I'm trying to understand the scope of Part P as at the extra low voltage end of things it seems a bit contentious. Below is an extract from Approved Part P and it includes extra-low voltage. That raises some questions: Would 48V DC be in the scope of Part P as extra-low voltage appears to have no bottom end, just a top end at 50V AC and 120V DC? As an example, installing house wide lighting 'through the fabric of the building' run with a plug in 48V supply (plugged into a socket outlet). Lots of people are retrofitting under unit lights into their kitchens which are 12V. They have a plug in transformer, but in many cases the wires are then routed 'through the fabric of the building'. Why isn't this in the scope of Part P if a house wide extra-low voltage lighting system would be? The second case could arguably be an 'electrical installation' too as although it is plugged in to an outlet, the wires and lights are fixed. Is it that both of these would be in the scope of Part P, but if both plugged in to existing outlets, they wouldn't be notifiable? If that's the case, in theory they could also both have wired in transformers spurred off an existing circuit as that would only be notifiable if it's an 'addition or alteration to existing circuits in a special location' which if it didn't include a bathroom it wouldn't be. Am I understanding that right? There's a bit of a can of worms here, but LEDs are becoming so efficient that house wide extra-low voltage systems may start to become more of a thing.

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Scope of Part P (extra-low voltage)

I'm trying to understand the scope of Part P as at the extra low voltage end of things it seems a bit contentious. Below is an extract from Approved Part P and it includes extra-low voltage. That raises some questions:

Would 48V DC be in the scope of Part P as extra-low voltage appears to have no bottom end, just a top end at 50V AC and 120V DC? As an example, installing house wide lighting 'through the fabric of the building' run with a plug in 48V supply (plugged into a socket outlet).
Lots of people are retrofitting under unit lights into their kitchens which are 12V. They have a plug in transformer, but in many cases the wires are then routed 'through the fabric of the building'. Why isn't this in the scope of Part P if a house wide extra-low voltage lighting system would be?

The second case could arguably be an 'electrical installation' too as although it is plugged in to an outlet, the wires and lights are fixed.

Is it that both of these would be in the scope of Part P, but if both plugged in to existing outlets, they wouldn't be notifiable? If that's the case, in theory they could also both have wired in transformers spurred off an existing circuit as that would only be notifiable if it's an 'addition or alteration to existing circuits in a special location' which if it didn't include a bathroom it wouldn't be. Am I understanding that right?

There's a bit of a can of worms here, but LEDs are becoming so efficient that house wide extra-low voltage systems may start to become more of a thing.

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0 Sparkingchip over 3 years ago

There used to be an exclusion for Extra Low Voltage supplied as a kit for example four halogen lights connected to a transformer with a prewired harness supplied by the manufacturer.

However this exclusion did not apply for example to a 12 volt SELV bathroom extractor fan when the manufacturer supplied a transformer and fan, but the electrician connected them with some cable out of the back of the van.

Then the requirement to notify all electrical work in bathrooms and kitchens in England was removed, but not in Wales.

So the answer is probably more about where you live that the actual electrical work. My profile picture was taken at a cafe in Saundersfoot whilst I was in Wales working on a two day jolly staying overnight in Saundersfoot, I did a job in Bristol on the way there which was not notifiable because it was in England, then two jobs in Wales which were both notifiable because they were in Wales, it's all about politics rather than ensuring safety.
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0 Sparkingchip over 3 years ago

There used to be an exclusion for Extra Low Voltage supplied as a kit for example four halogen lights connected to a transformer with a prewired harness supplied by the manufacturer.

However this exclusion did not apply for example to a 12 volt SELV bathroom extractor fan when the manufacturer supplied a transformer and fan, but the electrician connected them with some cable out of the back of the van.

Then the requirement to notify all electrical work in bathrooms and kitchens in England was removed, but not in Wales.

So the answer is probably more about where you live that the actual electrical work. My profile picture was taken at a cafe in Saundersfoot whilst I was in Wales working on a two day jolly staying overnight in Saundersfoot, I did a job in Bristol on the way there which was not notifiable because it was in England, then two jobs in Wales which were both notifiable because they were in Wales, it's all about politics rather than ensuring safety.
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Scope of Part P (extra-low voltage)

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