my thread

[growler]

Hi guys im looking to eventually go out on my own but i dont feel im ready yet. I started in this game when i was 17 and i turned 30 this year. i have been doing new build domestic for about the last ten years and feel i know this aspect pretty well and would consider myself pretty good at it. realistically i wont be doing many new builds if i go part p and i know i need to gain more knowledge of 'jobbing' about in peoples homes ie rewires etc. I also need to do 2391. One thing that i want to know is: if u go to a customers house and they want you to add say 5 down lights in there bathroom and they have old rewireable fuses do you insist that there fuseboard, tails, bonding etc is upgraded before you can do anything else? I have done my 17th update and i probably should know this but any help would be great. thanks!

 

[telectrix]

you would have to RCD the lights in the bathroom and ensure the earthing and bonding was adequate. how you fit the RCD protection is up to you. you can upgrade the CU or fit a separate rcd for the new work.

 

[growler]

ok thanks. so you would only need to rcd the circuit you worked on? Say the customer wanted to change all light fittings and upgrade to chrome face plates would you have to install rcds then?

 

[trev]

Only on the circuits you're working on. EG in your scenario you're not touching the shower so that would stay as it is.

 

[growler]

would you advise the customer to have a cu change? do people normally only upgrade the cu on a rewire?

 

[telectrix]

i would always advise a CU change when undertaking major work where a rewireable CU is installed. many of these installations from the 70's have perfectly sound cables and it makes sense to give the client as much in the way of safety as possible. you will find many domestics with no cpc on lighting, though, and the only solution, apart from rewiring the circuits, is to use class 2 fittings and switches.

 

[growler]

is it part of the regs now that downlights are fire rated ? i can remember the last time i fitted a non fire rated downlight but i assumed thats just how they make em these days.

 

[BlueToBits]

AFAIK fire rated down lights are only required where there is additional fire protection under rooms or areas with only one escape route. A loft conversion where the window is at 2nd floor level (too high to jump) would be one place, as would the stair well leading to it. If the down light was, say, in a bathroom below a loft room they would need upgrading to fire rated. I'm sure there are other areas too. Someone will probably correct me. A suitable first floor window may be used as an escape route.

 

[telectrix]

fire rated downlights are only required when it is necessary to reinstate the fire barrier that you have compromised by drilling the hole/s for the light/s.

 

[BlueToBits]

Thank you Telectrix. I stand corrected.

 

[growler]

fire rated downlights are only required when it is necessary to reinstate the fire barrier that you have compromised by drilling the hole/s for the light/s.

so a ground floor flat or ground floor of a house wouldnt require them?

 

[Ponty Massive]

so a ground floor flat or ground floor of a house wouldnt require them?

Ground floor of a house, probibly not, ground floor flat, yes.

 

[telectrix]

in a flat, if the floor above was a separate tenancy, or in an integral garage with living accommodation above, then i would fit fire rated.

 

[growler]

in a flat, if the floor above was a separate tenancy, or in an integral garage with living accommodation above, then i would fit fire rated.

yeah sounds right