Discuss Splicing ring main to add some stuff in the DIY Electrical Advice area at ElectriciansForums.net

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What is proper test kit?

Multi function tester - one that does continuity, insulation resistance and RCD testing (and other things). They range from about £450 to £1200, plus need to be calibrated annually

Its what competent sparks must have to complete the necessary tests when installing new circuits and changing existing ones ....
 
And how many of the DIYers on this forum who are adding sockets, spurs etc., own this kit, or am I on my own here not owning this kit in which case I shall leave very very quietly :disappointed:
 
I just realised the word "competent" has some other meaning in this forum :flushed:
 
So coming back on topic, I at least need to run cables for my design, as in about 24 hours various things (like bathroom fitters) will stop me or any qualified person doing anything as floors and ceilings will be back and shortly tiled on.

So let's assume I run cables, do the work and then have someone test it as suggested by MFS originally.

For the right hand FCU leg, i thought this was ok to have a spur from the ring main, of a max 1 per socket?

I could make the others all on the ring main.
 
I'm not going to question your abilities, but when working on a ring circuit, proving its continuity is quite important. Hence the need for test equipment! Plus, you need to able to interpret the results you get correctly.

Otherwise, it's a piece of the proverbial :)
 
Don't worry, I am listening, I took enough of a beating from all of you :cry:, I will find someone to test it, sooner rather than later as will be easy to fix right now.

My problem though is flooring going down so I can't run any other 2.5mm cables after that.
 
I thought we were on a DIY forum, didn't know I had to be assessed to be competent before I was allowed to do DIY???
not to be pernickety but it’s actually a forum for electricians to help other electricians out. There is a DIY section which we do help out DIYers but the problem is that electricity can be a very dangerous thing there is a reason why it takes 4 years to become a fully qualified electrician and even then we are all still learning. The forum rules forbid step by step instructions to be given out to DIYers. As a rule of thumb we will not give out advice to DIYers who do not seem competent. I personally think that you will be competent to install this setup but that you will need a qualified electrician to inspect and test it. The problem with what you are proposing is you may fine we’ll be able to make this work and probably work well but it does need to be inspected and tested before putting it into service to confirm that it is safe and complies with BS7671. In short if I were in your shoes and i really wanted to do this I’d contact a local fully qualified electrician and discuss this with them they may be willing to inspect and test the circuit. The problems usually arise from such things as no RCD protection, inadequate bonding of your services etc etc which would all have to be put right before an initial verification was completed and a certificate was issued. An electrician isn’t there to simply throw in some wires and Juice it up the circuit design has to be taken into account there are many different parameters which go into even the size of the cable that you must use etc etc etc and without the knowledge and experience of a qualified sparky you could well be introducing a new hazard into your home which wasn’t there before. In short you may actually find it cheaper to get a spark in to install, test and inspect it as to complete an initial verification properly they have to see the full install as in the wires going in the connections being made the cables being clipped the list does just go on and on and on it’s all these things and more which make a circuit safe to use and not just simply work. Electricity is extremely dangerous and should be treated with respect. It only takes one tiny mistake or non-compliance with the regulations to turn a perfectly good installation into a potential death trap. So please do not take the comments in the wrong way the reason we ask questions like these and give the advice we give is for your own safety. We have nothing to gain from it at all so we aren’t going to be telling fibs trying to sell unnecessary services or parts to you.
 
So coming back on topic, I at least need to run cables for my design, as in about 24 hours various things (like bathroom fitters) will stop me or any qualified person doing anything as floors and ceilings will be back and shortly tiled on.

So let's assume I run cables, do the work and then have someone test it as suggested by MFS originally.

For the right hand FCU leg, i thought this was ok to have a spur from the ring main, of a max 1 per socket?

I could make the others all on the ring main.
The problem with that would be that the person you get to test it will have to see the entire installation ie the cable runs etc... see above post.
 
@exdirectory i have a question it’s a serious question and I’m not looking for a fight in just trying to gauge the public opinion be as honest as you can.
Why did you employ bathroom fitters/plumbers/tilers and not an electrician?
Was it like a lack of thought ie not thinking a spark would be needed for a bathroom or was it the thought that electrical work is easy enough or that electricians cost too much as I said I’m not looking to pick or instigate a fight I’d just like to know the thought process behind it
 
Original bathroom design did not have heated floor and heating element, got added at last minute. So up until then it was redirecting a shaver plug and adding a mirror light to the lighting circuit, which I decided to do to keep spiralling costs down.
 
Original bathroom design did not have heated floor and heating element, got added at last minute. So up until then it was redirecting a shaver plug and adding a mirror light to the lighting circuit, which I decided to do to keep spiralling costs down.
The best piece of advice would be to find yourself a sparky pronto mate because as I say to inspect and test properly and be able to issue an Electrical Installation Certificate the spark either needs to see all the routes etc or actually put it in themselves.....
 
The best piece of advice would be to find yourself a sparky pronto mate because as I say to inspect and test properly and be able to issue an Electrical Installation Certificate the spark either needs to see all the routes etc or actually put it in themselves.....

Exactly. When a customer rings me, and they do, asking for me to test and certificate one of their installs, they get nothing more than advice for the future.
If I was called before the install so I could design and supervise the install then that's at least in the right direction.

In my opinion any spark that would sign a cert for a job they had no involvement in would not be worth having anyway.
 
This is perhaps one of the most reasoned DIY questions we've had for quite some time and still it has degenerated into another 'are you competent' thread.

The advice the OP needed was, for the most part delivered in a polite and courteous manner in the first few posts. Everything else (except the last few) is superfluous and serves no purpose, other than to possibly offend or upset someone who has come here for advice.

Please have a quick read of these two threads to refresh your memory as to what constitutes the staff viewpoint on how we expect people to behave and treat visitors on the forums:-

Reminder - Forum Rules and 'Be Nice' Policy - https://www.electriciansforums.co.uk/threads/reminder-forum-rules-and-be-nice-policy.169006/
Reminder - Inappropriate content and abusive behaviour - https://www.electriciansforums.co.uk/threads/reminder-inappropriate-content-and-abusive-behaviour.169218/

Also, these forums are NOT just for electricians to help other electricians. If they were, we wouldn't have the DIY area.

Thank you to those members who provided the constructive advice to the OP, I'm sure it is appreciated.
 
I agree with the above, Although in this case I would agree with the general consensus.

It’s easy to see if electrical work works but much harder to see if it works safe.

There are many ways to prove you are a competent person and thus allowed to work with electrics but remember, if you kill yourself or others you will have to prove in a court of law your competence. A simple link to this forum probably won’t exempt you.

But on another note, I see nothing wrong with your design.
 
No such thing as "part P qualified" so you are correct. Part P is a building reg not a qualification.

Very true but we all know what people who state "part P qualified" are getting at. They mean the exam.
You can't take the micky out of the exam as you would also be taking the micky out of the BS7671 exam... same thing to me mate.
 
to the OP to comply with BS7671 you would need to do at least r1+r2/polarity/continuity, Ze test, maybe even volt drop calculation etc the point is the most important part is the testing after the design. There's a lot to it and competence pretty much requires it.

I have been previously shot down for saying that if you have a multimeter and know what to do, you can do a lot better testing than with nothing at all, polarity and continuity being the main ones. Also there's the physical pull out test you only need pointy pliers for that. It's true that it's not ideal and won't prove compliance with BS7671 or part p, but it's better than nothing regardless of how many disagrees I get.
 

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