From April 2013, electrical work in a home or associated with its environment must be notified to a local building control body where the work includes:
1: The installation of a new circuit, whether at low voltage (typically 230 V) or at very low voltage);
2: Replacement of a consumption unit (fuse box);
3: Any modification or addition to an existing circuit in a special location *, whether at low voltage (generally 230 V) or at very low voltage
4: A special location is a room containing a bath or shower, a swimming pool or a sauna heater.
5: A modification or addition to an existing circuit in a room containing a bathtub or shower should only be reported if it is carried out in the space surrounding a bathtub or shower.
A modification or addition anywhere in a room containing a swimming pool or a sauna heater should be noted.
What should I do before I can carry out electrical installation work at home?
You must first check whether the work should be notified. If so, you must either:
hire an electrician registered with one of the government-approved service providers; or inform (“notify”) the local building control authorities of the electrical installation work before the start of the work.
From April 2014, you will also be able to employ an unauthorized electrical installer who will have appointed an approved third-party certifier to carry out the required inspection and tests of the work during and at the end.
Benefits of using a licensed electrician
We strongly recommend that you hire a licensed electrician to do any electrical work in or around your home. If you are using a licensed electrician, you can expect the electrical installation work to be carried out safely, as the work must meet British National Standard BS 7671 (Requirements for Electrical Installations). You will not have to deal directly with building control and when the work is completed, you should receive:
an electrical installation certificate or, where applicable, a certificate of minor electrical installation work confirming that the work complies with standard BS 7671; and
a certificate of compliance with the building regulations which confirms that the work complies with the building regulations.
If the work carried out by the licensed electrician does not meet the requirements of the building regulations, you will have access to a formal complaint procedure.
You can also choose to take out a guarantee backed by insurance when you have carried out the work and, if the work subsequently turns out not to comply with the building rules, you can make a claim.
What if I don't use a licensed electrician?
If you use an installer who is not a registered competent person, he or she must inform the registered third-party certifier within five (5) days of the end of the work. The registered third-party certifier must then, provided the inspection and test results are satisfactory, complete either a report on the state of the electrical installation (based on the model illustrated in standard BS 7671), or a report that has been specifically developed for Part P and deliver it to the person ordering the work. For more info call at any time 0203 239 0374 or click here
No comments:
Post a Comment