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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

ELECTRICAL TESTING IN GLASGOW

WES ELECTRICAL WESTEND GLASGOW 01418405236

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Safe method of isolation.



The recommended procedure for proving dead and safe isolation should be by use of a test lamp or two pole voltage detector as recommended in HSE Guidance Note GS38 regulations.
Non-contact voltage indicators and multi-meters should not be used. The test instrument should be proved to be working on a known live source or proprietary proving unit before and after use. All phases of the supply and the neutral should be tested and proved dead before any work is commenced by a qualified electrician.




Test sequence and descriptions of test procedures.



The following tests are carried out with the main board / Consumers main switch isolated



1. Extenal earth fault loop impedance (ohms)


Reason: To establish that a good earth exists at the electrical installation in order for the remaining tests to go ahead.


Method: Disconnect the main earthing conductor from the main earthing terminal at the main distribution board. An earth fault loop impedance tester is connected at line and earth (main earthing conductor) at the supply side of the electrical installation and a test performed. Reconnect the main earthing conductor. The result is Ze and recorded on the test sheet. The prospective fault current is measured at the same time after the reconnection of the main earthing conductor at the main board.


2. Continuity of protective and equipotental bonding conductors


Reason: To check that all circuit protective conductors are continuous and are present at every electrical outlet / accessory on the circuit. Also to check that the main earthing conductor and main bonding conductors are continuous and correctly connected at the terminals.


Method 1: The line conductor is connected to the circuit protective conductor of the same circuit at the consumer unit and a measurement taken at ALL accesories on that circuit between line and c.p.c. The highest measurement obtained is recorded on the test report. 
Test result is R1 + R2. The line conductor and neutral conductor are then connected and the above repeated to obtain R1 + Rn


Method 2 (used for main earth and main bonding conductors): A wandering lead is connected to one end of the conductor to be tested and a measurement taken between the other end of this lead and the other end of the conductor. 
Test result is R2.
During this test polarity can be checked as well. The continuity of the neutral conductor can also be checked to determine R2.


3. Continuity of ring final circuit conductors


Reason: This test ensures that all ring final circuits are indeed a continuous ring with no interconnects or breaks within it.

Method: The line, neutral and earth conductors of the circuit are identified and a measurement from one end to the other end of each is taken. These results are r1, r2 and rn. 
The incoming line conductor is then connected to the outgoing earth conductor and the outgoing line conductor is connected to the incoming earth conductor. A measurement is then taken at ALL socket outlets on the ring. The highest of which is recorded on the report. 
This result is R1+R2 for that circuit. The above is then repeated using the neutral conductor instead of the earth conductor. This test provides R1+Rn which does not need to be recorded on the report but is essential to check the circuit correctly.


4. Insulation Resisitance testing


Reason: This test checks whether the insulation around a cable is still intact and has not broken down over time or has been separated from the rest of the ring. It is a good indicator of the age of an installation.

Method: An insulation resistance tester is connected across line and neutral tails at the origin of the supply. 500V are then pumped down the conductors to see if any voltage leaks across from one conductor to the other. The same is then done for the line and earth and the earth and neutral conductors.


5. Polarity checks


Reason: To check that all accesories are correctly connected to line, neutral and earth and that all switches and circuit breakers are connected in the line conductor only.

Method: The method for this is the same as for continuity and is usually done at the same time by operating switches etc whilst conducting the test.


6. Earth electrode resistance


Reason: To make sure that any earth electrode used is of a sufficiently low impedance to allow the timely operation of the RCD protecting the installation.

Method: An earth fault loop impedance tester is connected between line and earth at the origin of the supply and a test performed. The result of which is considered the resistance of the electrode (Ra).



The following tests are carried out with the Consumers main switch switch in the on position




7. Live polarity testing


Reason: To verify polarity of supply authorities system.


Method: An approved voltage indicator shall be used or test lamp to GS38. Using the approved voltage indicator, one probe shall be placed on the incoming neutral, and the other on the incoming line conductor, on the main breaker. The indicator should show it is live. One probe shall now be placed on the CPC and the other on the incoming line conductor. The indicator should show it is live. A test shall be preformed between CPC & incoming neutral. The indicator should show that it is not live.


8. Earth fault loop impedance


Reason: This test is done at the furthest point on a circuit in order to make sure the impedance of the earth path is not too high even at the furthest point so that sufficient current will flow under fault conditions to take out the circuit breaker protecting the circuit.

Method: An earth fault loop impedance tester is connected to line and earth at the furthest point on the circuit and the test performed.


9. RCD testing


Reason: To make sure RCD's trip within the correct time

Method: An RCD tester is connected and a test at 1/2 times, 1 times and 5 times the trip current is performed on each side of the cycle and a time of trip obtained. Usually milli-seconds with the highest being recorded. The manual test button is then pressed.


10. Functional testing

Reason: To make sure all switches, isolators, MCB's etc. work as they should.

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