Seventeenth edition

[Andy Wade]

If not Photoshop will rasterise any PDF page, then save as GIF or whatever and proceed from there. For such a large document though you'll have an awful lot of manual editing to do...

[John Rumm]

Not a bad idea actually.... you can create actions or droplets in PS to automate that bit.

Oh, in fact - Extract - Images as TIFF in Acrobat (full version, not reader) seems to do it for you.

Probably true...

[Tournifreak]

OK, not in a garage, but I have seen this done... An aquaintance works as a secretary in an office. I saw that she had at home a roll of perhaps 5m of cable with a plug at both ends. Horrified, I asked what it was for. "it's to make the photocopier work". Apparently, when the office electrical system had its last periodic inspection, one circuit was disconnected because it was deemed unsafe. So to get around this problem, she constructed this extension lead to go from one side of the office to the other, plugging the "extension" into the same double socket outlet as the photocopier.

When asked if she thought it could be dangerous she replied, "No, no. I take it home with me every weekend so the cleaner won't have an accident." It turns out she had been electricuted twice already by this contraption.

Perhaps public information films or something is a better idea to stop these things from happening than more regulation?

Jon.

[David Hansen]

On Sat, 04 Nov 2006 16:24:24 +0000 someone who may be John Rumm wrote this:-

These regulations aren't written in isolation, but rather those involved are aware of what is going on. I have no doubt that manufacturers have had long discussions with the IET in order that what they currently produce will comply with the new regulations, perhaps with some small changes.

[Mary Fisher]

!

What's zone 3?

Come to that, what are zones 0, 1 and 2?

Have I missed something?

Mary

[John Rumm]

Where have you been? ;-)

2 and 3 tell you what can go in each zone. The last three pages show how to work out where they start and stop.

[David Hansen]

On Sun, 5 Nov 2006 21:55:51 -0000 someone who may be "Mary Fisher" wrote this:-

There are also drawings on the packets of some lights in large tin sheds. Beware, many of these drawings are incorrect, as they show a zone around basins that does not exist.

A change to the wiring regulations in about 2000.

[Mary Fisher]

Obviously not in the bathroom!

The whole thing is very interesting, thank you. It does seem to make common sense complicated ...

Spouse has always done electrical and plumbing work with these safety precautions, for more than thirty years. Mind you, he was trained by my godfather, a master plumber who cared about safety and good work but not about rules.

I'm wondering about 'wet rooms'. As I understand it water is everywhere in those, do they not have lights?

I'm going to send this to Spouse (his pc is downstairs before you think he's escaped - although right now he has, to return the extractor fan from the bathroom).

Thanks again,

Mary

[Mary Fisher]

Good job we don't buy lights in sheds then :-)

Apparently. That's the trouble with diy, you don't HAVE to keep up with things for the sake of your employment so whether you'd like to or not you might miss something.

Mary

[John Rumm]

You need to use an appropriate type of light fitting. Have a look at table 1 of the document. IPX7 fittings can be totally immersed if required. For your average wet room IPX5 would be more common though, installed in Zone 3.

[Guy King]

The message from "Mary Fisher" contains these words:

Very handy for wheelchair users though. And Mum's doesn't get mopped out each time, it just drains into the floor and that's an end to it.

[Mary Fisher]

You could get a dog.

Mary

[Mary Fisher]

Unless you have a steep slope there's going to be debris which doesn't drain away.

And what about wet from the wheels when leaving the room? That was one problem in the one I saw. When going in shoes got wet from the wet floor. They left wet tracks when leaving the room.

There might be special cases when a wet room would be better than other solutions but for general family use I don't think I could be convinced.

Mary

[Guy King]

The message from "Mary Fisher" contains these words:

Mum seems to manage. It isn't terribly steep and water from the wheels doesn't seem to be an issue either. Perhaps she just takes a few minutes to dry off.

[Brian Sharrock]

Contrary wise ... that's the beauty of this newsgroup ... advising folks of what's current/coming!

I've now postponed purchase of the 'regs' until the 'Seventeenth Edition' .... if I'd have bought one from Borders/Waterstone (whatever) I'd doubt they'd have advised 'Keep yer money, Mate ... there's a new edition soon!"

[Mary Fisher]

...

Yebut it seems I'm six years out of date.

What's more, I asked Spouse what Zones in bathrooms were. He looked at me from his perch at the top of the big steps as though he was joining the rest of you around here in thinking that I'd lost the plot and said he hadn't the faintest idea.

I'm going to mail him the url given earlier. He'll say that's what he's done since the year dot anyway, I know, but it will give him a bit of pleasure to be right.

Yet again :-(

Mary

[Owain]

I'm glad it'll be a red cover. I'll be able to update my 16th Ed. with a letraset 7 over the 6...

Owain

[Andy Wade]

See

the DPC[1] will cost GBP50. However there is a useful free summary here is what it says about bathrooms, confirming that sockets will be allowed (but only 3m horizontally beyond the boundary of zone 1):

The following major changes are incorporated in Part 7:

Section 701 Locations containing a bath tub or shower basin. Zone 3 is no longer defined.

Each circuit in the special location must have 30 mA RCD protection.

Supplementary bonding is no longer required providing the installation has main bonding in accordance with Chapter 41.

This section now allows socket-outlets (other than SELV and shaver supply units to BS EN 60742) to be installed in locations containing a bath or shower 3m horizontally beyond the boundary of zone 1.

[1] That's draft for public comment, not damp proof course :-)