Hello everyone, I'm going to rewire my house and I need to adhere to building regulations for this work to be passed off for local building control.
Does anybody know off a good online resource for the information? I expect to find things like cable specs and best practice for fixing cables. Maximum lengths of cable runs etc....
many thanks
ps - anybody done this as a DIY job and then got local building control to pass it off.
IEE Wiring regulations 16th edition covers BS7671 + amendments, available from Amazon for around £45
Or from your local library, for around 30p. Plus a few quid in fines when you return it late.
Library first as Sue suggests Look for
or
or
even better try giving us a clue about the house (no of bedrooms, no of sockets, no of lights, electric shower, electric cooker etc) and see how much we can help you.
I have never asked a BCO to sign off any work as I can sign my own work off. I can if you are anywhere in the Yorkshire area let you borrow any test eqiupment you need to. (You probably are in Stockport)
Adam
The house is Victorian terrace with cellar. 4 bedrooms, electric oven, combi boiler, no shower, 4th bedroom in attic. I think I need 9 ring mains. I live in Levenshulme - not far from Stockport!
Work out a plan of what you need. RCD is better not used on things such as fridges, freezer, alarms, central heating etc.
Even by my standards 9 final ring circuits is excessive for a 4 bed house.
IP locator put you in Stockport, not a bad guess.
Adam
Hello Adam, I thought that most modern consumer units come with RCD on every ring circuit? The electrician that came today suggested 9 rings:
kitchen boiler oven lights upstairs lights downstairs attic power upstairs power downstairs power cellar power
I'm looking at:
26 double sockets + backboxes 3 Single sockets 20 lights 12 light switches 3 smoke alarms 1 external pir light 1 consumer unit switches for kitchen appliances? the electrician told me that every element appliance has to have a fused switch??cable - think I need 3 types: oven ring power sockets lighting
probably also need some earth bonding
Can you see anything that I've missed? I have been looking at screwfix.com for prices on all the gear.
thanks for your input
Andrew
What do you need 9 rings for?
Regs reference source here
Regs reference source here
Thanks for that gem of information, I can see that the number of ring circuits is determined by predicated power use. Guess I need to add up all my appliance ratings to see if I break 7.2 KW
Thirded...!
I may not be up-to-date, but I would suggest two power rings, covering (1) upstairs & attic, and (2) downstairs, kitchen and cellar.
All the rest wouldn't be rings (at least not in my day).
Any two-way lighting? If so, you probably need 3-core + earth for that.
Protective cable-sheathing.?
Cable clips?
Maybe junction boxes?
Extra long screws for fitting sockets / switches when boxes are recessed too far?
Green / yellow earth sheathing (sorry, not sure of correct name)
Brown (Red?) insulating tape for the ends of the lighting circuits where the blue (black?) core carries switched live.
A good torch with spare battery...!!
Wise move.
Sounds a fun project - please let us know how it goes (warts and all....)
Hi Just to add a few things in Levenshulme there is an electrical wholesalers on Stockport Rd near Gregs who supplies to the public try him. Also current regs call for seperate ring for kitchen and bathroom on own supply (asuming Mcr city council will be your inspectors) Also you consumer unit must have spare ways for future works. A 12 way split board should do. Gives 3 rings ,cooker, CH , bathroom,2 lighting, with 4 spare ways. Could wire cellar on own cct if needed. Watch the mains incomer if it enters through the cellar have had previous experience with earth clip being loose on incommer (it is soldered onto the lead sheath) if this is the case ring Norweb.
HTH CJ
"Martin" wrote
You are out of date! Due to modern loads, dishwashers, tumble driers etc, a separate ring is recommended for the kitchen. The other power circuits will depend on layout, cable length and attempted load balancing around the ring.
Phil
Only sockets that are likely to feed outside power tools need be on a RCD (unless you have a TT installalation see here ) I prefer to see fridges, freezers and computers on the non RCD side of a split load CU along with cookers, ovens, boilers, burgular alarms and smoke alarms.
9 Circuits not 9 "rings". The boiler, oven and lights are radials.No need. It is good practice though to make sure you can unplug or isolate appliances without having to remove them. Sockets inside cupboards at the side of white goods are equally as good. This of course does not apply to an electric cooker or hob where immediate isolation may be required. I prefer an uncluttered view and so I am not a fan of switches above the worktop.
3 core and earth for two way lighting and interlinking the smoke alarms 10mm earth for main equipotential bonding 4mm earth for supplementary bonding an outside waterproof socket with a double pole isolator on the inside if the CU is in the cellar the put the cellar lights on their own breaker (you will thank me when a lamp blows) If the cellar is under under the lounge or dining room it is a little extravagent to give the cellar it's own ring main. Unless you are expecting heavy loads such as electric fires in the room then I would save my money and time by combining the two circiuts. I would put electric fires/heaters on their own 16 amp MCB is possible.HTH
Adam
The regs don't call for anything of the sort.
The regs most certainly do not call for this. Having subcontracted in the past (never again) to do work for different councils and housing associations I can only assume that is Stockport council's way of rewiring their properties.
Adam
This is manchester city councils spec' and THEY most certainly DO.
They are required to inspect against BS7671. They are not permitted to inspect against their own regs, or NICEIC regs, or anyone else's regs, for the purposes of Part P.
HomeOwnersHub website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here. All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.