Wiring Regulations. RE: Cray J932SE (was Re: Straight 8 up on Ebay just now)

[Dave G4UGM]

In the UK we have, for DOMESTIC premises something call "Part P"

> -----Original Message-----
> From: cctalk [mailto:cctalk-bounces at classiccmp.org] On Behalf Of Mouse
> Sent: 19 July 2016 17:47
> To: cctalk at classiccmp.org
> Subject: Re: Cray J932SE (was Re: Straight 8 up on Ebay just now)
> 
> >> [...electrical wiring...]
> > This very definitely is an area where, if you're not 100% comfortable
> > with t$
> 
> Also, know your own limits.  A depressing number of people think they're
> more competent than they are.
> 
> For example, I once had a neighbour who replaced an outlet in his kitchen.
> Turned off the breaker, removed the old one, put in the new one, all very
> nice.  Turned the breaker for that circuit back on and popped the service
> main breaker.
> 

In the UK we used to have an inspection regime. You did the work, they would
inspect.

These days, for DOMESTIC premises we have something call "Part P" which
limits what a householder can and cannot do.

So you can generally do "like for like" replacements, add additional outlets
where permitted and one or two other things.

Originally all work in Kitchens was defined as "Special" and was notifiable,
but this was modified so that is no longer the case.

So as the above is a "like for like" replacement, I believe it is currently
permitted in the UK.

Of course in a Museum, or even a Scout Hut, provided it does not share a
supply with residential premises then any one can do the
Work so long as it is later inspected.....

... the problem with Part P is that it encourages a "tick box" approach and
the Electrician who replaced my "Consumer Unit" (distribution panel)
With a new one with multiple RCD's which tripped suggested it would be
simpler to re-wire rather than fix the existing wiring. 
This sort of approach seems common. The actual fault was that I have a pair
of linked smoke detectors, and one was connected via one RCD, the other via
a different RCD.
The connection between the two was sufficient to cause an imbalance. I
replaced them with wireless linked smoke detectors and all works well....


> When I investigated, it turned out the new outlet still had the bridging
piece
> that shorts together the hots for the two outlets, and this was a kitchen
> outlet and thus had separate circuits for each half (and, as is often the
case,
> they were on adjacent fingers in the breaker box and thus on different
> phases).  So, of course, the new outlet shorted the two hot phases
together.
> 
> He didn't have the experience to recognize that those shorting pieces
exist,
> to realize that having four conductors instead of three coming to the
outlet -
> or its being a kitchen outlet - likely means the two halves are on
different
> circuits and thus likely different phases, or the electrical understanding
to put
> those facts together.  Which wouldn't've been a problem, except that he
> thought he was fine - he didn't bring me in until the main service breaker
> blew.  (He did, fortunately, have enough sense for that to tickle his
> "something I don't understand happened, call for help" reaction.)
> 
> I've been doing electrical work since I was maybe ten or twelve, when I
> helped my parents wire the house they were building.  (My father inspected
> my work first; then, this being de rigeur there-and-then, it was inspected
by
> a suitable authority.  Only then was it energized.)  I don't hesitate to
do
> routine house electrical work, maybe even installing 30A outlets (though
I'd
> make sure I looked up the appropriate gauge of wire, and probably then
> used the next larger gauge).  But I'd call in someone more experienced for
> something well outside my own experience, like (say) dealing with 600/600
> service.
> 
> I would say that, if you don't have a good deal of experience, find
someone
> who does to look over your work before you energize it.
> Indeed, some jurisdictions require that for work done by unlicensed
persons
> - or at least used to, and I would assume some still do.  Even if yours
doesn't,
> it strikes me as the smart thing to do.
> 
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Dave
G4UGM