LED Driver in niche (bathroom)

[shabbaranks]

Hi guys,

Just so I can get a good understanding I was wondering if someone could shed some "light" excuse the pun on my little nice project. Misses wants a niche with LED strip lights - niche is a rectangle about 4 2.5 meters long by about 50cm tall. I think Im correct in saying I would need a specific driver for this (120w) and because we want to go RGBW light changing we would need to wire the receiver in series before the driver then the strip light - is this correct?

Can I also check - would you:
Given its in a wet room wire the receiver\driver from the lights live feed in the loft space then run the led strip down into the niche using a bit of the led strip as a feed (which keeps the driver physically out of the bathroom) but loses some of the LED run and just apply it into the niche.

Have the driver\receiver accessible from the loft with a longer strip wire from the driver to the actual strip and feed the led run into the niche

Or another way?

Thanks as always!

 

[ericmark]

I would run it past your scheme provider, that's what you pay your annual fee for. If not a scheme member check what the LABC say first, it is work which comes under their control, and they can be a pain at times, asking for things which one would not think are required.

I finished off a wet room for my mother and had to inform LABC, and it was not easy getting them to accept my qualifications, so you need to get around that hurdle first.

 

[shabbaranks]

Thanks its part of a big extension so building control will need to sign the whole lot off. Plan is for a qualified electrician to come in and check everything anyway just thought I would ask on here if others have done the same.

Cheers

 

[markyd1]

So where are you getting a third party electrician from

 

[shabbaranks]

Not too sure yet.

 

[ericmark]

Not too sure yet.

You need to get the inspector involved before you start, he has to tell you when he wants to view it. It is not permitted in Wales, and very few electricians have the authority to inspect other peoples work.

The installation certificate can have three signatures, designer, installer and the inspection and testing. But these certificates are not normally used by scheme members, one signature covers all three, but he can't sign that he has designed it, if he hasn't.

A bathroom has different rules depending on barriers, and distances from the bath or shower, oddly the sink and toilet don't have a distance, after 3 meters special bathroom rules stop, but a bathroom where you can get 3 meters away from bath or shower would be rare.

There are silly rules, well they can seem silly, if the bath panels need a key or tool to remove them, things under the bath don't come under the special bathroom rules, but bath panels which clip into place are considered as not being there.

Many strip lights are powered from plug in power supplies, which clearly need sockets, which need to be 3 meters from bath or shower, it is all very well for a scheme member electrician to decide this location is within the rules, but where you have two inspectors looking at what you have, clearly even a scheme member has to comply with the sprite of the rules, as I found to my cost saying the rules allow to LABC does not cut the mustard if he says he wants an extractor fan in my case, you have to fit one even if the rules say with opening window not required.

Remember an electrical installation condition report (EICR) can be completed outside of a scheme membership, and the inspector can't issue a minor works or installation certificate unless he has done the work. Many LABC inspectors will use an EICR but it needs to be from an inspector they have selected, not you.

So with my mothers wet room if the LABC did not accept my signature then looking at an extra £200 for the inspection or more, plus the LABC fees at £100 plus vat for first £2000 worth of work, which can mean it can cost more to DIY than to pay a scheme member to do the work.

The LABC would not accept my sons signature with only a C&G 2391, but did accept mine with a degree, seemed daft, but they call the tune. And the LABC can tell you to rip it out and do it again so it has to be right.

Likely with a little advice you can do a safe job, but to find out after the LABC will not accept it is the last thing you want, so get the inspection sorted out before you start, I can recommend the Lidi strip lights they worked very well for me, but as with most they use a plug in power supply, possible it can be mounted in loft space, but the person signing the paperwork has to decide, not anyone on a forum.

 

[shabbaranks]

Appreciate this isnt the bathroom in detail but as an overview to the whole project (taken from the electrical safety first site)

What if I don’t use a registered electrician?​

If you use an installer who is not a registered competent person, he or she must notify the registered third-party certifier within five (5) days of completing the work. The registered third-party certifier will then, subject to the results of the inspection and testing being satisfactory, complete either an Electrical Installation Condition Report (based on the model shown in BS 7671) or one that has been specifically developed for the purposes of Part P and give it to the person ordering the work.

So isnt this basically saying the person doing the work "can be unregistered" which is fine as long as someone certified is notified within 5 days of finishing the work?

In my case building control are involved and will be until the end. If you look at the structure of the conditions of work it doesn't say anything about building control being involved in things like what Im doing as such. It just says all electric works need to be checked and signed off by the correct certified person etc.

 

[EFLImpudence]

I don't think that is correct.

"The registered third-party certifier will then, subject to the results of the inspection and testing being satisfactory, complete either an Electrical Installation Condition Report (based on the model shown in BS 7671) or one that has been specifically developed for the purposes of Part P and give it to the person ordering the work."

You don't want an EICR; you want an Electrical Installation Certificate or Minor Electrical Works Installation Certificate and it is nothing to do with Part P - apart from the safety requirement which is all Part P says.

I agree with what Eric said.


Ask Building Control what they want.