Part P - laundry room with just a washing machine

[homeraway]

Hi

We are about to plumb in a washing machine into a room that will become a laundry room. It is a small room so will only have the washing machine in it no sink etc. the plumbing will be permanent fix to the machine.
13a FSU above worktop and socket under for machine.

Just wondered if Part P applies and to what extent, zones apply -
do we need to consider having a pull cord for the light switch
or specific light fittings

thanks
d

 

[Taylortwocities]

Building Regulations Part P applies to ALL electrical work.
Part P mandates electrical safety.

I think that you are confusing this with the requirement to notify certain works.

If your room does not contain a bath or shower and this is not a new circuit then you do not need to notify the works. And there is no reason to have a pull switch either.

 

[homeraway]

hi

thanks for your reply - no I'm not confusing the requirements to notify certain works.

I was specifically asking as per my original post - if Part P applied? (for electrical safety) in a room that contains a washing machine with a fixed water supply. (as it would do for a kitchen or bathroom or cloak room where water is present)
As this room is currently not plumbed in with water and will be when we move the washing machine but already wired.

 

[ricicle]

As above, Part P applies to all aspects of domestic electrical work.

 

[homeraway]

ricicle

hi

yep we all know Part P applies to all aspects of domestic electrical work, so in the case of moving a washing machine into a room that is currently wired with one fixed light and wall light switch and current socket layout as per post.
Is there a need for us to have alterations made to the current fix if we now subsequently add a water supply to that room.

 

[Taylortwocities]

In that room:

Is there a shower
IS there a swimming pool
Is there a sauna
is there a marina
Is there a fairground



If no, then it is not a special location and sockets, switches etc can be installed with the same abandon that applies to your living or bed room.

It doesnt matter if there's water in the room.

No zones, no special requirements, no notification. Just do the electrics to BS7671 standards.

\

 

[homeraway]

taylortwocities

There are NO sockets or switches to install - as per my original post.

They are already installed from previous work carried out under building notice.
We have further work underway (structural work) so will get a view and sensible answer from building control when they visit for that.

I understand that you seem to have a problem, implying that I will be doing the electrical work myself - so hopefully you will understand from the line above (again) that the sockets are already in place.

I also don't see the point in implying that sockets / switches have been installed with abandon in the living room and bedroom - which you also wouldn't know.

 

[PrenticeBoyofDerry]

Just wondered if Part P applies and to what extent,
zones apply -

Echo!-Part P applies to all electrical work within a domestic setting. Zones are restricted to rooms with baths/showers not hand basins or sinks. There are permitted safe zones that apply to cable routing.

do we need to consider having a pull cord for the light switch
or specific light fittings

Not if there is no shower or bath in the room

yep we all know Part P applies to all aspects of domestic electrical work, so in the case of moving a washing machine into a room that is currently wired with one fixed light and wall light switch and current socket layout as per post.
Is there a need for us to have alterations made to the current fix if we now subsequently add a water supply to that room.

No not unless the existing installation is unsafe? If you have carried out any alteration, this would need to comply to part p and one way of doing this is by following the recommended guidelines set down in BS7671.
Most hardwiring of buried cables and any additional socket outlets now require 30mA RCD protection, Section 7 of BS7671 will also set out the requirements of inspection and testing of existing and any new (whole or part) of the installation.

Hope this is clear, in general if you have done no alterations to the electrical installation, used common sense with regards to the potential hazard of introducing water into an area where there are electrics, then you should be fine. There is no bath/shower in that room, so those zones are not applicable! But part p will always apply!

You mention building controls inspection and sign off. So is this a new extension then, not a using up of existing space?
If so and electrical work has taken place, the inspector will require documentation from the installer with regards to the electrical work. ie minor works or electrical installation certificate, which ever applies, unless you have arrange for them to do this for you.

 

[davelx]

taylortwocities

There are NO sockets or switches to install - as per my original post.

They are already installed from previous work carried out under building notice.
We have further work underway (structural work) so will get a view and sensible answer from building control when they visit for that.

I understand that you seem to have a problem, implying that I will be doing the electrical work myself - so hopefully you will understand from the line above (again) that the sockets are already in place.

I also don't see the point in implying that sockets / switches have been installed with abandon in the living room and bedroom - which you also wouldn't know.

I think you've got the wrong end of the stick. What TTC is saying is that there is nothing special about this room, so you don't need to do anything differently from what you would do in a bedroom or living room, thus no changes are needed other than perhaps for your convenience.

As TTC says, Part P applies in every part of your house. One (and the easiest) way to comply with Part P is to do any work that might be needed (now or in the future) in accordance with BS7671 AKA The Wiring Regulations.

 

[ericmark]

It will depend where you live to if Part P applies. England and Wales have Part P other parts of the UK have different names to the regulations.

To what extent also depends on where you live. Part P in Wales still required notification for kitchen and garden and the Utility room normally is not classed as a kitchen oddly it's not the sink, or cooker that make a room a kitchen but food preparation areas.

I have often joked as to if the greenhouse is classed as a kitchen?

Read posts on here and there are many posts about what is notifiable all down to how one defines things like "New Circuits" so really more important is to work out if what you want to do is safe.

From your post all sockets required are already installed however standards have changed over the years so items installed in 2007 may no longer comply. The problem arises as it also controls things like bonding on water pipes and although before 2008 and after 2008 both systems are safe having a mixture of too systems may not be.

Plastic and Metal pipes will likely require different procedure as to bonding and any other metal work which could under fault conditions transfer danger from one room to another. Things like RCD protection can also alter what is required.

It is likely nothing is required but it is so easy to make statements then find something which we were not aware of has resulted in giving wrong advice.

 

[JohnW2]

There are NO sockets or switches to install - as per my original post. They are already installed from previous work carried out under building notice.

As others have said, the simple answer to your question in the final sentence of your original post is 'No' ....

...As I understand it, the SFCU and socket for the washing machine are already in place and that all you wish to do is plug the WM into that socket and install plumbing for it. If so, although Part P (and maybe the need for notification - if it were a 'new circuit') will have applied to the installation of that SFCU & socket, the introduction of a washing machine (and bringing associated plumbing into the room) raises no new electrical issues whatsoever - i.e. (unless you want to) there is no need for the lighting fittings to be 'special' or for you to have a pull-switch for the lighting.

In general, non-electrical work will not raise any 'BS7671/Part P issues'. The main exceptions would be if you introduced a bath, shower, sauna or swimming pool into a room that previously had none of those - that would change it into a 'special location' which (very reasonably) would bring special electrical requirements into play. Merely 'introducing water' into a room - say for a sink, basin, WC, washing machine or dishwasher, does not, in itself, render the room a 'special location' and therefore does not introduce and special electrical requirements.

Hope that helps to clarify.

Kind Regards, John

 

[homeraway]

prenticeboy and davelx

thanks for you clear explanation and assistance.
electrical work on room was done some 6 months ago and signed off in an existing room (old lada/pantry). BC are back as we are taking up further structural work.


No didn't have wrong end of stick it was to do with the tone of TTC's initial response and assumptions rather than asking and at that point its difficult to assess if his response is valid or no.

no probs
thanks again

 

[EFLImpudence]

TTC's replies were totally accurate.

The fact that you didn't understand them is because you didn't understand them.

This is part P in its entirety:

That's it.

It is the same in England and Wales.


There are other Building Regulations which relate to notification.

These are now different in England and Wales because Wales wants to be different.
They have always been different is Scotland because Scotland, too, wants to be different.



P.S. There's no point having an FCU above the WM socket.
You can fit a 20A switch if you want.

 

[homeraway]

EFL, JohnW2

I did understand them - the point I was making is, it is difficult to take TTC's reply seriously due to his assumptions and the tone of his reply.
as I mentioned above.

others have posted on here including yourself with the detail I needed thanks.

Many thanks to John W2 who seemed to actually read the question and answer it fully - thanks again.

now over to one of the other forums to gather more info on other build stuff )