Notification of UFH in Bathroom

[PlugSocket]

Does installation of electric underfloor heating in a bathroom still require notification? A bathroom is a special location, and "The space extends vertically from the finished floor level to a height of 2.25M".

So, in the case I have removed the existing floorboards, and replaced with plywood and tiles (with a heating mat below the tiles), the UFH mat appears to be outside the 'special location' - i.e. beneath the FFL. (FWIW, horizontally, it's within 0.6m of the bath).

cheers,
Plug

 

[EFLImpudence]

I would agree with you that it is not notifiable.

However, it should still be tested and certified properly.

 

[DetlefSchmitz]

Thermostat, switches?

 

[JohnW2]

Thermostat, switches?

Outside of zones (horizontally), I would imagine (if that's what you were thinking about).

Kind Regards, John

 

[ericmark]

Very interesting question. It would seem to be outside the zone. In which case anything buried in the wall is also outside the zone. Question has to be what is notifiable?

I think the idea of Part P was good but the whole system just asks for people to find an excuse not to notify. The price of notifying is so high for a single job to be silly one can't reasonably charge £200 to notify a £50 job.

To me the main thing with Part P was to make it a legal thing to follow an EEC regulations be it BS7671 or some other EEC country with exception of sockets they are very similar.

So if the under floor heating is of a type recommended for a bathroom then no problem. When I took over a job of doing a wet room it took some hunting to see if the system selected was OK i.e. it had a earthed screen around the heating element.

However the LABC inspector did not even ask what heating system had been installed so clearly even if I had selected the wrong type he would have not known.

I submitted the installation certificate and the completion certificate was received in the post without even a casual glance at what I had done. So based on that it's nothing more than a tax. And if you can get away without paying good on you.

 

[JohnW2]

Very interesting question. It would seem to be outside the zone. In which case anything buried in the wall is also outside the zone.

Possibly - but although the zone definitions explicitly mention 'finished floor level' they don't actually say anything about wall surfaces - so who knows?!

Kind Regards, John

 

[PlugSocket]

Thanks. All the controls etc. are outside the zones (outside the room actually), so that is not an issue. UFH was specifically mentioned in the 2005 requirements, so I was wondering if it was still 'special'. I don't know if GN7 adds anything specific about this.
//Plug

 

[JohnW2]

Thanks. All the controls etc. are outside the zones (outside the room actually), so that is not an issue.

Fair enough - as I expected.

UFH was specifically mentioned in the 2005 requirements, so I was wondering if it was still 'special'.

When you say "the 2005 requirements", do you mean the original (pre-April-2013) notification rules? If so, I don't recall any specific mention of UFH. Those rules obviously differed from the present (in England) ones, in that they specified the few things which then did not require notification, whereas the new rules (in England) specify the few things which now do require notification. UFH was certainly not specified as something which did not require notification in the original rules so, as you say, it would presumably have been notifiable then - no matter what room it was in.

Kind Regards, John
Edit: typo corrected

 

[ban-all-sheds]

the original (pre-April-2003) notification rules?

2013?

 

[JohnW2]

the original (pre-April-2003) notification rules?

2013?

Quite so - thanks. Typo corrected.

Kind Regards, John

 

[PlugSocket]

I don't recall any specific mention of UFH

This is the part I am specifically thinking about (see the Wiki for the full text)

DESCRIPTIONS OF WORK WHERE NO BUILDING NOTICE OR DEPOSIT OF FULL PLANS REQUIRED

2. Work which -
(b) does not involve work on a special installation...
For the purposes of this Schedule... “special installation” means an electric floor or ceiling heating system...


I don't see anything similar now - but my original question was just to confirm I wasn't overlooking something.


regards
Plug

 

[JohnW2]

I don't recall any specific mention of UFH

This is the part I am specifically thinking about (see the Wiki for the full text)
DESCRIPTIONS OF WORK WHERE NO BUILDING NOTICE OR DEPOSIT OF FULL PLANS REQUIRED
2. Work which -
(b) does not involve work on a special installation...
For the purposes of this Schedule... “special installation” means an electric floor or ceiling heating system...

Sure, but you didn't quote the rest of the sentence which came after that (b), namely ....

".... and (c) consists of - (i) adding light fittings and switches to an existing circuit; or(ii) adding socket outlets and fused spurs to an existing ring or radial circuit;

... so, (even if it weren't a 'special installation') the only works which (2) was allowing as 'non-notifiable' were those things mentioned in c(i) and c(ii), which surely doesn't include the installation of UFH?

As you say, it's much simpler now (in England), since the concept of 'special installation' is not even mentioned in relation to the notification rules - certain works in 'special locations' (essentially the zones of bathrooms etc.) are now the only 'special' things which are singled out as notifiable.

Kind Regards, John