Metal distribution board needed for safety report?

[JohnW2]

For a normal Two Up Two Down Terraced House etc.... Just split it half half each way.
One example would be this.

Sure, with any house, reasonable ways to 'split' the circuits is pretty apparent (such as you suggest) ... but what about the (also common) "None Up Three Down Flat", like my daughter's?

Kind Regards, John

 

[EFLImpudence]

Yes we all know that.

The OP - today - is asking about small flats. A One and two halves down.

How would you split:
Cooker
Sockets
Immersion
Lights

Normal price for small board change.
Customer does not want to pay for rewiring.

You can do anything else you want at your own expense.

 

[EFLImpudence]

Sorry John. Didn't see your post.

 

[Agile]

But is the two RCDs actually a mandatory requirement or just nice to have?

It is a common interpretation of a requirement. There is no Regulation which explicitly states this.

No one has specifically disagreed with this statement.

So unless anyone pipes up then I will hope that there is no Regulation and that those who misinterpret that there is are misguided!

I have to say that a small hallway maintained light has always seemed to me to be the best solution to safety in the event of power failure or a fault in the property.

But they seem to have lost favour these days.

Tony

 

[EFLImpudence]

Nothing is actually mandatory.

However, registered electricians have to follow rules which say they must follow the regulations.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

I have to say that a small hallway maintained light has always seemed to me to be the best solution to safety in the event of power failure or a fault in the property.

But they seem to have lost favour these days.

I have one on the landing, and two in the hallway. The one on the landing is on the downstairs lighting circuit, and one of the ones in the hallway is on the upstairs one.

 

[kai]

At the very least, have the Hall, stairs and landing lights on ONE dedicated MCB, to avoid borrowed neutrals, and the same switch faceplate being fed off different MCB's.

 

[JohnW2]

At the very least, have the Hall, stairs and landing lights on ONE dedicated MCB, to avoid borrowed neutrals, and the same switch faceplate being fed off different MCB's.

I understand your reasoning, but having hall, stairs and landing lights all on the same circuit means that the entire central core of the house (probably the primary 'escape route') would be plunged into darkness by a single fault - which would be arguably non-compliant with the regs.

Kind Regards, John

 

[ban-all-sheds]

At the very least, have the Hall, stairs and landing lights on ONE dedicated MCB, to avoid borrowed neutrals, and the same switch faceplate being fed off different MCB's.

I've gone for the traditional tried and trusted landing-light-on-the-downstairs-circuit-with-a-borrowed-neutral.

 

[securespark]

However, to return to my actual question, if, say, you were re-wiring a 3-room, single-floor, flat, would you create more than one lighting circuit?

TBH, if the flat were that small, probably! It would provide the ultimate failsafe.

 

[securespark]

At the very least, have the Hall, stairs and landing lights on ONE dedicated MCB, to avoid borrowed neutrals, and the same switch faceplate being fed off different MCB's.

I've gone for the traditional tried and trusted landing-light-on-the-downstairs-circuit-with-a-borrowed-neutral.

I have often in the past taken a three core from the hall light to the hall switch:
Feed
Hall switch wire
Neutral

then taken a 3 core up to the landing light:
Strappers
Neutral

Then connected the landing light direct to the landing switch using the imported neutral from downstairs.

The rest of the upper lighting is fed via a separate circuit.

This means there is no issue with borrowed neutrals and if the upstairs lights go open circuit, there is still one fitting on the floor that operates.

 

[JohnW2]

One of my daughters lives in a very small one-bedroomed flat in London (literally 3 rooms - kitchen/diner/lounge, bedroom and bathroom) and I'm quite amazed at how many circuits they have created - including one lighting circuit for each room!

I don't know who paid for that but an emergency light (and plug-in lamps) would seem more than adequate.

I spoke to my daughter earlier today and got her to report what actually goes on in the CU of her 3-room flat. What she reported was a Wylex CU with:

RCD 1
B6 bedroom lights + intruder alarm
B16 immersion heater (only as standby)
B32 kitchen area sockets
B40 shower (not installed)

RCD 2
B6 kitchen/diner/l-room lights
B20 bedroom sockets
B32 diner/l-room sockets
B32 cooker

B6 RCBO
hall lights (including emergency light) + smoke alarm

I don't know whether this is typical of 'high-spec' London flats, an indication of a landlord with more money than sense, an electrician who is a good salesman, or what! All rooms open onto the hall, with its emergency light fitting. I certainly reckon it's compliant with 314

Kind Regards, John