Qualified Electrician - Wiring Question

**Rob** · 12-10-2005, 00:21

Any one able to confirm the actual regulations please:

Domestic house, recently had wiring alterations carried out. Rather than chase the wall plaster, the cable has been routed behind the wooden skirting boards. Vertical risers to the socket locations.

The cable has no protection other than the skirting board.

I thought it had to be run horizontally at least 150mm above floor level, or if below had to be in a protective casing i.e. cable trunking systems?

Thanks

marky · 12-10-2005, 00:27

I thought all sparks had to be registered now, like gas have corgi.

But i wait to be corrected.

SMHarman · 12-10-2005, 00:33

All sparks have to be 'competent', whats the easiest way to be 'competent' - registration schemes.

So realistically - Yes.

**Rob** · 12-10-2005, 00:37

Sparks are supposed to be registered. Problem here is the sparks has dissapeared, without issuing completion test certificates (as required by regulations).

Electrics are just one of the issues, at a house where the contractor has left a lot of work incomplete. I'm just hoping someone can point me in the right direction as to how loud I should shout on behalf of the homeowner.

I'd like to look up the regulations, but

is proving useless.

marky · 12-10-2005, 00:51

Quote:

Originally Posted by SMHarman

All sparks have to be 'competent', whats the easiest way to be 'competent' - registration schemes.

So realistically - Yes.

This is a new requirment, all electricians have to be approved, just like the gas corgi approved engineers.
__________________

I can only find the building regs i dont know if its in there http://www.odpm.gov.uk/stellent/grou...reg_609257.pdf

**Rob** · 12-10-2005, 00:58

Thanks, unfortunately I've gone through the entire regulation P which covere wiring, nothign specific - they just tend to invoke the British Standards which in turn is based on the IEE regulations. It's that I really need, but I think you have to pay a small fortune to access.

yesman · 12-10-2005, 19:28

Running cables behind skirting boards is very bad practice.

The attached picture shows the permitted zones.

Hope it helps.

Angua · 12-10-2005, 20:31

Try the local Building Regulation Department of the local council. IIRC these are the people who will be dealing with this sort of thing, if not Trading Standards.

The new regulations are that it is not reccommended to do any electrical work yourself beyond changing a socket/light switch.
Whilst in an ideal situation all electricians would have a certificate of competency many will not have got one yet. Nor do they have to have one.

Try this link http://www.iee.org/Publish/WireRegs/...-dwellings.cfm

Ramrod · 12-10-2005, 20:36

I can ask my sparks for you tomorrow if you are still in the dark over this

edit--or PM Bopdude.....he does this kind of thing doesn't he?

Roy MM · 12-10-2005, 20:48

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rob C

I'd like to look up the regulations, but

is proving useless.

http://www.niceic.org.uk/

**Rob** · 12-10-2005, 21:38

Thanks for the links all. I'm convinced it's bad practice, if only because cables are not runing horizontally between the sockets, but go behind the skirting, only rising at soket locations. The diagrams seem to confirm this.

Just a shame I can't get to the actual regulations in detail to prove it all. Suppose I'm going to have to pay out a load of money.

Building regulations aren't detailed enough for this issue, since they basically invoke the IEE regs and British Standard. Local Building Control bods actually know little of electrics, most subcontracting any testing issues they might get to a tame electrician. Besides this wiring was done arund two years ago, before building regs applied. It's just that the builder and homeowner are still arguing, a lot.

Ramrod · 12-10-2005, 22:03

You could always just phone a qualified sparks from the yellow pages and ask them.
I'll ask mine tomorrow and PM you if I remember to by then-what with everything else I have going on

)

Roy MM · 12-10-2005, 23:39

Behind the skirting is a

it needs to be chased into the wall with appropiate covering over it then plastered, i would report a cowboy to local councils health and safety officer. (Sparks rtd & member of niceic)

SMHarman · 13-10-2005, 08:23

Quote:

Originally Posted by Roy MM

Behind the skirting is a

it needs to be chased into the wall with appropiate covering over it then plastered, i would report a cowboy to local councils health and safety officer. (Sparks rtd & member of niceic)

Just for the simple logic that skirting is often nailed in, replacing it you could easily put one through the cable?

Ramrod · 13-10-2005, 11:14

My (commercial) sparks just said that it's probably OK-not ideal-but it's in the prescribed zone......