PIR certificates - (Wiring regulations are complete & utter rubbish!!)

Lightman · 2006-04-06T20:53:01+00:00

Dear allThe new Housing Act (shortly to take effect in a few days) meant thatI had to have two of my properties which are let as student houses(HMO's) have their fixed wiring tested (so that I can now pay thecouncil a further =A3 600 per property to register as alandlord!!......something I have been doing since 1998 (with verysatisfied tenants who never leave).............it's all bureaucraticnonsence really!!!)I had NICEIC electricians inspect the wiring and issue PIR certificatesMy perfectly safe and very new wiring (which I did myself 3 years ago)failed on one small point (in both houses). It failed as you.=2E...."need a protective device for each ring main circuit".What I did is to put 2 small ring mains (two adjacent ground floorrooms) into one 32amp MCB. This meant there was 4 tails in one 32 AmpMCB. Each ring main is small and has 4 sockets and covers a very smallarea. (It was done as rooms were renovated one after another and waseasier to wire like that. I combined some rooms on the ground floor asthe house has about 15 rooms (so I didn't want 15 ring mains with15MCB's!!!!!!!!).The NICEIC electricians informed me that if (they) put a joint boxbehind the consumer unit (there is an access hatch) and make one largerring main (with 8 sockets) it will then comply!!What nonsence I say!! These wiring regulations would mean an increasedthe length of the total ring main, increase the impedance and wouldmake it (slightly) less safe (not more!!). I really can't see that itmakes any difference! If you use the MCB as a "joint" it is notallowed but "out of sight joint box " behind the consumer unit whichdoubles the length of the ring main makes it comply!!Secondly they noted this as a "dangerous fail". I can't see how itcould be any worse than "not up to current wiring regulations". I canpossibly see that it is unsafe in any way as the MCB is 32 Amps whichis fine for each individual ringInterestingly enough, this seems to be allowed with the lightingcircuits!!! It...

Apr 06, 2006 21 Replies

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Lightman 20 years ago

Hi John

You sound the most sensible Electrical Contractor I've ever come across!! Where are you based? I have some jobs in London and Plymouth coming up in the next few weeks/months.

Are you close by or could you travel if the money was right?

Best regards - Lightman

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John White 20 years ago

Thank you for that, but I'm based a long way away in Derbyshire.

Sorry - I've got to mind the shop up here.

John

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