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Installing new Switch gear after 28th Sept but designed before

stuart harris

We have a design in place to replace old switch gear but the design was done during the pandemic and we are not due to install until October 2022.

Is it possible to carry out the install to the 18th Edition A1 or must it comply with 18th Edition A2? .

I know with previous amendments to the BS7671 it was acceptable to install on a design from previous edition but it seems to ring a bell during a tech talk i attended they said this was not the case this time.

My main concern is that the design does not allow for any surge protection but i feel it should be installed.

Any clarification would be appreciated.

  • +1

    Usually this is a contractual matter.

    It depends what the contract says about versions of standards (and other reference documents) the contract is based on ... and, if applicable the variations procedure (i.e. how contract variations such as changes in standards and legislation that affect the Contractor's work are notified to the Client or their agent by the Contractor, and how the Client or their agent issues instructions for variations and changes).

  • +1

    See the introduction to Amd 2. BS 7671:2018+A1:2020 will be withdrawn on 27th September 2022. The wording has been changed since 17th Edn so that the design date is no longer mentioned.

    We have discussed this before, but the search facility is not working for me right now.

    ETA: as Graham says, it should all be in the contract.

  • 0

    A few years ago when then upgraded earthing to 16mm from 10mm I justr happened to be an inspector on the electricity board and I had to go and connect a couple of roads on a new housing estate.

    It just happened that I knew that the contractors had had 2 years notice that after a certain date , supplies would not be connected unless they had 16mm earthing so naturally i failed the lot. Shall I just say that not long afterwards we parted company as I wasn't supposed to know about the 2 year notice period had been given. (mind you few others had!) and I had the letter to prove it!

  • 0

    It used to be the case (or so we were told on the regs course) that if from design to completion was straddling two versions then it was acceptable for the design to be done to version A then Construction (and I & T) should also be done to version A but Construction could be to version B if there were no conflicts (I suppose an example might be such as an RCD connected as per version B requirements but not required under version A requirements) also you could only charge for this with the clients permission unless contracts specifically stated something different. Any requirement at design stage that stated "To current IEE regs etc etc" only referred to requirements at design stage - which on a simple house rewire etc would mean your estimate etc to rewire to current regs for XXX pounds was was the deciding factor as to which regs were current at that time. However if it was during the regs change transition or shortly before that you might be taken to task for not including it or offering the option because you should be aware of this at the time of design (a simple estimate could count as a simple design) . The client quite often could not reasonably be expected to have this information.

    We were told that some of the larger (very large)  contracts did indeed straddle a long life-span from conception to completion and the clients should ensure that they have such eventualities written into their contracts regarding variations etc.

    I suspect that " Mrs Smith, anytown UK, house rewire to current IEE regs including YYYY for XXXX pounds would often take the simple approach or , if it came to it, a court might decide a fair contract consists of ------. Whereas large firms on large firms both the seller and the buyer should both ensure all possible events with due diligence. You and Mrs Smith might settle on an arm wrestle ending with a pot tea making ceremony on the outcome whereas the big boys decide whether to ask a bloke in a wig to decide.

    Of course, I might be wrong about all of that . Plus it appears that things might be a bit different now anyway.

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