PART P EXPLAINED

Regulations explained

(Part P Is not available in Scotland)

What is Part P of the Building Regulations?

Since 2005, all electrical work in dwellings in England and Wales, whether carried out professionally or as DIY, must meet the requirements of Part P of the Building Regulations.

Part P is in place to keep you and your family as safe as possible from electrical hazards, and applies to new domestic properties, as well as any alterations or additions to electrical installations in existing properties, including full or partial rewires. 

Who is responsible for making sure that electrical work in your home meets the requirements of Part P?

By law, the homeowner or landlord must be able to prove that all electrical installation work on their property meets the requirements of Part P, or they will be committing a criminal offence.

Local Authorities have the power to make homeowners or landlords remove or alter any work that does not meet the requirements of the Building Regulations.

England

What electrical work is notifiable in England?

Electrical work which requires notification differs between England and Wales. Additional changes were introduced to Part P in England in April 2013. This means that electrical work in a dwelling, or associated with its surroundings, is notifiable to a local building control body where it includes: 

• circuit alteration or addition in a special location*
• installation of one or more new circuits
• installation of a replacement consumer unit (fuse box)
• rewire of all circuits
• partial rewire
• new full electrical installation (new build)

* Certain zones within a room containing a bath or shower, or a room containing a swimming pool or sauna heater.

An alteration or addition to an existing circuit in a room containing a bath or shower is notifiable only where carried out in the space surrounding a bath or shower shown below:

What do I need to do if I wish to have electrical installation work carried out in my home?

All electrical work in the home in England must comply with Part P of the Building Regulations. In addition, those items described as notifiable above are required by Law to have a Building Regulations Compliance Certificate.

It is strongly recommended that you employ an electrical installer who is registered with one of the Government-approved Scheme Operators listed on this website. This is the only way in which you can be sure of employing someone who has had their domestic electrical competence verified and is authorised under the Regulations to arrange for you to be issued with the Building Regulations Compliance Certificate. 

There are other ways of complying with the Building Regulations, but these do not verify the competence of the electrical installer and they involve making a further payment for electrical work to be inspected. The most common route for home owners to do this is by informing the Building Control Department of your local authority before the work commences. See www.planningportal.gov.uk for full details of how to comply with building and planning regulations.

What should I do if the work is non-notifiable in England? 

If you determine that the work is not subject to notification under Building Regulations, we strongly recommend that you use a competent, registered electrical installer for safety reasons.

Wales

What electrical work is notifiable in Wales?

The following are examples of electrical installation work in a dwelling, or associated with its surroundings, that is notifiable to a Local Authority Building Control in Wales: 

In general:

• a complete new installation or rewire; or 
• the replacement of a consumer unit (fusebox); or 
• the installation of: 
• a new circuit, whether at low voltage (typically 230 V) or extra-low voltage); 
• a solar photovoltaic power supply; 
• electric ceiling or floor heating; 
• ­an electrical generator; 
• ­power / control wiring for a central heating system

In a special location*, the installation of:

• wiring/equipment for telephone or extra-low voltage communications, information technology, control or similar purposes
• a prefabricated equipment set and any associated leads with integral plug and socket connections (for example lighting)

In a kitchen** or special location:

• extension of an existing circuit within a kitchen or special location

Outside of the dwelling, the installation of:

• a supply to a detached garage, shed or other outbuilding 
• a supply to an electric gate or pond pump 
• garden lighting 
• a socket-outlet

* A special location is a room containing a bath or shower, swimming pool or a sauna heater
** For Building Regulations purposes, a kitchen is a room or part of a room which contains a sink and food preparation facilities

What do I need to do before electrical installation work can be carried out in my home?

All electrical work in the home in Wales must comply with Part P of the Building Regulations. In addition, those items described as notifiable above are required by Law to have a Building Regulations Compliance Certificate.

It is strongly recommended that you employ an electrical installer who is registered with one of the Government-approved Scheme Operators listed on this website. This is the only way in which you can be sure of employing someone who has had their domestic electrical competence verified and is authorised under the Regulations to arrange for you to be issued with the Building Regulations Compliance Certificate. 

There are other ways of complying with the Building Regulations, but these do not verify the competence of the electrical installer and they involve making a further payment for electrical work to be inspected. The most common route for home owners to do this is by informing the Building Control Department of your local authority before the work commences. See www.planningportal.gov.uk for full details of how to comply with building and planning regulations.

What should I do if the work is non-notifiable in Wales?

If you determine that the work is not subject to notification under Building Regulations, we strongly recommend that you use a competent, registered electrical installer for safety reasons.

Glasgow

Replacement Consumer unit Glasgow

Vist our website www.weselectrical.co.uk or call 01418405236



17th Edition: Update for customers in the Glasgow and the surrounding areas october 21, 2015

Over the next year the electrical industry in the UK, faces Several changes to the electrical regulations. It has already started with the introduction of BS 7671: 2008(2015) - Amendment 3 to the 17th Edition of the IET wiring regulations - on 1st January 2015 and will continue through to 2016. It is important that electricians and electrical installers and electrical contractors understand what the amendment is and how it will affect their customers and there business

 So whats changed?

 BEAMA, the independent expert knowledge base and forum for the electrotechnical industry for the UK and across Europe, has said that the primary root-cause of fires in consumer units is loose electrical connections. Additionally, the London Fire Brigade has found that fires involving electrical consumer units have increased to approximately five incidents each week. It’s clear that a change needs to be made to protect consumers from potential harm. The London Fire Brigade LFB has been working with Electrical Safety First, BEAMA and other industry organisations to make edits to Amendment 3 requirements that will directly improve personal safety and quell the risk of residential fires.

What does it all Means? Glasgow 

To address this issue Amendment 3 will provide a degree of enhanced fire risk protection, requiring switchgear assemblies – including consumer units - to have their enclosures made from a suitable non-combustible material, or be installed in a cabinet or enclosure comprised from a suitable non-combustible material, for example steel. This is all covered within Chapter 42 with the addition of Regulation 421.1.201. MK Electric will be making the mandatory changes to their consumer units, using metal enclosures, which will be available at the end of March. This new range will be available alongside their MK Sentry insulated consumer unit portfolio. Enhanced fire safety is also referenced in the new Regulation 521.201, which outlines the requirements for wiring systems which are above escape routes, to be supported by fire-resistant fastenings and fixings. All cabling must be supported such that it cannot prematurely collapse when exposed to extreme heat. Once again there is a hint towards the use of metallic materials, although this is not prescribed. Amendment 3 also puts more responsibility on the installer. Chapter 41 examines the use of RCD protection on socket outlets. The regulation now requires RCD protection in accordance with regulation 415.1 for socket outlets up to 20A and for mobile equipment with a current rating not exceeding 32A for outdoor use, for all installations. However there is an exception, for socket outlets up to 20A, where the socket outlet is specifically labelled, or where a documented risk assessment determines that RCD protection is not necessary. Chapter 61 makes a new reference to ‘Skilled person (electrically)’ which has the added condition of the person being competent in inspection, testing and certification work. It also notes that supplies up to 100 amps have a new, more detailed schedule of inspections. Additionally, for installations greater than 100amps, a model list of items that require inspection during initial verification is provided in Appendix 6.

This list, along with a documented risk assessment of any permitted exceptions to the list must be appended to the Electrical Installation Certificate and the declaration signed. Dates to you need Know Over the next year and into 2016 there will be key dates that both manufacturers and installers need to keep in mind to comply with the updated regulation. • 1st January 2015: BS7671:2008+A3 was published.

Installations designed after this date may comply and be certified to these new standards or be designed and certified to BS7671:2008+A2 (for a maximum transitional period of 6 months) • 1st July 2015: BS7671:2008+A2 Installations designed after this date must comply fully with BS7671:2008+A3

 • 1st January 2016: Regulation 421.1.201 comes into full effect (this doesn’t preclude conformity beforehand) MK Electric is Ready​ MK Electric will shortly be announcing details of its new metal consumer unit range for compliance to regulation 421.1.201. The range will be available from the end of March. Additionally, MK Electric is offering electric installers and contractors the opportunity to take part in Continuing Professional Development Accreditation for Training to better understand the regulation. More specifically the session will address how the regulation affects installers, specific changes to be aware of and information they will need to counsel their clientele.

Consequentially, Amendment 3 to BS7671:2008 introduces a new regulation relating to the enhancement of Fire Safety, as follows: Regulation 421.1.201 – Protection against thermal effects – Consumer Units Within domestic (household) premises, consumer units and similar switchgear assemblies shall comply with BS EN 61439 3 and shall: Have their enclosure manufactured from a non-combustible material, or Be enclosed in a cabinet or enclosure constructed of non-combustible material and complying with Regulation 132.12 Amendment 3 was published on 5th January 2015 and will apply to all Electrical installations designed after 1st July 2015; however Regulation 421.1.201 will not be mandatory until 1st January 2016.

EMERGENCY LIGHTING TESTING GLASGOW

wes electrical 01418405236

Testing Emergency Lighting

Maintaining your emergency lighting units is important to ensure that lighting tubes are actually working and that the backup battery is capable to last the full duration required by the standards. The "responsible person" of a business or organisations ensures that the periodic checks are carried out and documented in a fire safety logbook. Below we have provided an overview of the testing procedure to give an overview of the testing frequencies.

Please note that when you purchase emergency lighting from Safelincs you will be offered to register for a free emergency lighting test reminder at the end of the checkout process. We will then email you to remind you when the tests are due. 

To make the testing of your emergency lighting units quicker you can install self-test emergency lighting. These units automatically replicate a power cut, checking their own circuitry and functionality and should a fault be found the units create both a visual and audible warning .

Standards BS 5266-8:2004 and BS EN 50172:2004 describe the testing of emergency lighting units.  

Monthly

Switch off the mains power supply to the lighting unit. Often, a separate switch with a 'fish key' is installed allowing the testing of emergency lights without having to switch off all power. Walk past all emergency lights to ensure they are working. Note any defects and get repaired immediately. Record your results in your fire safety logbook. 

Yearly

Switch off the mains power supply to the lighting unit. Leave the units illuminated for the rated period (usually three hours). The lights should be on for the whole period. If lights fail within this time, replace the backup battery.

electricians westend glasgow

MAIN BOARD - CONSUMER UNIT REPLACEMENT GLASGOW

Electrical main boards Glasgow

Contact us - www.weselectrical.co.uk - 01418405236


When it comes time to upgrade your consumer unit / older fusebox in your home, you need to take into account several things that will effect how much you are going to spend.

Firstly you should always consult a qualified electrician before any electrical work is undertaken on you consumer unit.

secondly you would need to know how many circuits you have in your home, for example you will have one circuit for your lighting downstairs and one circuit for your upstairs lighting. also you will have a socket circuit in the form of a ring circuit , you would have a shower circuit and cooker circuit also.

The more circuits you have the bigger the main board you will need to power you home.


you will also need to take into consideration if you would choose to install a board with rcd protection.

Most new boards come with an rcd protected circuit board but you can buy ones that don't.
The issue can arise that if the is earthing issues on you circuits or you have some other wiring faults your rcd will trip and not go back up until this is fixed. you would then need to take on testing of your electrical installation through the means of a EIC test to find out where the fault lies.

If in doubt contact a qualified electrician west end Glasgow about your Fuseboard.


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