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[Tony George]

In July I employed an electrician to install a new consumer unit in my home. The unit has 4 circuits connected to it. He installed ordinary MCBs on the lighting circuits and an RCD on the ring main.

More recently I called another electrician to address a fault on one of the lighting circuits While there was no suggestion that the fault was connected to the new consumer unit he observed that the current regulations require RCDs on all consumer unit circuits.

He was not touting for business, he just suggested I speak to the other electrician about what he had done.

Can anyone advise which of them is right?

[kbrownie]

In July 2008, the requirements changed to 17th Editions this effected the installtion regarding RCD protection to circuits.
There are some cases that it can be got round but they do not usually apply as it is easier to install RCD protection.
If the work was ordered and designed prior to this date July 1st 2008.
It will not need to comply to 17th editions even if installed afterwards but this sounds unlikely.
What sort of board was installed? a split board with one side RCD protected or has he installed RCBOs on the socket circuit?
KB

[steve the plumber]

This should help you.

https://www.diydoctor.org.uk/projects/consumer_unit.htm

[sparx]

Hi, no question your installer is out of touch with latest regs which as KB says requires RCD protection on all circuits, he has worked to 16th Ed. which only required rcd protection on circuits 'likely to supply equipment used out of doors'.
On the test sheets he was legally required to give you will be the date of the regs he worked to, EG July 2009 or whatever, have a look, also who is he registered with for 'Part-p' building regs compliance, the notification you should have received a short time after he finished will say ,ie
Elecsa, BRE, Napit, Niceic they will be interested if he is not doing things to latest standards,
regards SPARX

[Tony George]

[quote="sparx"]Hi, no question your installer is out of touch with latest regs which as KB says requires RCD protection on all circuits, he has worked to 16th Ed. which only required rcd protection on circuits 'likely to supply equipment used out of doors'.
On the test sheets he was legally required to give you will be the date of the regs he worked to, EG July 2009 or whatever, have a look, also who is he registered with for 'Part-p' building regs compliance, the notification you should have received a short time after he finished will say ,ie
Elecsa, BRE, Napit, Niceic they will be interested if he is not doing things to latest standards,
regards SPARX[/quote]

Thanks for your replies. The installation was done in July as part of a kitchen replacement (so planned before July but undertaken in July). The kitchen fitting firm employed the electrician to check the installation on the understanding that if extra work was required I would either get it done or pay for the electrican to do the extra work. It was agreed that one of my consumer units needed replacing and he installed a split load unit and provided the necessary paperwork.

The electrician was NIC EIC approved. The paperwork states it was checked to BS7671 amended to 2004. In all honestly it appeared to be a professional job and I would not have asked this question if the other electrician had not made the comment.

If he was not expected to use the 17th ed because the kitchen was ordered in in May so be it.

[Tony George]

[quote="kbrownie"]In July 2008, the requirements changed to 17th Editions this effected the installtion regarding RCD protection to circuits.
There are some cases that it can be got round but they do not usually apply as it is easier to install RCD protection.
If the work was ordered and designed prior to this date July 1st 2008.
It will not need to comply to 17th editions even if installed afterwards but this sounds unlikely.
What sort of board was installed? a split board with one side RCD protected or has he installed RCBOs on the socket circuit?
KB[/quote]

I have just made another post on the topic but I need to clarify something. Its probably not a split type. There is one double switch to isolate the circuits and four switches for the four circuits. Three of them are MCBs (6A) and one is a ring main with an RCD (not sure if this is an RCDO). I not also that you say the regs changed in 2008 not 2009 which suggests that the 17th should have been applied.

[kbrownie]

17th edition apply, to your installation.
This a RCBO tlc-direct.co.uk/Manufacturers/.../CMD_RCBO/index.html -
This a RCD en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Residual-current_device
KB

[sparx]

Hi again Tony, current regs where issued on 01/01/2008, coming into force on 1st July 2008 installations 'designed' after 30th June to be done to this standard.
His test sheets should have stated in the boxes 2008 amended to July, so clearly he was behind the times.
you seem to have one RCBO for sockets but no RCD protection on lights etc. this as I said would have been OK under older regs but not at time he altered your circuits by fitting a new board, he should have fitted all 4 circuits with RCBO's using the type of board he has IMHO
regards SPARX

[Tony George]

Thanks for your help as you say its an RCBO.

I will contract the electrician about the matter.