Which bits of domestic wiring does BS 7671 cover?

I think you may have slightly got the wrong end of my stick there Graham, as indeed Andy has pointed out as well. What I was trying to say is that BS7671 should cover fixed electrical installations only, and restrict itself to mains or 110V ones, or perhaps some appliance connected SELV (eg. wander lead lights) as well. The equipment standards, cables, accessories are fine as they stand and should be referenced. Thus the electrical designer has one book about the electrical requirements. If we wish to add 12V for vehicles or boats, this needs to be separate, although some equipment like MCBs might end up the same. The energy saving measures are really nothing to do with the electrical design, although in some cases they may reflect on the way the design is carried out, and should be in the building regulations or other place where that can reflect the entire building design, not just the electrical parts. There is very little in BS7671 which relates to networks, AV, or other systems which happen to have fixed cabling, and certainly setting colour codes for alarm, telecom and AV cables is just plain daft. The place for the requirements on non-collapse during fires is the building regulations for example, then fibre cables are already included by using the words "nothing may be fixed with fixings which are not fireproof if they can cause danger to escape or access during a fire". False ceilings are then immediately included, and pipework and aircon and everything else. This is probably far too simple a system for some to understand, but is logical.


As the BRs are under currently under review, it would seem to moving all these thing there would be a good idea. I realise that the BRs are statutory, and BS7671 not, but again this is not an impossible problem to manage. It would also make buildings safer, because serious non compliances would be criminal ofences which most of us would not wish to commit.


Regards

I think you may have slightly got the wrong end of my stick there Graham, as indeed Andy has pointed out as well. What I was trying to say is that BS7671 should cover fixed electrical installations only, and restrict itself to mains or 110V ones, or perhaps some appliance connected SELV (eg. wander lead lights) as well. The equipment standards, cables, accessories are fine as they stand and should be referenced. Thus the electrical designer has one book about the electrical requirements. If we wish to add 12V for vehicles or boats, this needs to be separate, although some equipment like MCBs might end up the same. The energy saving measures are really nothing to do with the electrical design, although in some cases they may reflect on the way the design is carried out, and should be in the building regulations or other place where that can reflect the entire building design, not just the electrical parts. There is very little in BS7671 which relates to networks, AV, or other systems which happen to have fixed cabling, and certainly setting colour codes for alarm, telecom and AV cables is just plain daft. The place for the requirements on non-collapse during fires is the building regulations for example, then fibre cables are already included by using the words "nothing may be fixed with fixings which are not fireproof if they can cause danger to escape or access during a fire". False ceilings are then immediately included, and pipework and aircon and everything else. This is probably far too simple a system for some to understand, but is logical.


As the BRs are under currently under review, it would seem to moving all these thing there would be a good idea. I realise that the BRs are statutory, and BS7671 not, but again this is not an impossible problem to manage. It would also make buildings safer, because serious non compliances would be criminal ofences which most of us would not wish to commit.


Regards