The Medway Handyman wrote:
Andrew Gabriel wrote:
In article ,
"The Medway Handyman" writes:
Purchased the above from B&Q. Very impressed.

Comprises of a pre wired IP55 socket, t'other end of the 2m cable is
already stripped & trimmed to go into an RCD plug (supplied).

Back of the socket has 4 mounting holes & the spacing dimensions are
moulded into the plastic case. Installation a doddle, fix socket to
wall, drill hole for cable, connect to RCD plug - Robert is your
fathers brother.

Neatly avoids Part P, cost £15 which I thought was reasonable.
Aldi have something similar which looks good, but I haven't bought
one and don't recall the price (quite likely less than B&Q though).

Don't know why you think it avoids Prat P, but no one seems to care
about Prat P anyway, and there won't have been a single Prat P
application for any of the many thousands sold buy many retailers.

Cos it plugs in and is not a new circuit? Cos B&Q sell thousands and
haven't mentioned it in the destructions - which are very comprehensive?

Plugging in does not actually avoid part P. If its a permanent
installation, and plugs in, it can still come under part P. So for
example, putting a plug on a new boiler rather than connecting to a FCU
does not "get round" the theoretical problem of part P.

Part P says: "The installation of fixed equipment is within the scope of
Part R even where the final connection is by a 13A plug and socket.
However, work is notifiable only if it involves fixed wiring and the
installation of a new circuit or the extension of a circuit in a kitchen
or special location or associated with a special installation."


Never use Prat P as an excuse for not doing a proper professional job.

seconded...

The safest thing to do with such counter productive legislation is
ignore it.

Very true, but an IP55 socket plug in vai an RCD is surely as safe as
houses?

Well quite possibly, although generally speaking, sockets on the outside
wall of a house are supposed to be notifiable:

"g. Outdoor lighting and power installations are special installations.
Any new work in, for example, the garden or that involves crossing the
garden is notifiable."

"j. The installation of a socket outlet on an external wall is
notifiable, since the socket-outlet is an outdoor connector that could
be connected to cables that cross the garden and requires RCD protection."

All nonsense really. As I mentioned before, I asked one of our BCOs how
many pure electrical only BNs they get. The answer was a nice round
number (so far)!

--
Cheers,

John.

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