You might be a dab hand at fixing things but carrying out household electrical jobs, unless you are properly qualified, could not only land you a hefty fine, it could mean your property isn’t considered safe. Domestic electrical work falls under the remit of Building Regulations (‘Part P’) and DIY electrical work cannot be carried out as freely as it could be years ago.

Part P applies to electrical installations in houses and flats, dwellings and business premises that have a common supply (i.e. shops with a flat above) as well as common access areas (corridors and staircases) and shared amenities (i.e. laundries and gyms) in blocks of flats.

It also applies to electrical installations in outbuildings such as sheds, detached garages and greenhouses as well as extensions and loft conversions. 

Changing a plug socket or light bulb is fine, but even relatively straightforward electrical jobs need to be either done by an electrician who is registered with one of the ‘Self Certifying’ bodies. If the work is carried out by a ‘competent person’ i.e. someone who is registered, the work is deemed to be compliant with the Part P Building Regulations. But if you want to do the work yourself (or employ someone that isn’t registered with one of these organisations) then you’ll need to contact your local authority beforehand to tell them about it. They will then inspect the work (or contract someone to do so) to check that it is OK.

British Standard BS7671 is the name for the IEE Wiring Regulations. One way to meet the requirements of Part P, is to do electrical wiring installations in accordance with this standard.

Notifiable Work

Work which is deemed to be ‘notifiable’, is work done in ‘high risk’ areas such as kitchens and bathrooms (other than ‘like for like’ replacement) or outside (other than replacement, repair and maintenance jobs). Notifiable work must be notified to the Local Authority Building Control Dept under Part P.

Non-Notifiable Work

Broadly, replacing existing electrical equipment, components or cabling, adding light fittings or sockets to an existing circuit and work on telephone wiring or extra-low voltage wiring used in computer set ups, doesn’t need notification to Building Control. However, if in doubt as to whether the electrical work you intend to do should be notified, contact your local Building Control department. 

Be Safe in the Home

• If you get an electric shock from an appliance - turn off the power and call a qualified electrician.
• Always turn off the power to lights when you are changing light bulbs.
• Don’t overload plug sockets - limit adaptors and power boards to one per socket. Never pull on the power cord when removing a plug.
• Never touch electrical appliances with wet hands and keep electrical appliances away from water - even when they are switched off. Electricity and water don’t mix.
• Wear dry shoes with rubber soles when using electrical appliances in wet areas or outside.
• Use safety switches at your fuse box or electrical outlet. Use circuit breakers or electrical trip.
• Keep little fingers out of plug sockets with child plug covers. 
• Unwind extension cables fully, as if left coiled up they can overheat, leading to electric shocks, and potentially causing fire.
• Replace damaged or frayed cords on appliances and extension leads. 

Fizzle Out Old Electrics

Old electrical work is dangerous - it’s a fire risk and whilst having a property re-wired can be expensive, it’s a small price to pay against having the place burn down. Look for the danger signs of out of date electrics:

1. Round pin plug sockets or round light switches.
2. Black rubber or cotton covered cables 
3. Discoloured switches and/or light holders
4. Twisted wires coming from light fittings.
5. Obviously ancient fuse boxes that look like something from a Frankenstein movie!

Avoid Bank Holiday Bangs

If you intend to entertain outside over the bank holiday, take care over electrics for your garden party.

• Only use cables that are specifically designed for outdoor use and take care when feeding through doors or windows to avoid causing cable damage.
• Ensure that any cables or extension leads are not left out where they can be easily tripped over or grabbed. Trailing wires are one of the most common causes of household trips and falls.
• Make sure you read any manufacturers’ instructions for outdoor electrical goods carefully. Inappropriate use of electrical equipment is one of the most common causes of accidents.
• Outdoor lighting should be low voltage or be protected by a circuit breaker in the event of an earth fault.
• Protect your stereo and other electrical equipment from sudden showers with a gazebo or canopy. 
• Never leave outdoor electrical equipment plugged in when unattended. Bring indoors all electrical equipment when you turn in and don’t leave extension leads outdoors permanently.

How to wire a plug

These days most appliances come with plugs already fitted, but if you need to fit one yourself, here’s how to do it.

The standards wiring colours changed from 2006 and although new appliances will reflect the new colours, the old IEE colour scheme may still exist in wiring done before March 2006. 

Pre-2004 IEE colour scheme: 

Protective Earth (PE) - Green / Yellow

Neutral (N) - Black

Live (L) - Red

Current Scheme (from 2006):

Protective Earth (PE) - Green / Yellow

Neutral (N) - Blue

Live (L) - Brown

You’ll also need to make sure you fit the correct size fuse- 2A or 5A for low power items, such as computers and televisions, 10A or 13A for high power items such as hair dryers, Kettles and toasters. 

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