Discuss Isolator switch for CU change (for Part P assesment) in the Business Related area at ElectriciansForums.net

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Hi,

I've got my first Part P assessment coming up soon and I'm planning on doing a consumer unit change and first fix of an extension on my own house and a consumer unit change and some additional sockets on a friends house. I couldn't decide whether to cut seals or get isolator switches fitted (I've read a lot of forum posts on the subject) and in the end I decided to get isolator switches fitted, mainly because my meter tails are too short (they currently just go to henley blocks to feed two consumer units) and my friend’s tails are undersize, so I would potentially have to cut seals on both the cut-out and meter.

Getting British Gas to fit an isolator on my place seems painless, I phoned them yesterday and they are coming next Mon, but my friend's supplier can't do it for three weeks, which is a bit too close to my assessment (if they don't turn up then I'm stuffed). So now I've got a bit of a dilemma, do I ask them to fit an isolator switch and wait 3 weeks (and hope they turn up on time), or do I just go ahead and do the job anyway which may be a bit dodgy because, as I understand it, you're not allowed to touch their equipment and they've made a note now that an enquiry has been made about fitting an isolator switch (I haven't checked to see if the seals are in place yet though and as it’s a old meter I guess that they may well be missing).

My third option is to not rely on changing his consumer unit before the assessment, but then I can't add the additional sockets because he's got an old fuse box with rewirable fuses, so no RCD protection, ahhhhh! This would leave me with no second job and no minor works certificate. Or maybe I should just try to delay the assessment (which I really don't want to do).

I feel that I am at the mercy of the electricity supplier. Any suggestions/advise welcome!

Thanks
 
for your mate's extra sockets, you could come off the 30A 3036 fuse into a stand-alone RCD+ 20A MCB in a "garage board" to divert the RFC into.
 
Thanks telectrix. I had wondered about doing that until I could change the main board. I guess that it would just be a short length of 6mm T&E (to get the 30A rating on a 3036 fuse) into the garage board. What I wasn't sure about is if this would still be minor work as I guess that I would effectively be adding a new distribution circuit.
 
just fit an RCD then. rely on the 30A 3036 for OCP. that way you only need to fill out a MWC.
 
but beef up the cpc to the 6mm. use a bit of 6mm green/yellow
 
Good point, thanks very much - I might have missed that if you hadn't mentioned it, especially with it being a temporary arangement. I guess that I can use a small consumer unit with RCD main switch and just wire the RCD and blank out the the MCB positions ... unless there is a RCD in a box available for just this purpose?
 
Who are you registering with? If its Elecsa they like to see 1 "major" job (cu change) and 1 minor job.

If the isolator is being fitted to your house then you've got your CU to do then your major job is sorted, for a minor job fit an outside light or add a spur for somebody.

Bottom line, I'd check with who you are registering with and see what they say. No point in panicing until you know the score.

By the way cutting the seals on a meter is a big no, no!
 
Yes, it's Elecsa.

I think your right, I should find somebody else who has got a more up-to-date board and just wants a socket or two added and not rely on my mate, especially as he seems to be having trouble getting his plasterer to turn up as well.

Thanks for the advice.

Thanks for the advice on the seals as well, I have actually had others give me the opposite advice (verbally) but I don't feel comfortable with it so I won't be doing that!
 
That's a good idea, could he really do that? I think I'm definitely going to have a chat with him about it anyway.

Do you have get your own electricity supplier to fit an isolator switch or are there alternatives, like other companies that are authorised to do the work?
 
He has the qualification to do it, just depends on the engineer. Where in the uk are you?
 
Don't even think about cutting the seals if it's a job for your assessment - what you do afterwards is up to you, but I can't see the assessor missing it if the job is a cu change and I don't think he'd be impressed...
 

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