PIR 'departures' and BCO

[TicklyT]

I finally managed to find a spark to do a PIR on the electrics in an extension as requested by the BCO after the builder 'disappeared' before getting the work signed off.

Everything looks OK except for a couple of notes from the spark doing the testing.

1. No earth bond between sockets and back boxes.
There is one fixed lug on boxes, so they should be earthed through the fixing screw, and I believe opinions are divided on that one. It won't take much to put straps in half a dozen back boxes anyway.

2. No fire hoods on downlighters.
It's a ground floor extension with downlighters recessed into the two foot high loft space above. The insulation is cleared from around the fittings.
I thought fire hoods are only required when there are habitable rooms above.

3. No equipotential bonding in shower room.
the plumbing is all plastic so there's nothing to bond to, except where numpty builder decided to cut the plastic pipes short and put push-fit elbows inside a stud wall where nobody can get to them when they start leaking and fit 3" long copper tails to poke through the plasterboard and join back onto plastic pipe inside the room

I'm just wondering if I will have to do any remedial work to keep the BCO happy before submitting the cert. as time is getting very short. Everything should have been signed off by December.

 

[securespark]

Have you queried all of these with the report's author?

 

[Steve]

I agree with you on 2.

the rule is actually when there is another dwelling above, or where the ceiling is fire rated for other reasons. so bordering a loft or another room of the same dwelling - you dont need hoods. Unless one room is a garage.

 

[Spark123]

1) It isn't required unless they are surface mounted, for what it's worth put them in.

3) Equipotential bonding is still required between the CPCs of circuits supplying class 1 or class 2 equipment within the zones and any other extraneous conductive parts such as a metallic building structure.

 

[plugwash]

given BCOs incompetance and the fact they are unlikely to belive you over a qualified electrician i'd just do the remedials. with regards the not really nessacery bonding i'd be tempted to put it in at the surface and then take it off again when BCO dissapeared.