Hard wired smokes with CU change?

[NellyManjaro]

Hopefully an easy one without much debate but I've just had spoke to someone who has had an electrician go to his rental property and say it needs a new CU which I'd agree, all sockets to be replaced as they don't have switches which I would personally but didn't think this was actually a requirement? But also a new circuit putting in for hard wired smoke alarms... now although I would recommend hard wired smoke alarms they aren't required following a CU upgrade are they? Re wires yes... new installations yes... id probably even push it if I was adding 1 or 2 circuits in but they have the required battery smoke alarms that the legislation for rental properties dictates that they must now have in place.

Anyone know these rules for sure? I was very confident in my response yesterday but the more I think about it the more I am doubting what I said and don't want to give him a bum steer

Thanks

 

[James]

In England,
sockets do not need to be switched
hard wired smokes in your case would be recommended but not mandatory

scotland has different rules about fire detection though.

 

[littlespark]

Check with the local authority to see if they allow battery. If they do, they will still need interlinked.

How difficult is it to wire?

 

[UNG]

all sockets to be replaced as they don't have switches

This seems to be a common error recently, I've seen it a couple of times on EICR's and lack of isolation is always quoted in the observations

 

[James]

Daft, isolation isn’t achieved until the plug is removed from the socket anyway!

 

[littlespark]

Easiest form of isolation is unplugging. Not handy if the socket is down behind a washing machine. Hence the need/want off an solar ion switch above worktop.

The age of unswitched sockets would be factor in whether they need changed or not, although I know you can buy unswitched sockets new.

 

[UNG]

Daft, isolation isn’t achieved until the plug is removed from the socket anyway!

I put it down to inexperienced people lacking the skills to carry out a proper EICR

 

[littlespark]

I’m sorry, but how did my ISOLATION become SOLAR ION???

 

[James]

It wasn‘t your autocorrect, I expect it was one of the mods just playing with you!!!

 

[catdog1121]

Easiest form of isolation is unplugging. Not handy if the socket is down behind a washing machine. Hence the need/want off an solar ion switch above worktop.

The age of unswitched sockets would be factor in whether they need changed or not, although I know you can buy unswitched sockets new.

You can use the circuit breaker as an isolation switch so unless the consumer unit is not relatively easily accessible then even isolation switches above the worktop are not specifically required although it can be better to have them. (Personally I prefer the grid switches rather than loads of fcu's, alternatively put the socket behind the adjacent unit and drill a hole in the side of the unit so the power cable can be pulled through and plugged in..