Wiring diagrams UK home circuits

If you are submitting a building notice or full plans for the extension which includes the electrical aspects, you can do it all, and it's the council's responsibility to get it tested (and they have to pay for the testing if they chose to get it tested). Getting someone Part P certified only applies if you are not submitting a building notice or full plans.

You really should go out and buy a book on domestic wiring, and read it before you start. You probably don't yet know what you don't know. Also, the IEE On-Site Guide is a useful book to have as a summary of the regs, but it isn't a beginner's guide.

You need triple and earth between all the switches which switch the same light. One of the switches also has the twin and earth connection back to the ceiling rose for the loop-in connection.

Cables should run horizontally or vertically from a visible wiring accessory (such as a switch or socket), or within 150mm from a corner or below a ceiling. There's no minimum depth in this case nor any requirement for any conduit/covers. However, it is common to use capping if a wall isn't yet plastered, or oval conduit if you are cutting a slot into a wall which has already been plastered.

Alternatively, you can run a wire anywhere in the wall if it's at least 50mm deep or it's protected by earthed metalwork. These methods are not nortmally used in homes.

Like I said, if you are embarking on a complete wiring up of some portion of your house, you really should invest in a book on the subject.

Thanks and will do !! off to Amazon !!! :-)

Book ordered - Collins wiring and lighting, dont know how good but Collins are generally OK The extension is on full plans, so I take it I can do all the work myself. What stage is first fix ? I take it is back boxes in place and cables laid but not connected?

Yes -- it's all the work which is done before plastering and ceilings go up. You should ask your building control officer which stages he wants to inspect the work (first fix is a likely candidate).

Something you might not find in Collins is the relevant bits of Part L of the building regs (conservation of fuel and power). A certain proportion of the main lighting in a home must be lit using light fittings which cannot take bulbs with an efficiency of less than 40 lumens/watt. This in effect means some main rooms must be lit with fluorescent lighting fittings that can't take filament lamps. The building control officer may well check for this.

Thanks, yes the plans state the need for energy efficient lighting, I am using flourescent lights in the main part of the kitchen and under wall units. I prefer these to the halogens fitted to most kitchens now, one for the efficiency and two you dont have to replace bulbs every month !! :-)

This link will give diagrams at the top left of the page: see Sticky: Read Here First - FAQ......