Lighting circuit BS 7176

[smike]

Hi, I am a newbie on this site as well as a newbie electrician awaiting G&C 2391.

I would just like the forums comment on a situation regarding Lighting CPC on properties built in the sixties where this requirement was largely ignored, and now coming to roost under BS 7671

I live in a flat next door to a neighbour who’s flat is exactly identical to mine.

I had a landlords inspection and at the same time, he being an owner occupier had an inspection on the insistence of a mortgage lender so he could release equity.

My landlords electrician had rewired the lighting circuit in external trunking which is there all to be seen.

Another electrician next door after a conversation with him told me that the owner didn’t want trunking over his ceiling and walls, so this electrician connected his circuit to the RCD portion of the split board on the consumer unit.
The earthing system is T-N-S
My points are How come I have to put up with the expense and the sight of trunking and all he has to have done is a single conductor stretched to the left of the consumer unit?

My understanding so far that next door has been inadequately remedied and mine is correct.

Also according to my understanding is that domestic wiring should no be protected by RCD as direct contact is considered out of reach, blowing GLS cause nuisance tripping, and how did the electrician obtain R1 + R2 reading without an earth.

Sorry long posting for a first

 

[pdcelec]

Why take the 2391 when you have no understanding already? Have you not taken any other electrical courses or any experience?.

 

[Spark123]

Have you done C&G 2381 (BS 7671:2001 Requirements for Electrical Installations)?

 

[plugwash]

i presume you meant to write BS 7671 not BS 7176

i'm pretty sure that BS 7671 does not allow rcd protection to be used as a substitute for a lack of earthing.

 

[smike]

Why take the 2391 when you have no understanding already? Have you not taken any other electrical courses or any experience?.

Sorry folks BS 7671 not 7176 my memory system lets me down rotten sometimes

I have received credits in all my exams bar one in C&G2630 thanks pdcelec
And have worked in electrical distribution for 20 years, but not much house experience. No I’m not qualified in Testing and Inspection, which was the point of the posting

I was just reporting an experience of real life what happened to me and the man next door and was expecting comments.

Thanks spark123 and plugwash

 

[ban-all-sheds]

i'm pretty sure that BS 7671 does not allow rcd protection to be used as a substitute for a lack of earthing.

I'm pretty sure you're right.

With the caution about temporary fixes becoming permanent, though, as an immediate work-round of the problem prior to proper earthing being installed, an RCD is better than no earth at all, and you'd be jolly glad of it were you to grab hold of a faulty Class I luminaire or accessory, so the neighbour's installation is safer than it was.

Smike - if that's all your neighbour's guy did, then you are right to be concerned, and to question what sort of certificate he issued, but he could have listed the deviations. Are you sure that there is no plan to rewire the lighting circuit, or have a cpc installed, sometime soon?

At the end of the day, if an owner refuses to have work done, there's nothing to compel him to, maybe the electrician was left with no choice but to say "well will you at least let me put the lights on the RCD side?".

It does beg two questions though:

1) How come there's a split-load CU installed, as I'm pretty sure that these post-date the regs requiring a cpc

2) What as the mortgage lender been told?

Do you get on well with your neighbour?

 

[smike]

BAS

You won’t believe it
.
The Split board was part of the remedial work after his initial inspection.( as the flat is ground flour and bearing in mind future upgrade) The ruckus about trunking came in between. The neighbour himself being a retired electrician had an issue about it. Having no access to the upstairs flat his only option was that or wall lights.

Not wanting to mention names I think he passed it and issued the certificate.

I didn’t raise it with the neighbour because he’s a `now-all git’. So I thought let the next inspector throw it out when he tries to sell.

Thanks BAS for your interest.

 

[Spark123]

If there are no exposed conductive parts on the lighting circuit then it may qualify under protection against indirect contact by Class II or equivalent insulation. Another clause is the circuit needs to be supervised so that no change is made which can impair the effectiveness of the class II insulation (so no metal light fittings). See reg 471-09.