PPP - Part P Ponderings.

[securespark]

I'm sure people have loads of these. I know Part P has been done to death, but bear with me.

Part of the Part P document says that you can replace electrical items around the home, and also replace one damaged circuit cable (as long as it follows the same route) without notifying.

But in reality this may not always be possible. What if (for eg) there is a mains fan over a bath that needs replacing? It will have to be replaced with SELV, so it is strictly not like-for-like.

What if the damaged circuit cable you replace is not correctly selected and erected? What if the cable is 6mm when it should be 10, and is dangerously routed?

Of course, in both cases, you would have to follow 7671, but this means you cannot stick to Part P.

Then what do you do?

 

[ban-all-sheds]

Obviously you do one of 4 things.

1) If you are a Competent Person you do the necessary work and send a notice to your scheme organiser.

2) If you are not a Competent Person you submit a Building Notice to LABC and proceed with the work according to their diktats regarding I&T.

3) You just get on with it and keep quiet.

4) You leave it in its dangerous/non-compliant state.

 

[securespark]

My point is that this partcular rule often nulls itself, as it is not always
possible to replace something like for like.

However, JP will replace these items, often in ignorance (no offence meant), because they think like for like is OK. Or they will replace a cable with the same type and size, following the same route, because it is obviously OK to do this - Part P permits it.

But in both cases (cable replacement and the fan scenario), they would not meet 7671.

Bad............but then we knew that anyway!

So Part P may inadvertantly perpetuate sub-standard installations