No CPC in lighting circuit

[mattcos1972]

Hi all. I am sure this is not the first time you have seen this issue posed in the forum

Just a quickie for you all......I am changing the CU in my flat from old 3036 fuse board to a 17th edition split dual RCD board. I will be doing a full rewire in about 6 months but just don't have the time at the mo. My neighbour upstairs has recently laid laminate flooring so I am gonna have to hack my ceilings out (oh joy lol)......anyhoo. at the mo I have no cpc in my lighting circuit and every single fitting is metal!! lol!

So I am gonna do a PIR before changing the CU and fail the lot, then was thinking of just fitting plastic pendants everywhere and labelling the new CU with the standard label denoting that the lighting circuit is without CPC and therefore not to fit any metal fittings etc. I will then put this in the notes on the 2nd PIR and mark it as a category 2 fault.

To the best of my knowledge this is compliant with 17th edition and should pose no issues,a s long as it is clearly cited. Am I correct in my assumption? Obviously LABC will be down to inspect, but if anyone has read any of my other posts you would know that NIC are also coming down to inspect as this is one of my submitted jobs for part P, so I want it spot on.

Also are all plastic pendant fittings class 2 by default or do they have to carry the symbol to count?



Many thanks in advance.

Matt

 

[DurhamSparky]

sounds like your on the ball!!!

yeah plastic are class 2!!! i know your going with NIC but i know Elecsa have a section in there downloads about lighting circuits with no CPC and issue guidence notes!!

steve

http://elecsa.co.uk/downloads/publi...Circuits with no Protective Conductor_ESC.pdf

 

[mattcos1972]

sounds like your on the ball!!!

yeah plastic are class 2!!! i know your going with NIC but i know Elecsa have a section in there downloads about lighting circuits with no CPC and issue guidence notes!!

steve

http://elecsa.co.uk/downloads/publi...Circuits with no Protective Conductor_ESC.pdf

Hey Steve,
Thanks so much for getting back to me so quickly! I was looking at the price of decorative class 2 lighting (I have a period style victorian place) and I think it'd be cheaper to have the entire house replastered than to change all the lighting to keep the non earthed circuit lol!!! I'll take it all down and have some handsome bulbs on wires for a few months! lol!!

I'm gonna have more warning labels on this CU than you can shake a stick at as most of the wiring is red/black with a bit of 17th thrown in for good measure lol! I figured my place was a good place to start.......can't imagine too many places being much worse than mine lol........but then I am sure I'll prove myself wrong on that one lol!!
I'll have a look at the Elecsa site, too.
Great stuff.
Thanks again mate.

Matt

Steve,
Just printed off that PDF you sent! That is just what I was after, chap! Thanks so much for that!

 

[DurhamSparky]

if your lighting circuit tests out ok and dont really warrant a rewire why not just drop a earth cable in???

get ya cable rods out and play keyhole surgeon for a few hours!! might save you pulling ya ceiling down!


i find that a lot of good info is scattered amongst the NIC, Napit and Elecsa sites so im always scanning them for updates and extras i can get for free to download

steve



whats wrong with white pendants and 60w bulbs!!

my office is currently choc bloc and im using the under unit lights for lighting!! lol

 

[mattcos1972]

if your lighting circuit tests out ok and dont really warrant a rewire why not just drop a earth cable in???

get ya cable rods out and play keyhole surgeon for a few hours!! might save you pulling ya ceiling down!


i find that a lot of good info is scattered amongst the NIC, Napit and Elecsa sites so im always scanning them for updates and extras i can get for free to download

steve



whats wrong with white pendants and 60w bulbs!!

my office is currently choc bloc and im using the under unit lights for lighting!! lol

lol!!

Steve, I tell you mate, I have had a quick look round the place and from what I have seen I am amazed thee house hasn't burned down!! lol
I have a 5 way FB at the mo and there we no less than 9 circuits running off it! One of which was a SWA supplying the CU in my shed with a final ring and lighting on it (earthed lighting, I might add lol!!)
I had a non fused spur coming off my immersion radial leading to........well thats a bloody good question as I found the end of the cable stuffed into the plaster in the top of a cupboard!! lol The cooker cable on a 32A breaker (that has replaced the 3036) goes nowhere that I can find...so far! Its certainly not terminated anywhere!! lol At one stage there was an alarm system on this place before it was subdivided into 2 flats and there was a ton of bell type wire shoved everywhere...looked like a bowl of pasta in places...I am still finding bits of it everywhere!! lol!
None of the fixed appliances had isolators and most joints are choc blocks wrapped in........wait for it.....MASKING tape!! lol! There is certainly evidence of a ring final (ie 2 lines popped into a 32A breaker) but I will eat my hat if there's any r1, rN or r2, continuity on that circuit lol!!
I'm not even gonna mention the bonding...cos there isn't any lol!! Actually that's not fair...2 strands of an old old RED 4mm cable were still attached to the wrong side of the stop cock on my water mains....but the cable wasnt attached to the earth block lol! And the gas meter wouldn't know a bond if it came up to it and ordered a vodka martini, shaken not stirred!

Well tomorrow is PIR day...its gonna be a long long day and an even longer report! lol!

Well thanks again for the info, I will certainly keep an eye out on the websites of the providers from now on. I am new to the game, and while I will always ensure my work is spot on I am still at the stage where I am researching everything thoroughly before I do the work.

Have a great week, chap and I'll keep you informed of how it goes tomorrow...if you are desperately interested lol!!

PS...nothing wrong with those under unit lights!! lol!

 

[DurhamSparky]

take a few snaps of your PIR!! keep the forum amused for about 5mins!

sounds like when the house was divided electrical safety was placed on a shelf while profit was maximised.!

sounds like it would be fun to start again and have a clean slate, at least if it burns down you know it was your fault and nobodys else!

im new to domestic as well mate so i do the same!! research , research and ask about! its a big learning game tbh!


yeah my under unit lights are mint..! i need to find a flush fitting as my wardrobe doors hit the light fitting prior to removal of said fitting!!!

im nights mate so i can only enjoy as much as the internet stays on!!


steve