"CRB"
wrote:
Having been told by TLC that Part P (specifically in relation to the
harmonised colours) will not come into force until 1st January 2006
(got it right this time), I have just been told by another electrical
wholesaler that although Part P comes into force on 1st January 2005,
the harmonised colour requirement does indeed only come into effect on
1st January 2006.
From: http://www.alertelectrical.com/harmo...e_colours.asp:
"The new (harmonised) colour cables may be used on
site from 31 March 2004. New installations or alterations
to existing installations may use either new or old colours,
but not both, from 31 March 2004 until 31 March 2006.
Only the new colours may be used after 31 March 2006."
So you can use either colours for a two year period. Any
alterations must be all in the same colour, but don't have to
be in the same colour as the original installation.
This was confirmed by their supplier's
representative who happened to be doing his rounds at the time.
Assuming this to be true, does this mean only that Red & Black cable
cannot be sold after 1.1.06, or that it cannot be used (legally) on
new/extended/repaired/modified installations after that date? Are
there any other ramifications?
I was also told that any installation that uses both old and new
colours must be marked to draw attention to this fact. Can anyone
quote chapter and verse of this requirement, and is it retrospective
(I will be using harmonised colours cable to upgrade part of an
existing installation and will finish before 1.1.2005). Can anyone
see the sense in this particular requirement?
I am doing exactly this at the moment. I am trying to only
use new colours where I am replacing complete circuits,
for the sake of simplicity, but this is not a requirement.
From:
http://www.iee.org/Publish/WireRegs/...20Leaflet.pdf:
"Alterations or additions to a single-phase installation
do not require marking at the interface between old
and new cabling providing that they are correctly
coloured. However, a warning notice must be fixed
at the distribution board or consumer unit."
An example notice:
http://www.bat400.com/images/warning-colours.gif
I suspect the clearest giveaway of wiring not having building
control approval will be houses that have mixed colours but
no sticker on the distribution board.
Al