Loft conversion circuits

[bigbro]

Hi all,

Advice please...

I am considering having my loft converted but only want to pay for the shell and do the rest myself. Times are hard!!!

I have an old cu that is wire fuse. Will i need to change the cu box and have all the current circuits tested or is there a way to have a secondary cu from my old supply. the loft will need ring, lighting, smoke alarm on three floors to include two current levels and a shower circuit.

I realise that i will pay to have the testing done but really need to keep costs down so the wiring to the cu area i can do.

Any advice greatly received.

Brendan

 

[Octopus]

Would you take your car in for a service and ask them not to bother with the brakes?

 

[ezzzekiel]

seems to me Dave 85 is giving very poor advise - the easiest most cost effective way would be to employ an electrician!!

Way I see it, if you gotta run a 10mm up there for a shower, why not make it a 16 and stick a little board in. Easy.

yes if you know what youre doing, the very nature of the original posts shows a significant lack of knowledge

 

[Silly Sausage]

seems to me Dave 85 is giving very poor advise - the easiest most cost effective way would be to employ an electrician!!
yes if you know what youre doing.

I think he's saying that would be the best way of doing it, not necessarily that the OP actually does said work.

 

[Dave 85]

Ezzzekiel
I dont think the guy came here to be told what he can and can't do in his own house. I made the rules regarding part P quite clear.

 

[jase]

I'd like to know the actual rules on PART P because it wasn't long ago that an channel 4 programme was telling viewers they can do the first fix on their home aslong as they leave the second fix to a qualified spark....Whats the actual rules...Is there any point us being PART P or what? I thought it all had to be done by a qualified spark and there is to be no Third Party Signing off!!!Poster times are hard mate but people like you are making it harder for the electrical industry. In this case you would need a third party to sign the work off?

Thats the biggest load of bull ive ever heard, if anything i would have thought the first fix was just as important in being compliant than anything else as it is not just wiring regs to consider but also building regs ie prescribed zones, grouping, thermal constraints, Part M part A part F etc etc, channel 4 should be reported to ofcom or whoever for spouting that s****

 

[jase]

Nothing wrong with the OP doing his own first fix if he knows what he is doing, but would have to inform LABC and they would need to come and inspect it before 2nd fix, He would then need to find someone who is competent to come and second fix it, but i would say that as he had informed LABC that they would need to come and test and cert it cos it would be against the rules of part P for a sparky to test and cert someone elses work.

 

[Engineer54]

Firstly Electric shower-usually 7-10KW so thats not coming off the ring.
Second the existing house is on a rewireable fuse board so that would have to be upgraded, house tested, etc.
Then you've got all the potential problems you commonly find on old circuits, no ring cont, N-E faults, shared neutrals etc.
Way I see it, if you gotta run a 10mm up there for a shower, why not make it a 16 and stick a little board in. Easy.

So you think what is virtually going to be a bedroom needs it's own CU do you?? lol!!

If his wiring is as bad as your assuming, it would be prudent for him to spend his money on a re-wire rather than a loft conversion!!

 

[prospark]

understand times are hard for everyone,but some times think us sparks are our own worst enemy and part P won,t fully succeed as hoped till diy electrics are banned alltogether and the diy sheds stop giving out "how to guides".many of us spent a lot of time and money learning what we know today,you don,t see lawyers dentists etc giving out freebies.

 

[Octopus]

What I find rather astonishing about these threads is the fact that the OP is willing to spend £20K+ on a loft conversion but skimp on the electrics.

At the very least he should get the BS3036 CU updated and that would cost £350-£450 - he'll then know the state of the wiring. Better done before you start than have the existing wiring condemed after the loft conversion us complete!

 

[Dave 85]

So you think what is virtually going to be a bedroom needs it's own CU do you?? lol!!

If his wiring is as bad as your assuming, it would be prudent for him to spend his money on a re-wire rather than a loft conversion!!

A loft conversion will significantly increase the value of his house. A rewire will not.
The number of rooms in the loft conversion is irrelevent, there are 4 circuits the load is big, and a new C/U will have to be installed somewhere anyway. The guy clearly stated he wants to save money, and this would ultimatly be the cheaper solution.
lol!!

 

[Engineer54]

understand times are hard for everyone,but some times think us sparks are our own worst enemy and part P won,t fully succeed as hoped till diy electrics are banned alltogether and the diy sheds stop giving out "how to guides".many of us spent a lot of time and money learning what we know today,you don,t see lawyers dentists etc giving out freebies.

That is and always will be, an impossibility!! ....And don't forget, It's those DIYer's that is keeping many an electrician in work!! lol!!

I don't think 5 weeks is a lot of time, but your dead right about costing a lot of money!! lol!!

 

[Knobhead]

Before you all start falling out over part “P” AGAIN, have a look at his previous posts.

 

[telectrix]

beggars belief that anyone can shell out somewhere in the region of 10 -15 grand for building work and then try and save a few hundred on the electrics.

 

[jase]

who said he's shelling out that much?? few sheets of plasterboard and some MDF, !!!!!!!

 

[SparkyDips]

many of us spent a lot of time and money learning what we know today,you don,t see lawyers dentists etc giving out freebies.

well said.