Future Alterations And How Much Should One Do To Stop Others Making A Mistake? Ask questions and find answers to many subjects relating to electrics and electrical work

[ericmark]

I think we all to some extent think if some one comes to work on this in the future will they make a mistake in assessing what it here. We are required to put labels like
"CAUTION
This installation has wiring colours to two versions of BS 7671.
Great care should be taken before undertaking extension,
alteration or repair that all conductors are correctly identified."

But for example where the house is split left to right rather then ground and first floor for sockets should there be a label or should we assume electricians will prove dead in correct manor before working on a socket?

If I was connecting a light and the brown or red sleeve was missing from switched line at switch I would not go to any lengths to correct but at ceiling rose I would and for 110 volt flex (55 - 0 - 55) I would not even consider over sleeving.

The same applies to method. If I wired a boiler following standard S diagram I would not think of printing out a diagram and placing in junction box. Is this wrong? should I leave a diagram of a standard set-up?

So how far should we go. Where should we expect a competent person to realise what has been done and where should we be leaving detailed plans? And should we refrain for doing anything not normal or should we take the attitude if the next guy can't work it out he should not be working as an electrician?

[DIYDoctor2]

Seems to me that it would be a great idea to have a home manual to pass on to new owners of properties which contains details of any alterations or strange quirks about the heating, lighting, plumbing or drainage etc..

Last time we sold a house that is exactly what we did, and in fact some of the pictures and videos on this site document some of the changes we made there!

What do others think?

DOC

[ericmark]

In industrial premises I had to detail all I did but in a house it seems it was very rare. Since Part P there has been more attention on filling in installation and minor works certificates but many houses don't even have the fuses or MCB's marked up.

Finding a FCU can be hard where cupboards cover or part cover them and where an immersion heater has been removed and socket fitted to old supply one can find a odd 13A socket on it's own 16A MCB.

With my house I added a second consumer unit. To start with it had a few radials but on fitting an extension I made them into a proper ring so my rings are not split up/down or side to side and I did not do as we would for industrial and used stickers W5DB5 which would mean the 5th slot in distribution box 5 or even red, yellow and blue dots used to show phase used.

I look at my sons house with 3 pin 2A sockets at each radiator to plug in the TRV which when it came to the crunch were not used instead he used RF versions. Speaker sockets, LAN sockets, phone sockets all no longer used again now RF linked.

I wonder since Part P if I went to the LABC could they actually give me copies of installation certificates for a new house since 2004 in theroy they should but that would be a mountain of paperwork for them to store.