When to get an electrician in during a cellar conversion ?

[3point14]

Nearly ready to start putting up the stud walling in the cellar and I want to make sure I time the electrician's work as accurately as possible.

Consumer unit is in the cellar so what I envisage is a couple of circuits, one for lighting and the other for sockets. I also want to hook up telephone, Sky and cable etc. at the same time but that is easy.

Also, would your average electrician expect to wire it all up or just the bits connected to the consumer unit ?

 

[EFLImpudence]

Nearly ready to start putting up the stud walling in the cellar and I want to make sure I time the electrician's work as accurately as possible.

After the studding - before the boarding.

would your average electrician expect to wire it all up or just the bits connected to the consumer unit ?

You will have to discuss it with him. He is not allowed to certify someone else's work

 

[ban-all-sheds]

Also, would your average electrician expect to wire it all up or just the bits connected to the consumer unit ?

When you applied for Building Regulations approval, what did you say would be the way you'd comply with P1?

Depending on what you said, or by default accepted, you may find that you now have no choice but to have it all done by an electrician.

 

[3point14]

You will have to discuss it with him. He is not allowed to certify someone else's work

So you cannot put in a spur or add a new switch to your own house these days without getting a sparky in ? If so, it is laughable.

Happy to have them do it really, just need a decent rate for what is a simple job.

 

[3point14]

When you applied for Building Regulations approval, what did you say would be the way you'd comply with P1?

Depending on what you said, or by default accepted, you may find that you now have no choice but to have it all done by an electrician.

Don't think I need any regs approval to improve an existing habitable area ? It would be possible to just repaint and live off the existing electrical facilities but I don't see the overall cost as being punitive so I thought I'd put in some more insulation, stud over the stone walls and so forth.

Could check again on permissions needed but I did cover that ground a while ago. Always best to be safe than sorry.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

So you cannot put in a spur or add a new switch to your own house these days without getting a sparky in ? If so, it is laughable.

That's not what EFLI said.

He did not say that you cannot put in a spur or add a new switch to your own house these days without getting a sparky in.

He said that an electrician is not allowed to certify somebody else's work, which is not the same thing at all.

You may indeed put in a spur or add a new switch to your own house these days without getting a sparky in. You may do anything, in fact - even complete rewires. The key thing is that you have to be competent, and do it in a way which complies with P1, which in the UK, in practice, means complying with BS 7671 (as that's by far and away the easiest way to ensure compliance with P1).

Since the work you're describing is notifiable, and since you talked about getting an electrician in, EFLI made the observation he did, and I asked the question I did. Depending on what you told the council, or by default accepted by not challenging any directions from them, about compliance with P1, you may find that you now have no choice but to have it all done by an electrician.

Before you end up between a rock and a hard place regarding the Building Regulations Completion Certificate you need to remind yourself what you promised the council you would do, bearing in mind, as EFLI said, an electrician may not sign off your work as his own.

 

[EFLImpudence]

So you cannot put in a spur or add a new switch to your own house these days without getting a sparky in ?

Yes, you can do these non-notifiable jobs yourself.

All I said was you will have to discuss it with him as he is there (on the premises) to discuss it with you. It is no good discussing it with us; he is the one doing the work.

To test and certify the work, if that's what you want him to do, he will have to undo a lot of the terminals so there isn't much point you doing it first.

If so, it is laughable.

A good laugh is good for you.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

Don't think I need any regs approval to improve an existing habitable area ?

Did it qualify as a habitable room before?

If you're turning it into one, you need Building Regulations approval.

If you're installing insulation, you need Building Regulations approval.

If you're installing new electrical circuits you need Building Regulations approval.

Good luck if you ever want to sell the house and you've done all this work without approval, and with no completion certificate to show for it....

 

[EFLImpudence]

More laughs.

 

[sparkticus]

3point14 or may I call you twentytwooverseven,

As has been said you can do all the work in your property but there are many tasks such wiring and insulation that need building control approval.

With electrical work involving new circuits there are two ways to comply:

1) Notify building control
2) Do the work
3) Certify the work
4) Have building control inspect your work and your certification
6) Pay inspection fee
7) If any failures, have work re-inspected and pay re-inspection fee

or

1) Have a registered competent person do the work for you
2) The competent person will self certify the work and notify building control on completion.

The competent person can not certify your work - none of it.

You can find a competent person here: www.competentperson.co.uk

 

[maltaron]

BAS You are wrong in saying that you cannot change your mind after notification. I have just built an extension to my bungalow and initially told building control that I wouild employ a competant electrician. However, the electrician let me down and I asked building control if I could wire it myself (I am competant). I was told to notify them after first fix and their electrician would check it, and again after final completion and power up. The charge was included in my original BR fee.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

Well - it does vary from LA to LA.

There are some, and we've had people posting here saying "what can I do now", who won't countenance any changes.

 

[sparkticus]

(I am competant).

maltaron, when you say you are competent do you mean that you are very familiar with the 17th edition BS7671 wiring regulations, can design, install, and certify to the BS7671/Building regs requirements and have access to appropriate test equipment or do you mean that you have experience and or qualifications in an electrical or electronics discipline and feel that you can turn your hand to domestic electrics?

My question is purely to understand what "most people" understand by the term "competent person" it is not meant to be rude or offend in any way. I am interested in the way the term is generally interpreted.

Thank You

 

[Paul_C]

There are some, and we've had people posting here saying "what can I do now", who won't countenance any changes.

I know you think that giving a building notice rather than submitting full plans is crazy, but surely this sort of situation is one good reason in favor of using the building notice route?

If you don't submit plans which set out exactly how you intend to do something, nobody can complain if you get part way through the project and then, for whatever reason, decide that you need to do it a different way.