BS 7671 what?

Terms which you may hear a lot when dealing with electricians or builders is 'BS 7671' or '17th Edition'. British Standard (BS) 7671 are the regulations/requirements concerning electrical installations in the U.K., and which all electrical work, i.e. the wiring in your house or business premise, must adhere to when installed. '17th Edition' is just the latest edition of the BS 7671 regulations, which was published in 2008, most of the requirements in the 17th edition are the same as the requirements in the 16th edition but there are also new regulations. One important thing to remember and to have in your mind when dealing with an electrician is that the BS7671 regulations are not retrospective, i.e. if your home was re-wired in 2005 in compliance with the 16th Edition of the BS 7671 there is no obligation for you to have further improvements so that your home meets 17th edition regulations.

Is it dangerous or not?

A good electrician should explain to you in layman's terms what parts of the wiring in your house simply doesn't meet today's regulations but at the same time do not pose a threat of electric shock or fire and which parts of the wiring or installation does not comply with today's regulations and at the same time carry a greater risk of causing electric shock (or failure to protect you from electric shock) or fire hazard.

When does the BS7671: 2008 regulations apply?

All new electrical work undertaken does have to be done to 17th edition standards, i.e. if an electrician was to install a new lighting circuit in your home, the work (the lighting circuit) would have to meet 17th edition regulations. It is this scenario, especially in domestic situations which can cause confusion between customers and electricians.

In your home

Understanding some of the new regulations which apply to domestic situations and which you are most likely to come across when dealing with an electrician, will give you a better idea of what to expect when having some electrical work done to your home. By clicking on the relevant links you will be taken to a page which offers some background knowledge to common issues regarding in the electrics in your home and the relevant regulations surrounding those issues. Much of the information is published by the Electrical Safety Council.

Click here for more information on Fuseboards and RCDs >
Click here for more information on Earthing and Bonding >

Smoke Alarms

Don't be put of the idea of having a smoke alarm that is always making a noise when it shouldn't, there is wide range of options and elec will choose the best option for the environment it is to work in. For more info on smoke alarms please follow the links to Aico's website.

• Aico's Product Guide to Smoke and Heat Alarms
• Smoke Alarms FAQs
• Smoke Alarms for the deaf and hard of hearing
• Aico's Product Guide to Carbon Monoxide Alarms
• Carbon Monoxide Alarms FAQs

The minimum standard of protection recommended in the 2004 edition of BS 5839-6 for new dwellings is that smoke alarms should be provided within the circulation areas of most single family dwellings and small houses in multiple occupation, and that Heat alarms should be provided in the kitchen and the principal habitable room, i.e. the lounge. And that they should be mains powered.

Bathroom >

• Most bathrooms or rooms containing a shower will now need enclosed light fittings, whether surface or recessed.
• All circuits in the bathroom should be RCD protected.
• Sockets are not permitted unless more than 3m away from bath or shower basin.

Kitchen >

RCDs >

Troubleshooting >

Sockets

• If it is a 'new build' sockets and switches have to be between 450mm and 1200mm from the floor.
• If it is a 're-wire' there is no specific requirement as long as the positions are deemed safe and are no worse than before.
• Generally there is no limit to how many sockets you can have in a room.
• But there are regulations in place to ensure you have enough sockets in a room, this to avoid the use of extension leads and adaptors.

Cables in walls

• A good electrician will have run his cables in certain zones of the wall when they are to be covered by plaster.
• When hanging shelves or paintings on the wall you should avoid these areas:
  • Anywhere horizontally or vertically inline with a socket or switch.
  • Within 150mm of the corners of the room.
  • Within 150mm of the top of the wall from the ceiling.
  • If in doubt use a cable/pipe detector

Garden >

Extensions and Leads >

Hazards in the Home >

Fire Safety > or Download the relevant PDF here

Electrical Safety in your home >

Electric Shock >