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What is Part P of the Building Regulations?

In 2005 the Government introduced electrical safety rules into the Building Regulations for England and Wales. Because of this, most fixed electrical installation work carried out in homes must, by law, meet the Building Regulations.

Part P states that anyone carrying out electrical installation work in a home must make sure that the work is designed and installed to protect people from fire and electric shocks. Part P applies to newly-built homes and to any changes made to existing installations, including any parts that have been rewired.
 
Part P FAQ from the ESC website
How Part P Regs affect you. From the ESC.

All this infomation and more can be found at the Electrical Safety Council's website.

 
 
The ECS guide on checking a plug.

Checking a plug

In the UK all modern appliances such as hairdryers, vacuum cleaners and microwaves use a square pin 13 amp plug. Plugs and their cables can suffer damage with use so it is a good idea to check them regularly.

With the plug removed from the socket, check the cable from end to end and ask the following:

  1. Is the cable securely attached to the appliance and the plug?
  2. Is the cable cut, nicked or damaged in any way?

There should preferably be no joints and certainly no repairs with insulating tape.

Checking the plug:

  • Remove the plug from the socket and check the plug is not damaged.
  • Look for signs of overheating, such as discoloured casing or cable.
  • Check that the plug meets British Standard BS 1363 - it should be marked on the back of the plug.
  • Check that the cable sheath is firmly clamped in the plug and that no coloured wires are showing.

For plugs that did not come fitted to the appliance, check that the cable is connected correctly as follows.

  • Remove the plug from the socket, and remove the cover.

Check that:

  • the Brown wire goes to live (L);
  • the Blue wire goes to neutral (N); and
  • the Green-and-yellow wire goes to earth (E).
  • Check that the cord clamp holds the cable securely and that both of the screws are tight.
  • Check that the screws holding the three wires are tight.
  • Check that the fuse is the correct size and meets British Standard BS 1362 - see the manufacturer's instructions if you are not sure what fuse to use. The fuse should clip securely into its holder. It should not be loose and there should be no signs of overheating.
  • Replace the cover securely.
If in doubt or unsure about anything just ask a qualified electrician.  Most decent electricians will talk you through it over the phone or pop around.

Plug fuses

Plugs in the UK are generally fitted with a 3A or 13A fuse. For appliances up to 700w you need to use a 3A fuse. And for appliances over 700w you need to use a 13A fuse.

See below table for examples:

Fuse Applicances  
3A Table Lamp, Standard Lamp, Television, Video, Computer, Mixer, Blender, Refrigerator, Freezer, Power drill, Jig saw, Soldering iron.
13A Washing Machine, Dishwasher, Microwave, Kettle, Toaster, Iron

 

For the convenience of users companies who make appliances have standardised plug fuse ratings to either 3A or 13A, however other fuse sizes are still available.

Your fusebox

A consumer unit or fusebox is used to control and distribute electricity around our homes.

They usually contain:

A) Mains switch

B) Fuses or Circuit Breakers

C) Residual Current Device

Mains Switch

The mains switch allows you to turn off the electricity supply to your electrical installation. Some electrical installations have more than one mains switch, for example, if your home is heated by electric storage heaters, you may have a separate consumer unit (fuse box) for them. The consumer unit should be easy to get to, so find out where the mains switch is to turn the electricity off in an emergency.

Fuses

Rewirable fuses have a piece of special fuse wire running between two screws. When a fault or overload current flows through the fuse wire, it will become hot, and melt when the current goes above an acceptable level. The melted fuse breaks the circuit, disconnecting the faulty circuit.

Circuit Breakers

Circuit breakers are automatic protection devices fitted in the consumer unit which switch off a circuit if there is a fault. Circuit breakers are similar in size to fuseholders, but give more precise protection than fuses. When they ‘trip’, you can simply reset the switch. However, you first need to find and correct the fault.

Residual Current Devices

An RCD is a switching device that trips a circuit under certain conditions, and disconnects the electricity supply. If your electrical installation includes one or more RCDs, test them regularly. You can do this by following the instruction label, which should be near the RCD. The label should read as follows: ‘This installation, or part of it, is protected by a device which automatically switches off the supply if an earth fault develops. Test quarterly (every three months) by pressing the button marked ‘T’ or ‘Test’.’ The device should switch off the supply. You should then switch it back on to restore the supply. If the device does not switch off the supply when you press the button, contact an electrician. Testing the button every three months is important. However, do not hold the test button for a long period if the device does not trip. If the RCD does not switch off the supply when you press the test button, get advice from a registered electrician.

If your fusebox has a wooden back, cast iron switches, or a haphazard mixture of fuses it is likely that it dates back to before the 1960s and will need to be replaced.nterdum sollicitudin ante.

What is a Residual Current Device?

A residual current device (RCD) is a safety device that switches off electricity automatically if there is a fault. RCDs are far more sensitive than normal fuses and circuit-breakers and provide additional protection against electric shock.

Additional protection by means of an RCD can be a lifesaver. An RCD constantly monitors the electric current flowing along a circuit. If it detects electricity flowing down an unintended path, such as through a person who has touched a live part, it will switch the circuit off very quickly, thereby significantly reducing the risk of death or serious injury.

Using electricity whilst wet significantly increases the risk of electric shock. If you are wet and in contact with the ground, it makes it easier for the electricity to flow through you. RCDs can help protect you from electric shock in areas, such as in bathrooms and gardens, where you may be wet.

It is very important to have RCD protection when using electrical equipment outdoors. Without it, a simple job like mowing the lawn could turn into a deadly disaster if you cut through the electrical lead.

Types of RCD

There are three main types of RCD:

Fixed RCDs – are installed in the consumer unit (fusebox) and can provide protection to individual or groups of circuits. A fixed RCD provides the highest level of protection as it constantly protects all sockets on a circuit and any connected appliances.

Socket-outlet RCDs – are built into a special socket-outlet that replaces a standard socket-outlet. This type of RCD provides protection only to the person in contact with the equipment, including the leads, plugged into the special socket-outlet.

Portable RCDs – plug into any standard socket-outlet. An appliance can then be plugged into the RCD. These are useful when neither fixed nor socket-outlet RCDs are available, but again they provide protection only to the person in contact with the equipment, including the leads, plugged into the portable RCD.

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Reliability of RCDs

Our research found that fixed RCDs are about 97% reliable and that this rate improved if they were regularly tested by users. If you have fixed RCD protection, you can rely on it to not only reduce the risk of electric shock to you and your family, but also to reduce the risk of damage being caused to your property by fire caused by faulty wiring or appliances.

Important

Although RCD protection reduces the risk of death or injury from electric shock, it does not reduce the need to protect yourself, family and property by having your electrical wiring checked at least every 10 years. If you think there is a fault with your wiring or an appliance, stop using it immediately and contact a registered electrician.

 

 

A good tip is to always test your fixed RCDs when changing to and from daylight saving, as many electric clocks and timers have to be reset anyway.

 

Testing RCDs

It is strongly recommended that you test all fixed and socket-outlet RCDs regularly (about every three months) by using the ‘test’ button built into them. Manufacturers recommend that portable RCDs are tested every time you use them.

Do not hold the test button in for a long time if the RCD does not trip. If the RCD does not switch off the supply when you use the test button, get advice from a registered electrician.

The UK standard for the safety of electrical installations

In July 2008 a new edition of the UK standard for the safety of electrical installations, BS 7671: 2008, came into effect. This standard now calls for virtually all circuits in new or rewired homes to be provided with additional protection by means of an RCD.