Allied trades and training, what is our remit?

[ericmark]

Be it plumbing, fire prevention, or any other trade there is some cross between trades, with fire hoods on down lights and cut outs on immersion heaters which for the safety of the customer we have traditionally pointed out to customers when we note a danger.

Some gas rules impeach on electrical and until yesterday I did not know the gas cabinet had to be 2 foot from the electric, it seems it is in gas rule book.

Before buying this house I had it inspected, and the surveyor included in the report the state of the electrics, and this made me realise the problem in doing any report which includes items from other trades.

If fitting a down light we must fit any hood required, if fitting a consumer unit it must be fire resistance, and if fitting an immersion heater there needs to be a cut out if the header tank is thermal plastic, but not if steel.

So with a solid fuel hot water system we would not fit an non resettable cut out and any resettable cut out needs to be assessable without the use of a tool. So if the solid fuel causes over heating it does not stop the electric heating from being used on a latter date.

But where we are only inspecting and testing, we are not likely to be reading manufacturers instructions or have other trades regulations to hand.

So if a home needs 4 smoke detectors, and it has only 2, I am unlikely to realise there is a problem, so if on any report I put a reference to fire protection or prevention there is a chance the person reading the report thinks the requirement for fire protection and prevention are included in the report.

And electrical installation does not include gas, fire, ventilation, or any other installation or if missing, you are only testing fixed electrical installation installed not any which should be installed or not electrical.

So if there is a no opening window in a bathroom because some window fitter has made a mistake, should you really note on any report there is no bathroom fan?

If not should there be a statement on the report to say this report only includes the electrical installation and does not include any non electrical or non installed items?

 

[denso13]

I did not know the gas cabinet had to be 2 foot from the electric

What do you mean by "gas cabinet"?

 

[JohnW2]

If not should there be a statement on the report to say this report only includes the electrical installation and does not include any non electrical or non installed items?

If you're talking about an EICR, then the scope of that is surely limited to the compliance of the electrical installation with BS7671, isn't it? If one notices things which may be in violation of other regulations, then I suppose there's no reason why they could not be 'mentioned' in (or in association with) an EICR, but I presume that they could (should) not be 'coded', and hence could not be a reason for the EICR to be a 'fail' ('unsatisfactory').

Kind Regards, John

 

[ericmark]

What do you mean by "gas cabinet"?

I was reading a post where some one asked the question of distance between gas and electric meter boxes in a house wall, there were a lot of sarcastic answers like 2 meters and depends of size of gas meter etc, but one guy did post a link, it does seem there is some debate, and the link came up with so many options it was near unreadable, but it did seem there is a limit of 2 foot, but then further reading and it becomes unclear who has come up with the distance and I really don't know the answer.

And of course this is the problem, our own regulations book is not cheap, and I would not want to buy the gas, fire, oil or any other publication to be sure my answer is correct.

When installing something you have a instruction set which comes with it, so if your fitting a Worcester Bosch boiler and it says must be fitted with a type A RCD that's fair enough.

But how much does one need to know, if fitting a fan in the kitchen can cause the flue gases from the living room fire to be sucked into the room the gas safe guy may detect it and site the building regulations on open flue fires, but would an electrician even know it is classed as an open flue fire?

So there is no question running a vented tumble drier in the same room as a open flue gas fire is potentially dangerous, but who's inspection should pick that up?

 

[JohnW2]

I was reading a post where some one asked the question of distance between gas and electric meter boxes in a house wall, there were a lot of sarcastic answers like 2 meters and depends of size of gas meter etc, but one guy did post a link, it does seem there is some debate, and the link came up with so many options it was near unreadable, but it did seem there is a limit of 2 foot, but then further reading and it becomes unclear who has come up with the distance and I really don't know the answer.

I know nothing of the gas regulations but, for what it's worth, the infamous OSG says that (without either meter being in any sort of enclosure) "electricity supply equipment, e.g. metering equipment, ..." should be at least 150mm from a gas meter - and I see no real reason why it would require greater separation than that if the meters were on an exterior wall, and in separate cabinets!

Having said that, I wonder if/how your thinking about 'separation of meter boxes' might be influenced by ...

Kind Regards, John

 

[EddieM]

Crikey our leccy meter and CU are right next to our gas meter.

 

[JohnW2]

Crikey our leccy meter and CU are right next to our gas meter.

As I said, for what it's worth the OSG says that an electricity meter (or cutout, CU or main isolation switche) should be at least 150mm from a gas meter, but that's all.

Kind Regards, John