Electrical Regulations help - New Conservatory

[steveb1964]

We've recently had a new conservatory and a firm has installed some electric sockets and 2 lights.

I'm not sure if this has been done correctly or should I say by best practice so I'd like some advice please

To get the electric to the conservatory they've taken it from a power socket in the dining room which i'm told is on a spur. They then have 2 wires going into the conservatory into a fused switch and then the cable running round to the power sockets and lights.

They have also ran the cable in the cavity wall

Also none of the new electrical work goes into the RCD in the consumer box which I understand is the regulation now. If so when did this regulation come into place?

A seperate elctrician has told me they've ran a spur into a spur which isn't dangerous but it's not best practice and doesn't meet regulations and they should have put a fused switch in the dining room next to the socket they've got the power from and ran a single cable into the conservatory. How true this is I don't know so I'd like some advice from you guys if possible and if they haven't done things in the correct manor are there any regulations or BSI numbers I can refer to?

Many thanks

 

[comms]

To get the electric to the conservatory they've taken it from a power socket in the dining room which i'm told is on a spur

Are yo saying they have taken a spur from this socket or that this socket in the dining room is itself a spur?

They then have 2 wires going into the conservatory into a fused switch and then the cable running round to the power sockets and lights.

Is this 2x cables as in six conductors (2x brown & 2x blue & 2x cpc), if so sounds like they have extended the ringmain to include the fcu.

They have also ran the cable in the cavity wall

Nothing in the wiring regs on this but doesnt meet building regs (part C i belive) & running cables in a cavity isnt seen as best practice.

Also none of the new electrical work goes into the RCD in the consumer box which I understand is the regulation now.

Yes correct, the circuit should be on a rcd or they could have used a rcd fused spur at the socket in the dining room, then spured off to the conservatory.

If so when did this regulation come into place?

July 1st 2008 for the new 17th regs, but you could also argue that even the 16th edition regs required rcd protection of sockets.

My way of doing this type of work would be:

OPTION 1
check main equipotential bonding.

change circuit mcb for rcbo or if rewirable install a standalone rcd in an enclosure next to cu.

split the ringmain at an existing socket, run cables around conservatory & include 1x fused spur.

from the fused spur (3amp fuse) run lighting circuit.


OPTION 2

check main equipotential bonding

install a rcd fused spur (13amp fuse) next to existing socket.

run cable for sockets around conservatory & include 1x fcu (3amp fuse)

from the fcu run lighting circuit.


If the walls were to be plastered/dot dab'd run the cables clipped direct to brick face.

If walls are not to be plastered then use surface patresses & trunking/conduit/D-line trunk/skirting trunk.

 

[steveb1964]

Are yo saying they have taken a spur from this socket or that this socket in the dining room is itself a spur?

I believe the socket that they've taken it from is itself a spur

Is this 2x cables as in six conductors (2x brown & 2x blue & 2x cpc), if so sounds like they have extended the ringmain to include the fcu.

yes it's 2 cables

thanks

 

[steveb1964]

Yes correct, the circuit should be on a rcd or they could have used a rcd fused spur at the socket in the dining room, then spured off to the conservatory.

In the conservatory there is a light switch and in that switch is a 13amp fuse. Is this sufficient or not?

sorry i know very little about electrics but am ringing the electricians again later so it would be good if someone could confirm this or not

Thanks

 

[comms]

It's fine to use the switchwed fcu as a light switch, but the fuse should be 3 or 5 amp.


I believe the socket that they've taken it from is itself a spur

in that case they should have replaced that socket with an fcu then put that socket back in along with the conservatory sockets off of the load side of the fcu with a 13amp fuse.