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Buildings regs gone mad?


Adsibob

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Discuss with your building control, as I asked them that I wanted to keep my switches at 1350mm as per the rest if the house. They agreed, and it’s in writing so happy days, my existing sockets are fitted into the skirtings but went with the normal compliant height in the extension.

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On 01/08/2021 at 14:01, SteamyTea said:

The electrician that wired my house, put the light switches a few metres from the external door that is used the most.

Makes me wonder what goes on in peoples heads.

For this reason I have not left it to chance and give the builder: (1) a reflected ceiling plan that shows precisely where the the light switch for each fitting goes; and (2) a floor plan which shows precisely where each socket goes. Let’s hope his electrician remembers to follow them.

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10 minutes ago, Adsibob said:

For this reason I have not left it to chance and give the builder: (1) a reflected ceiling plan that shows precisely where the the light switch for each fitting goes; and (2) a floor plan which shows precisely where each socket goes. Let’s hope his electrician remembers to follow them.

I rarely wire a building to a plan.  Instead I go around with the client, and a big black marker pen, and work out where they really want switches and sockets now thay can see the building, rather than some architects best guess at where to put them.

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13 minutes ago, ProDave said:

I rarely wire a building to a plan.  Instead I go around with the client, and a big black marker pen, and work out where they really want switches and sockets now thay can see the building, rather than some architects best guess at where to put them.

My architect's first draft was silly. I walked round the newly laid out house (we have all the external shell done and internal stud walls are amost done) and made various changes to what he had suggested. But marker pen is a good idea, once the studs are done I might do this as well to make sure what I've planned is going to work.

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9 minutes ago, Marvin said:

Yes, but small mark with the marker pen as the mark can come through the paint later which is fine if the mark is right but....

I am talking of marking the timber frame before the plasterboard even goes on, so no risk of the marker pen showing through.

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9 minutes ago, Marvin said:

Yes, but small mark with the marker pen as the mark can come through the paint later which is fine if the mark is right but....

Or red sticky tape.

 

Why not Bluetooth enabled light switches. If you are within a few metres if the room, it will turn the light on. To save multiple lights being on, it can scan for the strongest signal and turn the weaker signal lights off.

 

Useful for people that like technology.

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My brother in Law has just remodelled (very respectfully) a 16th century building and used kinetic lights all over to save chasing walls and removing oak panelling to hard wire them, brilliant idea.

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9 hours ago, TonyT said:

Discuss with your building control, as I asked them that I wanted to keep my switches at 1350mm as per the rest if the house. They agreed, and it’s in writing so happy days, my existing sockets are fitted into the skirtings but went with the normal compliant height in the extension.


But that’s an extension where the specific rules do not apply?

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10 minutes ago, DevilDamo said:


But that’s an extension where the specific rules do not apply?

I may be wrong, but my understanding is that if you are building an extension, everything in the extension needs to comply, but the stuff in your existing house can remain undisturbed. However, if at the same time as doing the extension you decide to refurb the existing house including, for example, rewiring, then the existing house’s electrics will be caught and the BCO could require full compliance in terms of the electrics. 
Our extension and refurb is so extensive that the existing house is just an empty shell, no electrics, no pipes, only got floors in a couple of months ago.

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57 minutes ago, Adsibob said:

Our extension and refurb is so extensive that the existing house is just an empty shell, no electrics, no pipes,

If you've effectively gutted the existing house of services I wouldn't be at all surprised if the BCO deems it almost the same as a new build and insists on compliance with current regs.

 

 

 

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12 minutes ago, Rob99 said:

If you've effectively gutted the existing house of services I wouldn't be at all surprised if the BCO deems it almost the same as a new build and insists on compliance with current regs.

 

 

 

That is basically what’s happening. It might have been easier to knock it down and build a new build, but as we were semi detached and there wasn’t too much wrong with the walls, we thought knocking it down would be difficult to get permission for and might be overkill. 

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4 hours ago, Onoff said:

 

Pretty sure they have specific socket and switch height recommendations under their Building Standards.

 

Does Part M apply in Scotland?

Scottish building regs are all numbered, not lettered and I forget which number it comes under. But basically all general purpose switches and sockets must be between 400mm and 1200mm and that includes consumer units.  Dedicated sockets can be any height.  There are also other things like no socket or switch within 300mm of an internal corner which I have broken many times without being pulled up, and there is a minimum height a socket must be above a worktop.

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21 hours ago, Adsibob said:

my understanding is that if you are building an extension, everything in the extension needs to comply

Only those BR’s that apply to what you’re carrying out. The BR’s that relate to heights of sockets, switches, etc… do not apply to extensions.

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10 minutes ago, ETC said:

Don’t see the big deal. Put the sockets in at the required BC height.

 

Agreed. If my old man had let me rewire his place when I offered he wouldn't be having to stoop down like he is now. Ditto lowering the switches. Any I move at home now go in at the new heights. 

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