Replacing Cable on Ring Main Circuit

[royster]

Hi there,

I know this may sound like a silly question to those of you in the know. But I have read through the Part P documents on the OPDM website and it is too technical for me to understand.

Here is the situation, I have a ring main servicing the bedrooms in my property and I wish to move a double socket outlet around 1m to its left. To do this I will need to replace a section of the Red & Black wiring with T+E 2.5mm of the harmonized type. Do I have notify the LABC? I understand that I will have to place a warning sign on the CU stating that there is two cabling versions of BS7671 etc etc....

Thanks in advance....

 

[dingbat]

This work is not notifiable to Building Control, but it is still covered by the requirements of Part P, that:

P1. Reasonable provision shall be made in the design,
installation, inspection and testing of electrical installations
in order to protect persons from fire or injury.

P2. Sufficient information shall be provided so that
persons wishing to operate, maintain or alter an electrical
installation can do so with reasonable safety.

 

[Qedelec]

I'm pretty certain you will need to inform building control but if I'm wrong Ban will put us straight (he's the part P expert)

You could add an unfused spur, leaving this socket where it is. It is ok to add a spur from a socket on the ring main.

 

[dingbat]

You could add an unfused spur, leaving this socket where it is. It is ok to add a spur from a socket on the ring main.

It is also okay to replace sections of cable, add extra socket-outlets or lighting points to existing circuits, and replace or re-fix accessories and enclosures in rooms that are not considered 'special locations'. Bedrooms are not.

You do NOT need to inform LABC.

 

[Qedelec]

Thanks Ding.

You wearing Ban's hat today?

 

[dingbat]

You wearing Ban's hat today?

Nah. Far too big for me. I just happen to have a week off and I've run out of jobs around the house!

 

[royster]

Thanx guys,

It was what I thought. In the sense of doing things properley its best to leave all sockets on the ring main if i'm going to the effort of channeling the walls out.

I also presume the I won't have to notify them if I'm going to move a light switch and the pendent and re-install it using a 4-way junction box instead of the loop-in style (on the pendant)?? The other-half wants a fancy chrome light in the bedroom as well...

Cheers

 

[dingbat]

So long as the JB is 'accessible'. There are differing opinions on what constitutes accessible - under floorboards is generally considered to be not accessible. (How would somebodycarrying out a PIR know it existed?)

Best way is to make the loop connections in terminal block, enclosed in a choc-box http://www.tlc-direct.co.uk/Products/CHOCBOX.html which can be pushed backinto the ceiling void. This is allowed to remain unfixed because the box has cable clamps and the issue of connecting solid cable to flex under a single screw connection is avoided.

 

[royster]

The Junction-Box is going to mounted to a joist in the loft above the insulation so it will be visible if a PIR is done.

From what I can gather from Part P is that I can make amendments to the circuits so long as I make all the JB's accessible and that I don't change any of the wiring directly connected to the CU. Also don't touch anything outside the house and anything inside the kitchen and bathrooms.

 

[dingbat]

Sounds fair enough to me.

 

[royster]

Thanx dingbat for your "common sense" explanations of Part P.

My last silly question is in regards to the "Appleby" dry lining boxes. There is no earth connector on these which is obvious because they are plastic, but there is no earth connector on my light switch either so where would I connect the earth to? Or should I just chop it back to where I have stripped the grey sheathing?

Ta

 

[dingbat]

Don't chop it back - somebody may replace that switch with a metal one that needs earthing. Sleeve it (yellow/green) and terminate it into a single section of terminal block.

 

[slippyr4]

chopping it isn't a good idea for the future. do something with the end (eg stick a bit of heat shrink on it) and tuck it in the back box.