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At work, we have taken over a room that has been a store room for years.
We need a 16A socket added to run a welder.
Because it was a store room, the existing metal cased board has been looked at by our "estates" dept and the opinion is that because the board is "not compliant" we will need a whole new set up. It has an existing 32A heavy duty grey metal cased outlet with the typical chrome on/off type connection fed off it.
While I fully understand the aim of updating electrics to meet modern standards, the building is due to be vacated this time next year and demolished in Jan 21.
Our estates dept tend to over egg any job as charge the client dept a lot for the work. For example replacing two conduit supplied light fluorescent fittings for larger ones, daylight tubes, cost £500 and took two blokes 2 hrs. Cost £500
My question is ( retaining safe practices at all times) is there actually any electrical rule that says that an older installation MUST be upgraded to modern standards when it is for all intents and purposes a very short term project?
I just feel that one dept is over egging their side of the deal, costing another vast sums when the money would be better spent on our new building. At no time would I expect them do bodge it but replacement seems a bit OTT given the short lifespan.
Another example is us being warned about supplying a music system outdoors by feeding an extension lead through a window for an evening. A plug in RCD was used.
Next time we duly applied for a leas suppled by facilities and surprise surprise for £300 a bloke arrived and opened a window, stuck an extension lead out of the window and bunged an RCD on it.
Apart from anything, I am surprised that the non compliant RCD seems to be news to an estates dept who surely should be aware of every distro board in their buildings.
Cheers
We need a 16A socket added to run a welder.
Because it was a store room, the existing metal cased board has been looked at by our "estates" dept and the opinion is that because the board is "not compliant" we will need a whole new set up. It has an existing 32A heavy duty grey metal cased outlet with the typical chrome on/off type connection fed off it.
While I fully understand the aim of updating electrics to meet modern standards, the building is due to be vacated this time next year and demolished in Jan 21.
Our estates dept tend to over egg any job as charge the client dept a lot for the work. For example replacing two conduit supplied light fluorescent fittings for larger ones, daylight tubes, cost £500 and took two blokes 2 hrs. Cost £500
My question is ( retaining safe practices at all times) is there actually any electrical rule that says that an older installation MUST be upgraded to modern standards when it is for all intents and purposes a very short term project?
I just feel that one dept is over egging their side of the deal, costing another vast sums when the money would be better spent on our new building. At no time would I expect them do bodge it but replacement seems a bit OTT given the short lifespan.
Another example is us being warned about supplying a music system outdoors by feeding an extension lead through a window for an evening. A plug in RCD was used.
Next time we duly applied for a leas suppled by facilities and surprise surprise for £300 a bloke arrived and opened a window, stuck an extension lead out of the window and bunged an RCD on it.
Apart from anything, I am surprised that the non compliant RCD seems to be news to an estates dept who surely should be aware of every distro board in their buildings.
Cheers