Rules and regs

[JPH/01]

I am a heating engineer and have been wirring my own systems for 20+ years, I have always put them on plug tops to existing sockets, by doing so now am I breaking the law ?, I was told by an electrican that a boiler/y plan on a plug top is not a fixed installation so part p is not relevant is this right ?.

 

[davy_owen_88]

Read me!!!

Part P applies to ALL electrical work in EVERY domestic premise, but certain work is not notifiable - and that includes non-fixed wiring connected to a plug top. If the boiler/whatever is in any room besides a kitchen and bathroom, you can add on to an existing circuit without notifying.

 

[Taylortwocities]

I bet there's not a handy existing socket available everywhere you go though..........?

 

[TeesdaleSpark]

I think you might have difficulty trying to convince a Building Control Officer or a Magistrate that the wiring to the central heating is not fixed even if you supplied it with a plug and socket arrangement.

In any case it is not what a decent sparky would do.

 

[dingbat]

I think you might have difficulty trying to convince a Building Control Officer or a Magistrate that the wiring to the central heating is not fixed even if you supplied it with a plug and socket arrangement.

Approved Document P. Page 9, Additional Note h to General Guidance:

"The installation of fixed equipment is within the scope of Part P, even where the final connection is by a 13A plug and socket."

And note n:

"New central heating control wiring installations are notifiable even where work in kitchens and bathrooms is avoided."

 

[Softus]

Approved Document P. Page 9, Additional Note h to General Guidance:

"The installation of fixed equipment is within the scope of Part P, even where the final connection is by a 13A plug and socket."

And note n:

"New central heating control wiring installations are notifiable even where work in kitchens and bathrooms is avoided."

The approved document has no legal standing, so it can state and require 'til it's blue in the face and it doesn't make a blind bit of difference to anything.

 

[Lectrician]

Fixed wiring to a plugtop is still fixed wiring isn't it?

Cable to roomstat.
Cable to boiler.

There is still fixed wiring present, albeit, fed via a plugtop.

Connecting it via a plugtop makes it no safer, or different from an FCU. So in my opinion should still be covered under Part P - There is still just as much scope for error and dangerous installs.

 

[TeesdaleSpark]

The approved document has no legal standing, so it can state and require 'til it's blue in the face and it doesn't make a blind bit of difference to anything.

You need to show that you comply with the law somehow and complying with approved documents is how you do it. You can't just pick and choose the bits you like. If you choose not to comply with it you need to demonstrate you have complied with the law in some other way.

Any professional doing the job or giving advice would always comply with the regs, standards and approved documents.

I would advise anyone to avoid so called professionals who are always looking for ways to not conform to the relevant standards.

 

[Softus]

You need to show that you comply with the law somehow and complying with approved documents is how you do it.

No. Complying with the law is how you show compliance with the law.

You can't just pick and choose the bits you like. If you choose not to comply with it you need to demonstrate you have complied with the law in some other way.

How does complying with the approved documents demonstrate that one has complied with the law?

Any professional doing the job or giving advice would always comply with the regs, standards and approved documents.

Well I don't even attempt to comply with the approved documents, so your assertion that any professional "would always comply" with them is incorrect.

I would advise anyone to avoid so called professionals who are always looking for ways to not conform to the relevant standards.

I'd advise anyone to ignore people who are confused about statutory requirements and non-statutory guidance documents.

 

[Stoday]

In principle Softus is right. As it says in part P and all the others-

Approved Documents are intended to provide guidance for some of the more common building situations. However, there may well be alternative ways of achieving compliance with the requirements. Thus there is no obligation to adopt any particular solution contained in an Approved Document if you prefer to meet the relevant requirement in some other way.

But practically most professionals would comply with the approved documents. Doing so demonstrates that you're not a cowboy.

 

[ricicle]

The approved document has no legal standing, so it can state and require 'til it's blue in the face and it doesn't make a blind bit of difference to anything.

So are you saying you cannot be prosecuted for not notifying work that is deemed to be notifiable under Part P (assuming no accidents/near misses have occured from said work), if it were discovered that such work had been carried out? (and all done to recognised standards)

 

[Softus]

The approved document has no legal standing, so it can state and require 'til it's blue in the face and it doesn't make a blind bit of difference to anything.

So are you saying you cannot be prosecuted for not notifying work that is deemed to be notifiable under Part P (assuming no accidents/near misses have occured from said work), if it were discovered that such work had been carried out? (and all done to recognised standards)

I'm very much neither saying nor implying any such thing!

The Building Regulations are part of this country's legislation, i.e. if you contravene the Building Regulations then you've automatically broken the law. Of course, there's a spectrum of transgressions ranging from trivial to downright lethal.

Contravening something stated in an Approved Document isn't an offence per se, any more so than doing something that I tell you not to do, but if, in flouting a AD 'recommendation', you also contravene the BRs, then it is.