Elecsa assessment, lights,socket heights.

[schoe]

Hi all I've got my first elecsa assessment on Monday and I'm showing them a rewire. Having been through the part p building regs it states the sockets heights to be 450mm to the bottom an switches 1.2 m to the top. It also states every one in 4 lights or one in 25 m2 should be a energy saving light.

The customer I worked for didn't want sockets or switches at those heights and he wanted down lighters fitting through pretty much the whole house.

Is this going to be a problem when it comes to my assessment? Is it going to be something they can fail me on,

Thanks very much,

Chris.

 

[mpspark]

I think you'll find those switch / socket heights only apply to new house installations, same for the low energy lighting requirement.
With a rewire you can put the switches and sockets outside of these measurements, as required.

 

[tanglewood]

Hi, is this your on site visit to be part p registered with elecsa? if its a rewire of existing property dont worry about switch heights etc, but make sure you can explain why to the inspector. obviously you would have installed a new consumer unit to 17th edition regs. You will have to go through the test procedure, easy peasy realy, be confident and dont worry. if you know what your doing its simple.

 

[DaveyD]

same for the low energy lighting requirement.

Are you sure about that?

 

[mpspark]

I should have said the Part M switch / socket heights apply to a new build, not rewires. However, the heights of rewired accessories must be no less hospitable than they were pre-rewire.

 

[PB1]

I think you'll find those switch / socket heights only apply to new house installations, same for the low energy lighting requirement.

I believe the low energy requirements apply to extensions to existing buildings as well as new builds.

 

[Short Circuit]

I believe the low energy requirements apply to extensions to existing buildings as well as new builds.

I must admit i thought the same about the energy efficiency lights as well, they are for rewires and not just new builds or extensions

 

[Richard Burns]

I think the energy efficiency requirements of Part L apply to any work carried out on controlled services or fittings in any building that is not an exempt building.
Although if you are changing one light fitting for a customer I do not really see how you can tell the customer "by the way I need to change 75% of your lamps to less than 45lm/W"!
Although it does say that this is in the area affected by the building work.

From the OPs point of view the downlight lamps should be either CFL or LED not halogen, however the customer may have changed them after you fitted them:nono:

 

[DaveyD]

True Richard I'm so glad we don't HAVE to fit the cfl low energy pendant sets now. Customers hated them and some shades wont fit. Had them change back themselves - not quiet the idea if it encourages diy is it.

 

[Octopus]

I took my assessor to a rewire and warned him that I knew the client had been round changing light fittings. I don't recall him looking at the lights/bulbs.

He was far more interested in the wiring and testing than the illuminiation.

 

[SirKit Breaker]

Your assessor will be more concerned with you and the work you carry out. He is looking for someone who is competent, safe, tooled up as required etc, and all you need to do is convince him that you are all of those and you are home and dry.

All Elecsa assessors live in the real world, they are sparkies just like us. He may mention things about other building regs, he may not, but at the end of the day rightly or wrongly we fit what the customer tells us to fit, low energy or not.

Cheers..........Howard

 

[dingledong]

it is up to the customer i'm sure if he wanted a light changed abd you said £100 cos you would have to change all the others to low energy you might not get the job

 

[1shortcircuit]

I would attack the situation and actually tell the assessor that the light fittings are not as per the recommended 75% (I believe you may have the outdated version that I got pulled on stating 1 in 4) He will like that YOU KNOW that this should be the case.

The Elecsa assessor I has was amazing, really settled my nerves early on.

PS Shortbread biscuits along with a few others to choose from went down well too. This advise IS fact :thumbsup

 

[SirKit Breaker]

I would attack the situation and actually tell the assessor that the light fittings are not as per the recommended 75% (I believe you may have the outdated version that I got pulled on stating 1 in 4) He will like that YOU KNOW that this should be the case.

The Elecsa assessor I has was amazing, really settled my nerves early on.

PS Shortbread biscuits along with a few others to choose from went down well too. This advise IS fact :thumbsup

And if you want to be really cocky, tell him it is Part L1 and L2.......