do i have to get this work passed?

[jon3674]

My father has just had a one room extension added to his lounge to be used as a garden room, he intends to put a 1g 1w light switch in there and also a few sockets. he intends to tap into and extend the downstairs ringmain for the additional sockets and likewise tap into the downstairs lighting circuit to power the light. He his fully competent to do the job but does it have to be completed and signed off by a part p electrician or can he just inform building control and carry out the work himself, incidentally the extension had planning permission and was built on a builders notice

Many thanks

 

[ban-all-sheds]

Adding lights, switches, sockets etc to existing circuits not in kitchens and bathrooms etc is not notifiable, so he doesn't have to tell BC.

 

[saxondale]

If I was looking to buy the house I would be asking for certs - why not just get them anyway?

 

[Adam_151]

If I was looking to buy the house I would be asking for certs - why not just get them anyway?

Unless you settle for a PIR to cover a lack of certs, then I suspect there would be very few houses you'd be happy with (even brand new ones)

 

[stargazer]

Indeed.

 

[jon3674]

As it's a new extension and planning was needed, does he need some sort of certification to get the extension signed off

cheers

 

[ban-all-sheds]

Not from a Building Regs point of view - the electrical work you have described is not notifiable even if the walls it's fixed to are.

But it still needs to be safe, which may mean adding RCD protection to the sockets if not already present, and does need it confirming that the extended circuits are not too long for the MCB to operate properly.

And there are the generic issues of correct cable sizes, installation methods and routes and so on to consider.

There is a common misconception that "Part P applies" is synonymous with "must be notified", or the corollary that "does not need notifying" is synonymous with "Part P does not apply". This is not the case, and anything that is done (even changing light switches to ones of a different design) must comply with P1 of the Building Regulations.

Non-notifiable electrical work done in isolation is never going to attract attention unless something bad happens, but if this extension has not yet been signed off by BC it might be prudent to ask them what their position is regarding the electrical work.

Or not do any electrical work until the extension has been signed off...