Grapevine is full of rumours that the next amendment will preclude the use of conventional 70' rated PVC cables, inc twin and earth and that only Low Smoke LSOH cables will be permitted.
If such a requirement DOES come in, then how long until rented properties will all need re-wiring in order to comply with thisrequirement.
There seems no clear ruling as to whether the IET regs are retospective or not, for owner occupied properties, but it seems that they are increasing regarded as retrospective for rented housing.
In my area, singles are available only in LSOH, so perhaps the manufacturers are thinking of discontinuing them?
There is ALREADY a de facto ban on non LSOH singles, without any law or regulation.
Singles in conduit or trunking are primarily used in large buildings and developments, rather than in domestic and other small premises.
IME, the great majority of clients, consultants, or architects innvolved in large developments ALREADY state "All electric cables to be low smoke zero halogen"
There are no doubt a few jobs on which this does not apply, but I suspect that the market for ordinary PVC singles is no so limited, that many wholsesalers find it worth only stocking the LSOH types. I suspect that production of standard PVC singles will cease in a few years.
The ring final will be banned too. Must be, I`ve been hearing that for years now
I doubt that we will see an outright ban just yet, but perhaps some means of complicating ring final circuits could be devised. ?
Such as protecting each leg of the ring seperatly, and at some non standard current. Special dual MCBs that protect each end of the ring at 18.4 amps?
Followed by a requirement to also protect the neutrals, so we now need a special 4 pole RCBO that protects each live AND each neutral at 17.9 amps. (18.4 amps now being very last year)
So not an actual ban, but enough cost and complication to deter use.
