BS7671 Help

[PrenticeBoyofDerry]

Seems friendly enough to me - but I fear I'm doing it for 'love',not money

I would compromise: the love of money!

 

[ban-all-sheds]

It transpires that Gary is, for whatever reason, concerned about how his product would be wired/installed by an electrician

According to the instructions which Gary's company will supply with the product.

It's very alarming to think that there are companies out there developing electrical equipment who are employing designers who know so little about what they are doing that they have to seek help on a DIY electrical forum.

 

[JohnW2]

It transpires that Gary is, for whatever reason, concerned about how his product would be wired/installed by an electrician

According to the instructions which Gary's company will supply with the product.

Indeed, but I get the impression that he is far from the stage at which any instructions will have to be writtenn.

It's very alarming to think that there are companies out there developing electrical equipment who are employing designers who know so little about what they are doing that they have to seek help on a DIY electrical forum.

He clearly is not an 'electrical person' - but I get the impression (perhaps incorrectly!) that the project is probably only at 'concept' stage - which is why I was a little surprised that there was interest in details of how the product, if it ever comes to exist, would be installed. Nevertheless, I also share your surprise that professional engineers are not providing input even if the project is still at a very early stage.

Kind Regards, John

 

[glangri2]

Seems friendly enough to me - but I fear I'm doing it for 'love',not money

Ha ha.

Rest assured John - You have been very helpful so far, and if the product in question does ever make it on to the shelves I will make sure that you and Securespark get the credit you deserve.

Cheers
Gary

 

[glangri2]

It's very alarming to think that there are companies out there developing electrical equipment who are employing designers who know so little about what they are doing that they have to seek help on a DIY electrical forum.

Ban-all-sheds - There is no need to be alarmed.

I bet that there are companies out there that do as you suggest, but in this situation that is far from accurate.

Any designer worth his salt knows that if he has a question that needs answering he should use all of the resources available to him to get the info he needs.

A designer who cared about the whole lifecycle of a product would be wise to seek feedback from enthusistic electricians that liked to discuss their trade - and I would have thought that a DIY forum was the ideal place to do that.

 

[bernardgreen]

I for one am glad the question was asked here.

The experience and opinion of future installers and maintainers of a new product are very important inputs to the design process. Ignore them and the product may be functional and very user friendly but difficult to sell if it is not installer / maintainer friendly.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

Any designer worth his salt knows that if he has a question that needs answering he should use all of the resources available to him to get the info he needs.

A designer who cared about the whole lifecycle of a product would be wise to seek feedback from enthusistic electricians that liked to discuss their trade - and I would have thought that a DIY forum was the ideal place to do that.

Sorry - a designer of electrical equipment who is so clueless about electrics that he has to ask for help on a DIY advice site is not worth his salt, and that's all there is to it.

 

[viewer]

Good for you John.
BAS - where did he say that it was the electrical equipment he was designing? For example, I designed an opening door for my chickens. The electrical part is a simple motor and there is a need to wire this in a similar standard way as suggested by the question, however, my design part is for the pulleys etc. I don't need to know about electrics beyond that I need to power the motor. The installer will need further and more detailed information.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

BAS - where did he say that it was the electrical equipment he was designing?

I am planning a project which needs some special wiring.

The project isn't actually an installation one yet - it is the development of a new product.

So if this product is not an electrical one, why the concern about special wiring? Your door opener is a mechanical device powered by an off-the shelf electric motor.

If glangri is not the person responsible for the electrical design why is he asking here?

 

[glangri2]

If glangri is not the person responsible for the electrical design why is he asking here?

Like I said, "I am planning a project".

There is a concept idea which has some open questions relating to feasibility which need answering before a plan can be finalised or any detail designing can take place.

I came to this forum, because I have had good input from knowledgeable people on other questions that I have had to do with DIY. I knew that there were a significant number of electricians that share their wisdom on the forum and, going back to the original post, I thought that someone would be bound to have a copy of BS7671 and be willing to tell me what was contained in the reference provided to me by the IET.

I wasn't wrong. I have had my question answered, but in addition to that I have also obtained some further very useful and relevant input.

I am not an electrician, so I do not know the regulations or standards particularly well and I do not claim to. In terms of assessing whether a concept is feasible and has any potential, questions that come up during early discussions need to be answered. In situations like this it is necessary to look into where those answers can be found.

I apologise if it is considered underhand that I posted my question on a DIY forum, but in my defense if I have a question about something I would always consider asking a knowledgeable friend if I thought that he/she might know the answer. I have found the comminity here to be friendly and helpful.

 

[skotl]

FWIW, that all makes perfect sense to me.

One can be a designer without necessarily being a renowned expert in every single discipline. Your product may need to be painted, for example, and it would not be reasonable to expect you to be an expert in the chemical makeup of the paint - you would seek advice.

((of course, you may well be a chemical engineer, for all I know it's just an example))

I suspect though, that B-A-S will now enter into one of his interminable rant campaigns - you probably don't want to waste too much time rising to the bait...