what standard

[fletchermills]

had a bungalow rewired in November 2008, can you tell me what standards the electrician should have done it to.

I'm a bit worried that the light in the bathroom is on the main lighting cct, not protected by RCD, and that there is no bonding on the steel bath (you can see I've been reading 17th edition a bit).

Thanks for any help

 

[GaryMo]

BS7671:2008 (17th edition).

All bathroom circuits should be additionally protected by a 30mA RCD.
Did you receive an Electrical Installation Certificate off your electrician?
Did he notify the job in line with Part P of the building regulations?

 

[fletchermills]

Thanks for the reply. Yes he did issue a certificate, havent got it with me at the moment, but I'm sure it quoted an earlier edition of 7671.

I installed the bath after he finished, thats what got me started looking into the regs (to see what bonding was required) and it looked to me that he had not followed the latest rules.

Thanks for confirming this, it looks like I shall have to have a serious talk with him, and get him back to correct the bathroom light (just wonder what else is wrong).

Regards

Fletchermills

 

[ColJack]

can you be certain that the bathroom light is not on an RCD?

post pictures of your CU and we'll advise further..

as for not bonding the bath.. if it wasn't fitted how could he? give the guy a break..

 

[fletchermills]

Yes I can be sure its not on the RCD - tested that today, its on the main lighting circuit, which is not RCD protected.

Sorry if I gave the impression I was blaming him for no bonding on the bath, I was just trying to explain what my efforts to find out what bonding was required, had told me about the requirement for an RCD for the bathroom light.

 

[Spark123]

What is your reasoning in the bathtub bonding requirement?

 

[fletchermills]

Just trying to find out if any was required (steel bath fed by soldered copper pipes).

 

[Spark123]

Is there bonding already present to the pipework feeding the bath?
Is the drain plastic?
Is the main bonding in place i.e. to where the water enters the property?
In order to omit supplementary bonding in a bathroom under the 17th edn regs, one of the requirements is all circuits of the location need to be protected by an RCD (30mA).
All circuits wired in normal twin and earth concealed in a wall or partition less than 50mm should be RCD protected anyway to comply with the 17th edn regs, this included lighting circuits etc.
When was this electrical installation actually designed?

 

[fletchermills]

There was no bonding in bathroom originally, the incoming gas pipe is bonded to the central heating pipes/ water pipes and back to cu, this seems to be the only bonding.

The electrician was employed end Oct/ early Nov 2008 to do the job, so from what I have been told here, he should have put an RCD on the light cct to the bathroom.

As this is a bungalow, all the lighting ccts are in the loft, only the wires down to the switches are in the wall (and less than 50mm deep), are you saying that the all the lights should be on an RCD.

 

[il78]

Its a sad fact that there are electricians out there who are unaware of changes in the regulations, they may know its changed to the 17th edition but dont know what has actually changed in it.

Could you not call this electrician back?

 

[GaryMo]

Did use regular grey flat sheathed cable (twin and earth) which was capped with either pvc or metal capping? Normal practice.
Do you know if this cabling is less than 50mm from the surface of the plaster? Normal practice.

If you can answer yes to both the above for any circuits then they should be protected via a 30mA RCD even if they're not for use in a bathroom.

Bathroom circuits should be protected via a 30mA RCD irrespective of wiring methods or depth.

 

[fletchermills]

Yes they were grey twin and earth cables in walls, well less than 50mm deep and had no capping over them, I know that as he left me to do all the filling in of the channels afterwards (something I didnt expect to have to do).

Can someone else confirm that in this case, all the ccts including lighting (switches) should be RCD protected, before I go back to speak to the electrician.

Thanks again for everyones help.

 

[RF Lighting]

yep, it's true.

Regulation 522.6.6 to be precise

 

[GaryMo]

Have a read of this:

Cables concealed in walls PDF

 

[fletchermills]

Thanks for that, had a read and read some more on 17th ed, still find it confusing, in some places it says less than 50mm needs to be RCD protected and in safe Zones (which my wiring is) in other places it says (I think) needs RCD or safe zones.

Sorry if I'm being thick, I will try not to ask any more questions.

Regards