With no quals, what are my options to install the following?

[cornburn]

Hi everyone!

I run a data cabling installation company and need to rack a few brains if that's ok. Until now, I have worked with a local sparky who has taken care of the electrics while we do the data cabling. He's heading abroad so I need to check what my options are here.

The electrical installs are very simple and after beginning to train as a sparky at college several years ago I'm prefectly happy that I could take care of them, but as the installs are mainly in schools I need to check exactly what my options are as I'm sure I probably can't get away with doing these myself legally and being in schools I'm not sure that part P applies?

The only jobs we ever need to do are

- Spurring a socket onto the ceiling to power a projector
- Extending the ring main in a room to add several sockets into dado trunking to power the PCs

At the moment I install the benching, dado trunking and all the data cabling so would obviously prefer to put the sockets in at the same time as employing a new sparky at every job is going to eat all my profit.

What quals would I need to be able to do this myself, or could I go straight ahead now any pay someone to certify the install afterwards?

I spent an hour trying to find this info on the internet but all the search results bring up are training courses, I can't even find what schools buidings would be classed as (commercial?)

Hopefuly someone can point me in the right direction

Cheers

 

[Spudmiester]

Just get a proper spark to do it, after all it is schools and local authoritys will probably want documentation.

If it went wrong, would you want the hassle for the sake of a few hundred quid ?

 

[Shakey]

Hi everyone!

I run a data cabling installation company and need to rack a few brains if that's ok. Until now, I have worked with a local sparky who has taken care of the electrics while we do the data cabling. He's heading abroad so I need to check what my options are here.

The electrical installs are very simple and after beginning to train as a sparky at college several years ago I'm prefectly happy that I could take care of them, but as the installs are mainly in schools I need to check exactly what my options are as I'm sure I probably can't get away with doing these myself legally and being in schools I'm not sure that part P applies?

The only jobs we ever need to do are

- Spurring a socket onto the ceiling to power a projector
- Extending the ring main in a room to add several sockets into dado trunking to power the PCs

At the moment I install the benching, dado trunking and all the data cabling so would obviously prefer to put the sockets in at the same time as employing a new sparky at every job is going to eat all my profit.

What quals would I need to be able to do this myself, or could I go straight ahead now any pay someone to certify the install afterwards?

I spent an hour trying to find this info on the internet but all the search results bring up are training courses, I can't even find what schools buidings would be classed as (commercial?)

Hopefuly someone can point me in the right direction

Cheers

well schools do not come under Part P, but you must test & inspect and issue certs (EIC's or Minor Works depending on what job you are doing)

The requirement to do that is competence, officially there are no quals which give you automatic authority to do that, but there are quals which most people would expect as a minimum, ie a current regs qual, an installation qual etc

 

[cornburn]

ok, thanks guys. As the work's basic I am happy I can do a good job after 2 years of part time college experience so from the sounds of it I'm probably best to study and install to the current regs and provide a certificate to the school myself.

I'd love to pay a more experienced spark to do it and not have the hassle but there's not enouh profit in what I do to be able to do this on every job and putting the whole installation in myself will give an improved service to the customer and take less time. If there's anything more than a few sockets going in then I'll obviously pass it onto someone more experienced at least until I've passed the regs exams etc.

I just wanted to make sure I wasn't breaking any laws etc by doing this and you seem to have answered my question so cheers for that. The main thing will be checking I've got the right kit to test the installation to current regs but after reading up it doesn't seem to have to be anything special, unlike the b$%&ard new Fluke tester I've just had to fork out £4k for!!!

Time to get reading some more .....................

 

[wayne]

you seem happy to" give it a bash" as spud says local authorities usually like to see proper documentation
does your insurance cover you for mains voltage work .i only ask because the data boys say they arent, when they are probably too lazy to do it ?

 

[cornburn]

The only exclusion on my insurance is heat work, although the policy doesn't specifically state that it covers 240v work. Fortunately it's up for renewal in a week so I'll be checking it's included then

 

[Had8Lives]

As you would only be carrying out Minor Works, IE. adding to an existing circuit, you would need to do an Earth Loop Impedence test in both a spur socket and an extension of a ring. You don't have to check for ring continuity but I always do just to cover my a*se :-D So all in all you just need a low resistance ohmmeter and an earth loop impedence tester. I'd suggest you do the 17th Edition regs course and some Inspection and testing practical sessions.

 

[Shakey]

As you would only be carrying out Minor Works, IE. adding to an existing circuit, you would need to do an Earth Loop Impedence test in both a spur socket and an extension of a ring. You don't have to check for ring continuity but I always do just to cover my a*se :-D So all in all you just need a low resistance ohmmeter and an earth loop impedence tester. I'd suggest you do the 17th Edition regs course and some Inspection and testing practical sessions.

What!

where did the IR test go then? or cant you screw through the line or neutral when putting the faceplate on in a spur

 

[Had8Lives]

Well I always do an X Ray of all the face plates i put on just to make sure :-D

You're quite right shakey, should do R1 + R2 really aswell, but do you really want to put 500V down some existing cables you don't know much about? I spose IR test could be done through testing L & N to earth that way you wouldn't blow anything up :-D

 

[SimonCTS]

Might be a silly question and by no means is this a dig but wouldn`t you need a rough idea on the supply chateristcs? for certification purposes and to verify the safety of the circuit you will be connecting (spuring or extending) to?

 

[Had8Lives]

No offence taken Simon, you are quite right :-D