Property Maintenance, Electrical Installation And Part P

By Author: Carolyn Clayton
Total Articles: 174
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Any form of electrical installation should never be taken lightly; even small mistakes can end up being fatal.

The term Electrical Installation covers a range of tasks such as simple things like changing a light switch through to more complex work i.e. wiring your basement. Electrical Installation is also the process of insulating conductors used to carry electricity.

Different Electrical Installation jobs require different material. Wiring interior electrical systems in buildings can vary, depending on:

Intended use and amount of power needed of the circuit
Type of occupancy and size of the building
National and local regulations
Environment in which wiring must operate

Poorly maintained/installed electricity circuits and systems sadly kill and injury many people every year. It is because of the highly dangerous nature of electrical installation that the government called for a change in the law regarding this process. This law was passed in 2005 and the building regulations were amended to include the electrical installation aspect known as Part P.

These new regulations ...
... state that all new wiring and electrical components that are introduced into houses, flats or any buildings linked to domestic accommodation must be designed and installed in accordance to the Part P aspect of the building regulations.

These extra precautions are necessary to reduce the number of deaths and injury caused by faulty electrical wiring. If you have the simple task of replacing a socket outlet, this can be done yourself as long as you follow the manufacturers instructions; however you should only attempt to do this if you know what you are doing and shouldn't attempt to do any electrical installation work in your kitchen, even if it is as simple as replacing a socket.

The most simple and quickest method to get any electrical wiring done in your home is to have the work done by a competent person such as a member of a recognised scheme; a person registered by BRE Certification Ltd, British Standards Institution, ELECSA Ltd, NICEIC Certification Services Ltd or NAPIT Certification Ltd.

Any other electrical work that you have undertaken within your property will have to be checked by one of two processes; either have the work carried out by a registered competent person, who will be able to prove that they are or apply to have the work checked by Building Control.

If you get a professional tradesman in to undergo your electrical work they will be able to certify there own work and then go on to tell the council that the work has been properly installed and tested.

The Part P aspect of building regulations was put in place to help you. Faulty or poorly installed electrical systems and circuits can cause not only power cuts but can also be responsible for shocks, burns and even fatality. Many people will merely see these new regulations as an inconvenience when in reality they have been put in place to look out for us so if you are in need of some electrical work to your domestic property you shouldn't try to go DIY on it you should call in the help of an expert.