What exactly can I DIY without notifying buildings dept?

[Froggies]

Having just moved into a new house I want to have some electrics changed asap before carpets go down. I'm not sure what I am permitted to do myself anymore without notifying building control dept. Which of the following do I now have to notify building inspector about and have done by NICEIC registered electrician?

1. moving light switches without extending wiring
2. moving wall sockets without extending wiring
3. moving sockets and extending wiring by replacing with longer new wire run.
4. Modify 1-way bedroom light to 3-way
5. Add additional downlights to existing circuit on landing (2-way)
6. Add tv points (terrestrial & satellite)
7. Replace rocker switch with dimmer
8. Add a new socket as a spur
9. Add an outside PIR light off garage spur
10. Install outside garden light which there is currently no dedicated wiring for.
11. Move bathroom shaver socket without extending wiring
12. Install zone 1 downlight over shower from existing extractor fan wiring
13. Install wall light and heated mirror pad off existing bathroom light.
14. Install circuit for electric underfloor heating in bathroom (suspect I know the answer to this but might as well complete the list).

 

[ban-all-sheds]

Having just moved into a new house I want to have some electrics changed asap before carpets go down. I'm not sure what I am permitted to do myself anymore without notifying building control dept.

You are allowed to do whatever you want, but some work needs to be notified in advance.

But whether notifiable or not, you are obliged to do a safe job.

Which of the following do I now have to notify building inspector about and have done by NICEIC registered electrician?

1) You never have to use a registered electrician (see above), although it is often the most sensible way to remain legal.

2) If you do use a registered electrician there are other registration bodies apart from NICEIC. Look here: http://www.competentperson.co.uk/

Schedule 2B here lists what is not notifiable. Everything else is.

 

[saxondale]

12,13 and 14, possibly 9 and 10 depending

 

[MarkBarl]

The Wiki has a good page here that contains good information about Part P and DIY. This should give you the info you need.

 

[Froggies]

Thanks for responses. I didn't know Part P was available online and as you might have gathered from the time I posted I'd been spending some time looking.

The garage PIR light off the garage wall socket is a straightforward job, but what type of circumstances would make the difference between this being notifiable or not?

May be leaving this to a pro anyway though as could also do with more sockets and light fittings in garage and no doubt radial feed will need uprating accordingly. Looks like 2.5mm2 cable off a 16A circuit breaker from household consumer unit has been used.

 

[Softus]

The garage PIR light off the garage wall socket is a straightforward job, but what type of circumstances would make the difference between this being notifiable or not?

It failing to appear in the list defined in Schedule 2B.

For example, if you installed a new fixed cable run to the light.

 

[saxondale]

The garage PIR light off the garage wall socket is a straightforward job, but what type of circumstances would make the difference between this being notifiable or not?

It failing to appear in the list defined in Schedule 2B.

For example, if you installed a new fixed cable run to the light.

thats not quite true - only if its also a new circuit (ie from its own mcb)

lights used to be an issue until the ammendments were issued ( 2006?) as it was classed as "outside.." now if it exits the building and terminates directly in the housing its no longer notifiable under Part P requirments

easy way to remember all this

" you dont need to notify alterations, additions and extensions to a circuit unless in a special location......"

anything else is just wrong interpretation

 

[Softus]

The garage PIR light off the garage wall socket is a straightforward job, but what type of circumstances would make the difference between this being notifiable or not?

It failing to appear in the list defined in Schedule 2B.

For example, if you installed a new fixed cable run to the light.

thats not quite true

You're wrong - it's precisely true.

easy way to remember all this

" you dont need to notify alterations, additions and extensions to a circuit unless in a special location......"

I don't know where you got those words from, but it wasn't the Building Regulations.

anything else is just wrong interpretation

Er, yes, indeed.

 

[jpdw]

The garage PIR light off the garage wall socket is a straightforward job, but what type of circumstances would make the difference between this being notifiable or not?

It failing to appear in the list defined in Schedule 2B.

For example, if you installed a new fixed cable run to the light.

thats not quite true

You're wrong - it's precisely true.

easy way to remember all this

" you dont need to notify alterations, additions and extensions to a circuit unless in a special location......"

I don't know where you got those words from, but it wasn't the Building Regulations.

But doesn't the BR does say something that has similar implication though in different words to those quoted by saxondale:

"However work is notifiable ony it is involves
fixed wiring and the installation of a new circuit
or
the extension of a circuit in a kitchen or special location or associated with a special installation"

 

[ban-all-sheds]

But doesn't the BR does say something that has similar implication though in different words to those quoted by saxondale:

"However work is notifiable ony it is involves
fixed wiring and the installation of a new circuit
or
the extension of a circuit in a kitchen or special location or associated with a special installation"

No.

The Building Regulations say:

A person who intends to carry out building work is not required to give a building notice or deposit full plans where the work consists only of work—
(a) described in column 1 of the Table in Schedule 2A if the work is to be carried out by a person described in the corresponding entry in column 2 of that Table, and paragraphs 1 and 2 of that Schedule have effect for the purposes of the descriptions in the Table; or
(b) described in Schedule 2B.

And Schedule 2B says:

DESCRIPTIONS OF WORK WHERE NO BUILDING NOTICE OR DEPOSIT OF FULL PLANS REQUIRED
1. Work consisting of -
(a) replacing any fixed electrical equipment which does not include the provision of -
(i) any new fixed cabling; or
(ii) a consumer unit;
(b) replacing a damaged cable for a single circuit only;
(c) re-fixing or replacing enclosures of existing installation components, where the circuit protective measures are unaffected;
(d) providing mechanical protection to an existing fixed installation, where the circuit protective measures and current carrying capacity of conductors are unaffected by the increased thermal insulation.
(e) installing or upgrading main or supplementary equipotential bonding;
(f) in heating or cooling systems -
(i) replacing control devices that utilise existing fixed control wiring or pneumatic pipes;
(ii) replacing a distribution system output device;
(iii) providing a valve or a pump;
(iv) providing a damper or a fan;
(g) in hot water service systems, providing a valve or a pump;
(h) replacing an external door (where the door together with its frame has not more than 50% of its internal face area glazed);
(i) in existing buildings other than dwellings, providing fixed internal lighting where no more than 100m2 of the floor area of the building is to be served by the lighting.
2. Work which -
(a) is not in a kitchen, or a special location,
(b) does not involve work on a special installation, and
(c) consists of -
(i) adding light fittings and switches to an existing circuit; or
(ii) adding socket outlets and fused spurs to an existing ring or radial circuit;
3. Work on -
(a) telephone wiring or extra-low voltage wiring for the purposes of communications, information technology, signalling, control and similar purposes, where the wiring is not in a special location;
(b) equipment associated with the wiring referred to in sub-paragraph (a).
(c) pre-fabricated equipment sets and associated flexible leads with integral plug and socket connections.
4. For the purposes of this Schedule -
"kitchen" means a room or part of a room which contains a sink and food preparation facilities;
"special installation" means an electric floor or ceiling heating system, an outdoor lighting or electric power installation, an electricity generator, or an extra-low voltage lighting system which is not a pre-assembled lighting set bearing the CE marking referred to in regulation 9 of the Electrical Equipment (Safety) Regulations 1994; and
"special location" means a location within the limits of the relevant zones specified for a bath, a shower, a swimming or paddling pool or a hot air sauna in the Wiring Regulations, sixteenth edition, published by the Institution of Electrical Engineers and the British Standards Institution as BS 7671: 2001 and incorporating amendments 1 and 2.

 

[saxondale]

The Building Regulations say:

A person who intends to carry out building work is not required to give a building notice or





edition, published by the Institution of Electrical Engineers and the British Standards Institution as BS 7671: 2001 and incorporating amendments 1 and 2.

which all boils down to in simple talk - you dont need to notify alterations, additions and extensions to a circuit unless in a special location......

 

[plugwash]

no it doesn't, extending a circuit for a fixed appliance for example is notifiable. Best to check what you plan to do against the actual law not against someones oversimplification of it.

 

[saxondale]

no it doesn't, extending a circuit for a fixed appliance for example is notifiable. Best to check what you plan to do against the actual law not against someones oversimplification of it.

isnt actually a law (apparently ) is it ?

 

[ColJack]

outside lights are "special installations"..

so it's notifiable..

 

[jpdw]

But doesn't the BR does say something that has similar implication though in different words to those quoted by saxondale:

"However work is notifiable ony it is involves
fixed wiring and the installation of a new circuit
or
the extension of a circuit in a kitchen or special location or associated with a special installation"

No.

The Building Regulations say:

A person who intends to carry out building work is not required to give a building notice or deposit full plans where the work consists only of work—
(a) described in column 1 of the Table in Schedule 2A if the work is to be carried out by a person described in the corresponding entry in column 2 of that Table, and paragraphs 1 and 2 of that Schedule have effect for the purposes of the descriptions in the Table; or
(b) described in Schedule 2B.

And Schedule 2B says:

[lots of stuff]

OK, I was quoting the guidance notes that are contained in the Approved Document P, rather than the regulation listing itself, so apologies for not being specific enough with the quote.

BUT... The guidance notes do support the bizarre example I was trying to make - that extending a circuit is not "installation a new circuit" so according to the language of the guidance notes it does suggest non-notification.

Looking back at the regulation itself, doesn't 2(c)(ii) cover my bizarre example?

2. Work which—
(a) is not in a kitchen, or a special location,
(b) does not involve work on a special installation, and
(c) consists of—
(i) adding light fittings and switches to an existing circuit; or
(ii) adding socket outlets and fused spurs to an existing ring or radial circuit;

One thing that is clear is that the regulation is unclear to both the learned electricians (ie those of you on here) and to the subset of DIYers that both to try to understand it.... No wonder another subset of DIYers simply ignore it.