Advise on Part P

[tommyl18]

Sorry to bring this issue up again as i know its been discussed many a time on here but cant find all the answers im after

I want to do the Part p course but not sure exactly what work i will be able to carry out once ive passed Part P

spoke to a few people and just get conflicting answers just want some hard facts please!!!

 

[flameport]

The fact is that Part P is a section of the Building Regulations.

Part P is NOT a course
You can't 'do' part P
You can't pass Part P or be Part P qualified.
Part P test equipment does not exist.

 

[Spark123]

You'll have a qualification which can go towards you joining a competent person scheme such as NICEIC DI, NAPIT, ELECSA etc.

 

[JohnnyG]

There is no Part P course.
There are courses which give you the qualifications you need to join a competent persons scheme and subsequently self certify any work you do in domestic situations that are required under Part P of the building regulations to be notified to your local buildings control.
Just doing a course of any kind doesn't simply open any other types of work up to you.

 

[tommyl18]

so what courses would i need to pass to be able to do the following

fit an electric shower from scratch?
swap over an electric shower where the supply is already there?
change a socket or light switch?
extend a ring main or a lighting circuit?

 

[JohnnyG]

You can do all that without passing any courses as long as you can do it correctly, safely and inline with the relevant regulations.
You will however have to notify (& probably pay) your buildings control before you start if you want to do it legally, for the shower from scratch at least.

 

[Spark123]

No course allows you to carry out notifiable works on it's own.

To fit an electric shower from scratch you will need to either become a member of a competent person scheme or notify each job prior to doing it to your LABC.

Replacing a shower unit where the circuit remains unchanged doesn't require notification.

Changing a socket or light switch doesn't require notification.

Extending a RFC or lighting circuit depends where it is as to wether or not it requires notification.

As to what courses you need to join a competent person scheme depends on which one you want to join, have a look at the requirements for the NICEIC Domestic Installer for instance.

 

[riveralt]

You do not need to pass any course to do any of the things on your list.

However,

Your new shower proposal do require notification to the LABC.

You can start from scratch , but you must inform them first and pay the appropriate fee for them to inspect your work.

Self certification requires you to prove your competence to either the LABC (they tend not to accept your word for it) or to one of the several 'clubs' like Napit or NICIE (they tend to want evidence of City & Guild 2391 or equivalent)

Must type quicker - Must type quicker

 

[tommyl18]

ok think ive got it now ill have a look at that thanks guys

 

[JohnnyG]

However,

Both your shower proposals do require notification to the LABC.

The 2nd might not

 

[riveralt]

I agree and good point - but from my experience when it comes time to change a shower either the cable is too small to cope with the new shower or there is no RCD on the circuit or as I recently found the main protective bonding is non existent,

The point here is that it is a little more complicated then just swopping one old shower for another when compared to swopping a socket or light switch.

 

[tommyl18]

so let me see if i have got this right then

at the present time i know how to extend ring mains add lighting etc but havent done it previously because of the confusion on whether i was allowed to do the work

Ive been looking on LABC website and downloaded the approved part p document so now know whats notifiable and what isnt.

just to clarify a part P "COURSE" as advertised on the internet is literally some tutor reading the approved part p document to you and explaining it in a bit more detail?

 

[flameport]

just to clarify a part P "COURSE" as advertised on the internet is literally some tutor reading the approved part p document to you and explaining it in a bit more detail?

Maybe, or it might be some kind of 'basic electrics' course, or one covering domestic type work.
Anything advertised as a Part P course is probably worthless, as it either has very little content, is written by people who don't know what they are doing, or both.

Non-notifable work can be done by anyone. However the person doing the work should be competent to do so.
Notifable work can also be done by anyone, but must be notified either directly to LABC (which may be uneconomical), or via membership of a competent persons scheme.

 

[tommyl18]

yea our Labc charges £150 so anything notifiable id use someone whos with a scheme

 

[Taylortwocities]

This post raises (yet another) anomoly with BR (part P).

My take on this is that there was original intention that there would be two types of people doing and notifying electrical works in domestic properties:

1. Members of defined competence schemes who are qualifies to self certify and notify electrical works.

2. Householders who believe that they have the competence to do works in their own properties. If they choose to do this then they have the option to notify the LABC they they are going to do the works and the LABC can then inspect and confirm compliancwe with Building Regs Part P.

This has been horribly morphed so that anyone can do electrcial works for reward for a third party and can do this if LABC has been pre-advised.

I dot think that this was ever the intention of this appaling, unworkable, and unreasonable to those who qualify and spend £££££££££ to comply with the intention of the legislation.