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As of 1 January 2005, changes to the Building Regulations affected domestic electrical installations in
England
and
Wales
.
You don’t need to be a qualified electrician to make changes to your home’s
electrical system, but the work must be done in accordance with the standards in the Regulations.
You do not need to notify your Local Authority if you do minor electrical work such as:-
replacing or repairing a socket, light or cable in any room
adding extra spurs, sockets or lights to an existing circuit (except in a kitchen, bathroom or
outdoors)
adding lights to an outdoor wall on an existing circuit (provided there are no exposed outdoor
connections, and the circuit is not extended from a kitchen/bathroom).
However, the work must be done to the standards in the Wiring Regulations and you should consider
having the work checked by a competent electrician to make sure it is safe.
Before you start other electrical work such as:-
adding new circuits to your existing installation
any work (other than repairs / replacements) in a room
where there is water (e.g. kitchen,
bathroom, etc.)
any work (other than repairs / replacements) outdoors (e.g. installing outdoor sockets, or non-
pre-wired garden lighting etc.)
you must notify your
Local
Authority
Building
Control Department, which has responsibility for
ensuring the work is inspected and tested.
Where you have any work done by an electrician who is a member of a competent person self-
certification scheme, the electrician will be able to certify the work complies with the Regulations and
you do not need to notify your Local Authority.
We recommend that you make yourself aware of the Regulations before you undertake any work and
if you require any clarification you should contact your Local Authority Building Control Department.
Changes to Wiring Cable Colours in UK
The IEE Wiring Regulations (BS 7671) have changed the colours in cable used for fixed wiring for all
new electrical installations.
The old and the new colours are shown in the table below.
Core colour:
W
E
N
D
L
O
n
w
o
r
B
d
e
R
E
V
I
L
SWITCHED LIVE
Red, or
Black with red sleeve
Brown, or
Blue with brown sleeve
e
u
l
B
k
c
a
l
B
L
A
R
T
U
E
N
w
o
ll
e
y
/
n
e
e
r
g
h
ti
w
,
e
r
a
B
H
T
R
A
E
sleeve
Bare, with green/yellow
sleeve (no change)
2-WAY SWITCHED LIVE Red, blue and yellow
Brown, black and grey
For new installations after 31st March 2006, only the
new
colours are permitted. Where new cable is
added to an existing installation of the old type, sp ecial precautions must be taken (including fixing a
warning notice at the distribution board or consumer unit).
When installing this product, please note therefore that you may encounter either of the above types of
cable.
If you are in any doubt whatsoever regarding the above, please consult a qualified electrician.
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