Part F building regs...................

[Gavin John Hyde]

Had an email from some outfit suggesying to keep building control happy we sparks should do a course to certify our extractor fans, cooker hoods etc.. never been asked for one yet but maybe one day i will. If i recall in the niceic online portal there is a form dv1 for certificating such things.
Anybody heard of this lot (email below)


Building Inspectors are tightening up on Part F of the building regs. Ventilation is becoming a hot topic right now, and electricians are bearing the brunt of it. If you haven’t alreadybeen asked for a fan test certificate for your bathroom extractor fan or cooker hood install, you soon will be!

The good news is that doing your own fan tests isn’t that complicated - once you know how! Our online course will get you quickly up to speed on testing domestic extraction fans - plus we’ll even give you a FREE HIRE of the test equipmentyou’ll need to do it!

With our easy-to-follow videos and checklists, you’ll be confidently testing your installations and providing professional fan-test certificates for your clients and Building Inspectors. And since the average price paid for a fan test done is over £72, you can charge for it too!

PEATA is the Professional Extraction Airflow Testers Alliance.Join us today, and for less than £6.70 per month you’ll get comprehensive training, easy-to-use online certificate creation, a FREE HIRE of the test equipment, and more. It’s a no-brainer!
https://www.peata.org.uk/

Sounds like for around 75 quid a year you can have another van sticker!!

 

[Leesparkykent]

Yeah they’re bang onit around here when doing blocks of flats etc.

 

[123]

Surely its just an airflow test so the scheme is pointless, it's all about what test kit is required?

 

[SparkyChick]

That scheme is a property development company trading as the scheme name or something like that. Did a little digging on Companies House. Not good at keeping their records up to date either as unless I'm mistaken, their registered office hasn't been updated.

 

[FatAlan]

I find it quite amusing that in this day and age of energy conservation with passive energy saving air tight homes that we’re all going to die from lack of ventilation and CO poisoning. Good job I’ve got a cat flap

 

[FatAlan]

I wonder what part F says about bedroom extraction rates under the duvet when you’ve had a few beers and a curry

 

[ruston]

I wonder what part F says about bedroom extraction rates under the duvet when you’ve had a few beers and a curry

Probably blow it out of all proportion.

 

[Timbo]

Probably blow it out of all proportion.

If you don't smoke in bed you'll be OK.

 

[MJPD29]

Not a chance I'll give them money for that

 

[johnduffell]

You don't need to test fixed single bathroom and kitchen extractor installed as per instructions, that's rubbish from a scheme trying to flog a course. You only need to test setups with custom ductwork or multi room variable ventilation eg mvhr.

 

[PEATAMark]

Good to see we're making an impression!

PEATA does offer an online course, plus associated certificate creation software and other bits & pieces. And you do get a van sticker ;-)

The reason I set it up is because, wearing my other hat as a property developer, I was asked by my building inspector to provide an airflow test certificate for some new houses. It was a surprise to me, and none of the electricians I contacted knew that it was required, nor had the equipment or know-how to do the tests. Most of them incorrectly thought, like @johnduffell, that it didn't apply to "normal" bathroom extractors or cooker hoods.
The regs do in fact require an actual airflow test for *all* mechanical extraction systems in new dwellings. They also require a commissioning certificate for every install, not just for new dwellings. (Details on page 2 of Part F, if you're interested). This has been the case since 2010, but is only now really being enforced - I was told by my Building Control Officer that this is due to new directives from above.

Obviously the PEATA online course covers this in more detail, as well as how to do the tests etc.

Several brands of extractor fans we've tested so far simply don't meet the minimum part F standards for airflow, despite what it says on the box. Just installing one of these is not sufficient to pass building regs.

Cheers,
Mark

 

[SJD]

I find it quite amusing that in this day and age of energy conservation with passive energy saving air tight homes that we’re all going to die from lack of ventilation and CO poisoning. Good job I’ve got a cat flap

A few years ago, a large extension including a new Utility room, the customer didn't want an extractor, so none was fitted. But he did have the builder put a cat flat in the Utility rear door. … Come inspection time, we were able to trade the lack of a fan for the cat flap, and on that basis, it was passed. Not sure this would happen now, though.

 

[Midwest]

Good to see we're making an impression!

PEATA does offer an online course, plus associated certificate creation software and other bits & pieces. And you do get a van sticker ;-)

The reason I set it up is because, wearing my other hat as a property developer, I was asked by my building inspector to provide an airflow test certificate for some new houses. It was a surprise to me, and none of the electricians I contacted knew that it was required, nor had the equipment or know-how to do the tests. Most of them incorrectly thought, like @johnduffell, that it didn't apply to "normal" bathroom extractors or cooker hoods.
The regs do in fact require an actual airflow test for *all* mechanical extraction systems in new dwellings. They also require a commissioning certificate for every install, not just for new dwellings. (Details on page 2 of Part F, if you're interested). This has been the case since 2010, but is only now really being enforced - I was told by my Building Control Officer that this is due to new directives from above.

Obviously the PEATA online course covers this in more detail, as well as how to do the tests etc.

Several brands of extractor fans we've tested so far simply don't meet the minimum part F standards for airflow, despite what it says on the box. Just installing one of these is not sufficient to pass building regs.

Cheers,
Mark

Having just moved into a new build, I'm well aware of the requirement to pressure test a property, and the ventilation systems, i.e. the sheds loads of mastic & foam used to seal all the gaps between skirting & floor base etc; right mess. I could see a similar requirement for a extension of a property including a new kitchen or bathroom.

However, could you direct us to the Building reg requirement for existing properties, e.g for when replacing existing bathroom fans.

 

[Ian1981]

We are required to fan test all fans installed in new builds as required by the building inspector

 

[Rpa07]

And I’d like to see the course an online, free course with a printable certificate.
I don’t need a badge or a sticker I just don’t want to line anyone’s pocket.
Who’s with me!
Yellow shirts on!

 

[PEATAMark]

@Midwest :The air tightness testing is different from the extraction airflow testing. You don't need to do airflow tests on fans in extensions, but you do need to prepare commissioning notice. The relevant paragraphs from the regs are:
"Changes in the legal requirements

3. All fixed mechanical ventilation systems, where they can be tested and adjusted, shall be commissioned and a commissioning notice given to the Building Control Body.
4. For mechanical ventilation systems installed in new dwellings, air flow rates shall be measured on site and a notice given to the Building Control Body. This shall apply to intermittently-used extract fans and cooker hoods, as well as continuously running systems."

There's a whole bunch of other stuff regarding condensation lines, max number of bends in ducting, etc. Luckily, we've collated all the relevant info for you in the handy PEATA online course ... ;-)

Cheers,
Mark

 

[SparkyChick]

Good to see we're making an impression!

I'm not convinced this applies to the average domestic spark to be fair unless it's a new build as nearly all the extractor devices we're likely to encounter are non-adjustable (I believe the adjustment to which Part F refers quite a bit is specifically in relation to airflow - none of the devices I've ever fitted have been adjustable beyond the adjustment provided by the manufacturer - i.e. different speed settings for say a cooker hood or time periods in relation to timed fans which of course has no impact on airflow rates just total volume), but building regs aside, unfortunately for me, it's the wrong kind of impression you're making.

For a start I don't appreciate unsolicited email marketing, regardless of whether or not it's compliant with the GDPR legislation, although according to some guidance I've read if it's a small company consisting of a single person you should abide by the business to consumer parts and seek consent from said individual. You've just plucked my email address from either my scheme website or the competent persons register website and mailed me with information that I have not requested, did not consent to and as best as I can tell in your case is not relevant to me. You're not the first, you definitely won't be the last but I do try and make it a point not to do business with people who just mail me out of the blue.

Secondly, I find it quite interesting that there are two variants of you on the companies house website. Both involved with different commercial entities that appear to share a common naming theme using various addresses (even two flavours of the same address and even I believe two slightly different versions of you involved in one entity - i.e. director with one name and address and a PSC with a slightly different name and another address). One might conclude you're trying to obfuscate any links between them with some level of plausible deniability.

I've also tried to find the information that made me highlight the difference in registered office address, but I have thus far been unable to which leads me to conclude you've made some changes somewhere because when I received your email originally I was able to find out quite quickly that PEATA is a trading name of a property development company... now that link appears to have been erased, so again one might conclude you're trying to obfuscate any links there too. And there was me thinking that if you're trading under a different name you have to be open and honest about it and perhaps provide some form of link to the real commercial entity such as a company registration number or perhaps even a statement to the effect that it's 'company x trading as PEATA'.

I also don't like the fact that I can't see how much joining is going to cost me until you've already collected my details. Which I believe (according to your privacy policy) then allows you to store them and process them in accordance with said policy because I've given them to you.

There's no address for PEATA, no company details, no details of the team there... nothing.

Based on the above, I'm not convinced you're 100% legit and I would perhaps go so far as to say it's a scam of some form designed to part electricians (and others) from their hard earned cash by scaring us into believing we're falling foul of the building regulations by not doing something which as best as I can tell we're not required to do. New builds and variable airflow rate devices yes, old properties and fixed rate devices... not convinced.

Disclaimer - I should point out, my comments above are my own views and opinions and should not be interpreted as the views of other staff members or the forum owners.

 

[Octopus]

We are required to fan test all fans installed in new builds as required by the building inspector

Hum ....... where is that stated in BS 7671?

Its not

Therefore its not our problem.

 

[SparkyChick]

Hum ....... where is that stated in BS 7671?

Its not

Therefore its not our problem.

Not sure I agree with that. We are obliged to comply with the relevant parts of the building regulations and Part F does make it clear that under certain conditions certification is required for ventilation devices. I'm just not convinced the scope is as broad as Mr. Corti and PEATA make it out to be.

 

[mattg4321]

I've done a few new builds in the past few months and never been required to test the airflow of an extractor fan. Nor have I ever heard of anyone else having to do so for a small domestic extractor fan.