Home office / Part P questions

[didds]

Hi everyone,

A couple of years ago I built a home office at the top of my garden and rigged it up with a small CU, ring main and lighting circuit. I ran SWA back to the house and terminated it with the proper glands. The cartridge fuse CU in my house didn't have any spare ports to use and I wanted to replace it with a split load RCD unit anyway. Although I felt confident in doing the other work (I've got a degree in electric & electronic engineering and did some work as a sparky's mate ages ago) I wanted to get pro in to replace the consumer unit and hook up my new submain. After being messed around by a guy who never turned up when he said he would a few times I needed to get the office up and running and I didn't need much current (just a PC and light really) so I temporarily hooked up my submain with a normal plug and plugged it in via an RCD in the house... not the best thing to do, I know, but as I said I needed to get going.

Anyway, I've been putting off getting it all sorted properly for way too long and now I've discovered the new 'Part P' rules have come in. I'd still like to get a new CU in the house but I'm not sure how to get the submain connected legitimately - it seems that I can't go via my LABC as the work is complete other than the final connection and I assume that I'd have a similar problem if I asked a pro to do it. Or are they allowed to check and certify my work?

Does anyone have any recommendations for pro's that cover the Ipswich area?

Also, is my current situation legit - i.e. connecting via a normal socket?

 

[Adam_151]

Just get an electrician into replace the CU and connect the submain to it at the same time, is it really any different if you had, had a spare way and connected it at the time?, he'd still have to verify the circuit before re-connecting to the new CU. He'll test all the circuits and fill out an EIC with the details and write that the extent of the work is a new CU and connection of existing circuits.

he would not be certifying your work, he'd be cerytifying his CU change and part of that includes making sure the circuits are in a fit state for continued use

Hope this helps

 

[didds]

Ah, Ok - thanks. I assumed that because the submain isn't permanently connected at the moment it would count as a new circuit and therefore the whole thing (not just the new CU) would become notifiable

 

[ebee]

I asked my assessor something similar.
New build (2 years old) , common practice for installing electrician to first fix intruder alarm & security lights etc then go round and ask new owners if they want them installing as an extra.
They get me in to do this instead, I have not installed cables therefore can not verify zones etc or are there silly hidden joints/damaged cable.
Do I rip cables out and install new.
Answer no, just make all reasonable tests you can and if correct then complete the install and make it very clear on certificateas to which bits you did and did not do.
All well and good so far.
I decided to play Devils Advocate.
Someone first fixes this week (ignoring Part P) and gets me to finish off next week after teling me it was done 2 years ago - How would I know?
Next customer tells me He did it last week but I pretend I thought it done years ago.
Whats the actuall practical difference? apart from your conscience.
Just for the record I would not intentionally use this get out I`d send `em packing . But I could be duped just like anyone else.