by more than one phase, the switch has to break all the circuit conductors, ie live(s) and neutral.

Anyway, I'm off to dig out my copy of the 15th, 1981 to see if that reg lives on!

Yes all makes more sense now in totality i think
I didn’t even notice that part

 

[mikehammer69]

So what we now call live conductors, back then, was called circuit conductors.

Seems to be it and it was right there in the rule in plain english really

I did call them simple rules but it can take a while to comprehend rules fully when there’s a few parts to them

I looked at it a few times at least before the CB and multi-phases registered with me

 

[ericmark]

I don't work on anyone else's installation any more. So I do not really care what the rules say, it's what I think is safe which matters.

So when the solar was fitted, they used a FCU to feed the boiler, the sockets were RCD sockets for the freezers, but the boiler was taken off the RCBO, and my first thoughts were that's wrong, it should have a RCD.

However, I then did a risk assessment. Which is the greatest risk, getting a shock from the boiler supply, or falling on the ice going down the outside steps to reset a RCD? And the latter is a far greater risk, those steps can get ice on them, and should I fall, it would likely be an ambulance job. If anyone realises I have fallen, otherwise frost bite, hypothermia etc.

And not 230 volts into the boiler, comes into the main house, the programmable thermostat runs on 12 volt DC.

I do warn the central heating guy each time he comes, but he seems to ware surgical gloves to protect from oil, which will likely protect from electric too.

And I have a compliance certificate, why should I not believe it?

 

[securespark]

Found the reg in the 15th.

476-17 Every appliance or luminaire connected to the supply other than by means of a plug and socket outlet complying with Regulation 537-18, shall be provided with a means of interrupting the supply on load. The means of interruption shall be separate from the appliance and in a readily accessible position, subject to the provisions of Regulation 476-18 or 476-19 where applicable. For an appliance fitted with heating elements which can be touched, the means of interruption shall be a linked switch arranged to break all the circuit conductors including the neutral. For the purpose of this regulation the sheath of a silica glass sheathed element is regarded as part of the element. Where the means of interruption is also intended to serve as a means of switching off for mechanical maintenance, it shall comply with the requirements of Regulations 537-8 to 537-11.

 

[securespark]

In the 16th.

476-03-04 Every fixed or stationary appliance which may give rise to a hazard in normal use and is connected to the supply other than by means of a plug and socket-outlet complying with Regulation 537-05-01 shall be provided with a means of interrupting the supply on load. The operation of the means of interrupting the supply on load shall be so placed as not to put the operator in danger. This means may be incorporated into the appliance or, if separate from the appliance, shall be in a readily accessible position. Where two or more such appliances are installed in the same room, one interrupting means may be used to control all the appliances.





This one is interesting as previous regulations have had a separate reg for cookers, citing 2m distance to the switch from the cooking appliance(s).

This one has dropped the distance.

 

[ericmark]

My landing light, likely does not comply, my wife got a chandelier, which I refused to fit, it required leaning over the stair well, and I was not impressed with that idea.

But she got my son to fit it. 5 x GU10 bulbs, which would likely wake me if switched on when asleep. So fitted a relay, so either 4 outer, or 1 inner bulb can be used. I have a smart bulb in the centre, so can also turn that down to 10% or set it at a colour, so the command turn on/off landing light does all, switch outer does the outer 4 and switch centre does the centre one, idea was to have the original switch turn on the outer, but son connected the centre, so the original two-way switching can turn centre lamp off/on, but the outer or all, can only be turned on/off with voice commends or the phone.

It suits us, as the down-stairs switch is not at the bottom of the stairs, so is not really a good option to use. Hindsight it would have been better to use 5 smart bulbs, but it works, so why change it?

Wife gets upset if I set the centre to red, as it shows in upstairs window, I think its rather funny, but seeing ones way up the stairs with a dim red light is not easy, so mainly left at white.

But back in the day, clearly there was no voice control, so this would not have been considered, but would it have been permitted?

 

[securespark]

17th Edition.

Has assimilated everything essentially mentioned in the previously quoted regulations into 537.

 

[morqthana]

So lighting therefore would need the neutral switched if the definition of 'live' includes N at that time

My guess is it didn't.

Bu Secure's archive of historical editions presumably includes definitions?

 

[morqthana]

OK, if the appliance has heating elements that can be touched (like the old open element wall-mounted fires)

Not just wall mounted - I remember, growing up, floor freestanding 2-bar electric fires, and the elements were just bare-wound on ceramic formers.

 

[securespark]

My guess is it didn't.

Bu Secure's archive of historical editions presumably includes definitions?

Which Ed. is being referred to?

 

[mikehammer69]

Do UK rules books not include definitions ?

 

[SUNRAY]

Not just wall mounted - I remember, growing up, floor freestanding 2-bar electric fires, and the elements were just bare-wound on ceramic formers.

and not only that, spares elements were available to wind onto the former.

 

[securespark]

Yes! When I was a green apprentice, my boss used to carry one on his van.

And one that you used to feed inside the silica tube!

 

[securespark]

Do UK rules books not include definitions ?

I have the following regs:

11th 1939
13th 1955
14th 1966
15th 1981
16th 1991 and 7671 1992
17th 2008

I still haven't got the 12th or anything earlier than the 11th, except the 1st Ed.

 

[securespark]

This is the definition of live from the 11th