Electric Under floor Heating Installation

[itztariq]

Hi,

A first timer to the forum seeking some help.

I planned to put an underfloor heating mat (total load 6amp) in one of the room at ground floor. Room is just couple of meters away from the place where Main Meter is located under the stairs. Work-wise, It doesn't seem difficult or complicated to me at all. Correct me if wrong on the following:
I can have this new circuit connected through 13amp (30ma) RCD, Cable (2.5mm 6242YH twin/earth) from meter to room (under suspended floor) get them chased inside the wall (1.5 meter above the suspended floor), 50mm deep and 15cm gap on right and left of this chase (as the overall width of this wall bend is 42cm where I want to place thermostat). Cable will be covered inside an oval conduit and covered by galvanised steel channel and cement/plaster on top. Wonder if 50mm deep is minimum depth requirement ?

Now if that looks ok then actual concern is about Building Control/Regulation:
- Seem like its notifiable category so I've raised it as an application to local BC body, but not sure what fees they charge, just downloaded a pdf from wokingham council website and it seems to state some £415 fee for Building notice charge for work not carried out by Registered Electrician. If that's true I am going to need to call the company and beg them to return the mat please as this notice alone seem to cost more than double the price of complete heating kit.

- Is there another way to get around this, I mean getting it certified for fairly less ?

- Is there a way to find someone (certifier) who can check/verify and charge for his time (won't be more than hour or two I believe?)

I tend to do a lot DIY, not merely that I enjoy doing it and learn from it but mainly because I can't seem to afford the cost of labour. But sometime seem to get stuck in efforts to find right answers about regulations etc.

 

[Darkwood]

Welcome to the forum, I approved your post in the general section for a faster response but you may be given DIY access and thread relocated when Admin'is next on line.
Please be patient when posting, as a new member your posts need approval first so avoid trying to repost the same ones... thankyou.

 

[Octopus]

£415.00 for LABC!

best get a couple of sparks, who can self certify and notify to quote - you will save loads....

 

[itztariq]

Cheers @darkwood

Murdoch, thanks. That simply wasn't less than an "Electric" shock to me reading that amount of fee, I'll wait to see what they say about the fee when I call them in the morning. Otherwise yeah, that neither sounds reasonable nor doable to me to go for this option.

 

[SJD]

I am led to believe the £415 is deliberately set that high to discourage anyone from applying to them - basically as high as they can justify should they be asked to do so - and it more or less works (I believe they get virtually no applications each year). As already mentioned, get a local electrician who can notify this instead via their scheme (e.g. for £3) to do the work.

 

[telectrix]

as above. get a registered spark. there's no way to do this yourself if you want to play by the rules. mat needs to be tested when first laid, the tested again when the floor covering is on top of it, then tested again before energising, then finally "live" tested. no electrician will allow you to do the work then sign a certificate putting the onus on himwhen he's only made £20ish.

 

[itztariq]

So basically the only alternate to that hefty fee of LABC is to get someone "registered" to do the Job itself, would see if I can get an affordable quote or drop the idea of putting it all.
And yes @telectrix, I am aware of these different stages of safety testing and confident to carry out the whole stuff making sure the safety measures / standard of wiring etc are met but as it comes out still can't avoid the expense and would need to get someone else doing that.

Thanks Guys anyway, appreciate your quick responses as its already starting to appear a fairly nice and active forum.

 

[Spoon]

And yes @telectrix, I am aware of these different stages of safety testing and confident to carry out the whole stuff making sure the safety measures / standard of wiring etc are met

Just out of curiosity, what test equipment do you have and when was it last calibrated?

 

[itztariq]

I would stick to Manufacturer's Installation and Testing Manual and whatever is required by that, I've got it. And if wouldn't have, I'd of course come again to request guidance on how to proceed with that. By all means I am not trying to prove my skill level or expertise here, all I wanted was some guidance on the fact if there is a "certify only" type service which it seems like only exists by LABC for £415...and as you guys suggested rather better to get someone in to do the full job (which includes certifying) that seems like the way to go then. Cheers Guys !

 

[Spoon]

Its great that you want the job done correctly with regards to LABC, why not get an electrician to do the install & testing as well. His test equipment will be calibrated and you get a cert at the end of it. I don't think your test equipment will be and who will sign the cert?
There might be some people on here close to you that are willing to give you a quote.

 

[Octopus]

I would stick to Manufacturer's Installation and Testing Manual and whatever is required by that, I've got it. And if wouldn't have, I'd of course come again to request guidance on how to proceed with that. By all means I am not trying to prove my skill level or expertise here, all I wanted was some guidance on the fact if there is a "certify only" type service which it seems like only exists by LABC for £415...and as you guys suggested rather better to get someone in to do the full job (which includes certifying) that seems like the way to go then. Cheers Guys !

When installing underfloor heating mats, they recommend tests for continuity and IR at each stage of the installation. Unless you have the testers you won't know if it will work and be warned they are extremely easy to damage and almost impossible to fix!