Connections - Autumn 2020

THE MAGAZINE FOR NICEIC AND ELECSA REGISTERED CONTRACTORS AUTUMN 2020 | ISSUE 215 | £5.00

Take a closer look How to avoid becoming a victim of counterfeit products

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AUTUMN 2020 | ISSUE 215

22

CASE STUDY 20 David Adams finds out about the hard work that went into the English National Ballet’s new headquarters

COUNTERFEIT PRODUCTS 22 As costs come under pressure, make sure you keep an eye out for deals that seem too good to be true

SMART HOMES 26 Are you ready to take advantage of smart home technology’s rising popularity with consumers?

CONTRACTOR PROFILE 31 Paine Manwaring’s forerunners have brought a distinguished history to the Sussex firm

“There are no safety guarantees with counterfeit products”

TECHNICAL 36 Ask the experts 38 Electrical design considerations for the electrical supply to hot tubs

44 Apprentice Corner 50 Using metal conduit and/ or trunking as a circuit protective conductor 56 Conduit sizing 60 The importance of agreeing and recording the extent and limitations for periodic inspection and testing

20

PRODUCT FOCUS 64 The latest products on the market

26

OFF THE TOOLS 65 ‘I’m a powerlifting record

31

holder’

HELLO 4 It’s important to stay vigilant as we return to work in a recession

qualification exam from home through Certsure, explains Neil Vincent

INDUSTRY UPDATE 6 New EICR Coding Clinic; 2020

CAUGHT ON CAMERA 1 5 Wonky upgrades and a Lucozade

contractor survey

junction box make up some of this quarter’s most surprising discoveries

7 Updated EAS CPD requirements; UKCA marking welcomed COVER: GETTY

TRAINING 1 2 You can now take the 18th Edition

8 Electrical Safety First director

ADVICE 1 7 James Dewane’s tips for establishing yourself in a crowded market

wins award; new area engineer

11 Green Home Grant Scheme;

OPINION 1 8 Offsite construction presents a huge

BS 7671: 2018 amendment DPC

opportunity for contractors, says Jane Yorke

CURRENT AFFAIRS 66 An illuminating installation; post-lockdown boost for the electrical sector; the filament bulb’s unexpected last stand; and your #sparkslife pictures

With developments around Covid-19 moving at a rapid pace, all information in this issue is correct as of Monday 5 October. Due to our printing and distribution processes, it has not been possible to factor in developments since that date. Many thanks for your understanding.

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hello

T E C HN CAL KEVA N I PA RKER

Rise to the challenge This year has not been an easy one, and an economic recession will bring additional dangers. But there are reasons for hope

W

elcome to your Autumn issue of Connections. One day, I hope to be able to write an update that bears no mention of the pandemic, and that terms such as the ‘rule of six’ are redundant. Alas, this is not the case as we continue to face the ongoing effects of Covid-19.

While our recent customer survey indicates that many of you have fully returned to work, we, like all industries, are feeling the financial ramifications of operating in an economy that is now officially in recession.

There will be companies out there looking to capitalise on this downturn, offering counterfeit goods at knockdown prices. It is important that you are equipped and able to spot the fakes.

From a safety, commercial and reputational point of view, you must protect yourself from these fraudsters. Our feature on this topic starts on page 22; please take time to read it, as it provides a wealth of information and practical advice.

Moving on to more positive news, it seems the pandemic has reconnected many of us with our homes, which we are now keener than ever to improve. For some, this is a simple paint job, but for many it is about making the home ‘smart’ – presenting plentiful opportunities for contractors skilled in this area. To learn more, look out for the feature on page 27, which discusses the technologies involved and the importance of professional installation.

Before I leave you, I would like to highlight just one further subject, the eagerly awaited Draft for Public Comment relating to Amendment 2 of the 18th Edition. As articulated by John O’Neill on page 10, this is an important document that provides us with an opportunity to help steer the agreed standards to which we are all bound.

Your voice in this conversation is needed, and I encourage you to put forward your views.

I hope you enjoy the issue and, until next time, please keep safe and well.

‘It seems the pandemic has reconnected many of us with our homes’

Kevan Parker is managing director of Certsure

CO N TAC TS / CO NNE C T IO NS

Level 5, 78 Chamber Street, London E1 8BL EDITORIAL General 020 7880 6200 Editor Nick Martindale nick.martindale@redactive.co.uk Technical editor Timothy Benstead Sub editor Kate Bennett Designers Craig Bowyer Technical designer Adrian Taylor Picture researcher Akin Falope Publishing and business development director Aaron Nicholls ADVERTISING/MARKETING connections@redactive.co.uk 020 7880 6206

PRODUCTION General production enquiries 020 7880 6209 Senior production executive Rachel Young rachel.young@redactive.co.uk SUBSCRIPTIONS Should you require your own copy of Connections or multiple copies for your staff, subscriptions are available by calling 01580 883844 CONTRIBUTIONS Connections welcomes ideas for contributions.

Please email nick.martindale@ redactive.co.uk

© Redactive Publishing Ltd 2020 Level 5, 78 Chamber Street, London E1 8BL Registered No. 3156216. All rights reserved. This publication (and any part thereof) may not be reproduced, transmitted or stored in any print or electronic format (including but not limited to any online service, any database or any part of the internet) or in any other format in any media whatsoever, without the prior written permission of the publisher.

Redactive Publishing Ltd accepts no liability for the accuracy of the contents or any opinions expressed herein.

Printed by Precision Colour Printing Limited

ISSN 2042-5732

WWW.NICEIC.COM WWW.ELECSA.CO.UK ENQUIRIES Certsure 01582 539000 Communications executive Debbie Shields debbie.shields@certsure.com NICEIC Direct 0333 015 6626 Twitter @officialNICEIC or @officialELECSA Customer services 0333 015 6625 Sales 0333 015 6626 Training 0333 015 6627 Technical helpline 0333 015 6628 Insurance 0333 015 6629

Recycle your magazine’s plastic wrap – check your local LDPE facilities to find out how.

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news

INDUSTRY UPDATE

CONTRACTOR SURVEY PROVIDES BOOST FOR EIC

The EICR Coding Clinic sees experts providing advice based on real images and scenarios

New EICR Coding Clinic launches Following the great success seen with the latest series of the WIRE – our indepth technical webinar programme – we have introduced a new regular feature: the EICR Coding Clinic.

Since kicking off in August we have delivered two clinics, reaching more than 1,500 viewers. Driven by you, these webinars are based around your images and the real-life scenarios you encounter while undertaking electrical safety checks.

During the 40-minute episodes, members of our technical team explore the scene and provide expert opinions on how best to code it on an EICR. “In light of the recent introduction of the PRS legislation, electrical contractors will be called on more frequently to undertake electrical safety checks,” said Sam Donaghy, NICEIC and ELECSA’s technical engineering manager.

“While the majority will be straightforward, from time to time contractors may, of course, come across situations which are unclear. The clinics have been introduced to support contractors in this scenario and sit alongside our technical helpline. ne.

“For us, this is about delivering ring what our customers want and d need while also maintaining standards ards and supporting technical excellence ellence across the industry,” he added. d. “We are delighted with the response se so far and encourage contractors to continue to engage.”

We would like to thank everyone who took the time to complete our 2020 contractor survey.

Not only will your views help us to tailor our products and services moving forward, but they have also provided a welcome boost to our charity partner, the Electrical Industries Charity. Receiving a £1 donation for every completed survey, the charity was delighted to receive a sum of £1,083.

“Everyone at the EIC would like to thank NICEIC and ELECSA for their kind donation,” said Tessa Ogle, managing director and CEO at the Electrical Industries Charity. “As a charity, we rely upon contributions such as this to continue our work in supporting the men and women of our industry.

“2020 has been an incredibly difficult year for us all, and we have seen a huge increase in number of requests for assistance. As such, now more than ever, your continued support is both needed and very much appreciated.”

If you would like to extend further support to the EIC, why not check out its powerLottery? One of the biggest revenue streams for the charity, the lottery benefits our sector while giving you the chance to win one (or more) of 40 cash prizes every month, ranging from £50 to £1,000. For those who need a little more tempting, there is also the chance to win £10,000 on a bi-yearly basis.

To learn more about the powerLottery, please visit www.electricalcharity.org and select ‘Lottery’ on the navigation bar located at the top of the homepage

To sign up to watch the events live, ive, please visit the events section off the NICEIC and ELECSA websites. Should you have images you would like to share, please submit them via our social al media channels, along with a brief synopsis opsis of the scenario

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EAS update introduces new CPD requirement September marked the introduction of the January 2020 Electrotechnical Assessment Specification (EAS) update.

EAS sets out the requirements for an enterprise (contractor) to be recognised as competent. The changes place a greater focus on the enterprise’s requirements for ensuring employee (full-time and sub-contract) competence. They also require proof of continuous professional development (CPD). This means you must provide a record of the CPD that you have undertaken within a given period. This will be reviewed by your assessor at the point of assessment.

Anything that improves your electrotechnical knowledge or skillset is valid and valuable, and ensures qualifications do not become outdated or obsolete.

Technical articles, webinars, podcasts and training courses all count. You probably already undertake sufficient CPD, but you must have a record of it. Depending on the scale of your business, this may be a simple list including the date you undertook the CPD, the amount of time it took, a description of it, and what you learned.

As NICEIC and ELECSA registrants, you already have access to a wealth of resources, including: • The WIRE: our technical webinar series, which has already delivered over 12 hours of CPD accredited learning • Technical articles: written by our experts, these detailed documents are available via Connections or through the customer portal • Publications: NICEIC and ELECSA offer a range of technical publications, available via our shop • Low Carbon Fix: our podcast series offers bite-sized updates on lowcarbon technologies. Access via the NICEIC website and all podcast providers • Our class-leading training portfolio. Courses are designed to be informative, engaging and highly relevant. Please visit www.niceic.com/ contractor/training-courses We will be placing a greater focus on helping you in this area moving forward. I encourage you to view this introduction as an opportunity and make time to focus on the development of yourself and your team.

WELCOME CLARITY OVER UKCA MARKING Manufacturer trade body BEAMA has welcomed clarification from the government around the introduction of UKCA marking once the transition period for the UK leaving the EU comes to an end in January 2021.

Plans announced in September envisage a phased introduction, which BEAMA believes should allow all companies to maintain the supply of legally marked products to the UK market from 2021-23. BEAMA has

pledged to work with the government to provide clarity for all the industry stakeholders throughout the new introduction timescales.

Practical issues that need to be addressed include the marking regulations for products produced in Northern Ireland and those for the labelling of energy-using products.

NICEIC AND ELECSA INSURANCE OFFERING CELEBRATES THREE YEARS September saw the third anniversary of the improved insurance service for NICEIC and ELECSA registered contractors.

The service was relaunched in 2017, in collaboration with smei (part of Marsh Commercial), in order to offer contractors high quality, affordable and flexible insurance. More than 10,000 policies have already been taken out.

During the past three years, the service has evolved to meet contractors’ changing requirements. Examples of this include automatically including work done in relation to electrical vehicle charging installations, as well as offering cover for contractors who are signed up to the Private Rented Sector scheme.

“We also realise that there are additional insurances you may need to help protect you and your business, so we have brought these to your attention – such as personal accident and short-term income protection insurance and business vehicle insurance,” says a spokesperson for smei.

“We also have other improvements in the pipeline, which we will share as soon as possible, and we look forward to helping NICEIC and ELECSA contractors for many years to come.”

The service was also presented with the Feefo Trusted Services Award, in recognition of the positive customer feedback seen during 2019.

NICEIC and ELECSA registered electrical contractors receive 10 per cent off the price of a new contractors’ insurance policy.

For more information about this service or a no-obligation quotation, if you are not already an insurance customer, visit niceic-and-elecsa-insurance.com or call 0333 015 6629. * As with all insurance policies, terms and conditions apply. Please contact NICEIC and ELECSA Insurance Services for details, or visit niceic-and-elecsa-insurance.com This is marketing communication. For details of NICEIC and ELECSA Insurance Services registered status please see accompanying advert

See our feature on counterfeit products on page 22

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INDUSTRY INDUSTRY UPDATE UPDATE

CHARITY DIRECTOR WINS LIFETIME INDUSTRY AWARD

NEWS IN NUMBERS

7 in 10 The amount of engineering services firms that say they currently do not have enough competent employees to undertake ‘low to no carbon’ work, ECA finds

67% The proportion of engineering services firms that expect their turnover to increase or remain steady in the third quarter, ECA research suggests

37% The proportion of firms with fewer than 100 people that expect to be operating an electric vehicle in three years’ time, Arval Mobility Observatory finds

£6,873 The amount it costs to set up an electrical business, according to IronmongeryDirect.

The survey suggests that this can be made back within six weeks

£4.4bn The total value of construction contracts awarded during August, a rise of 21 per cent on July’s figure, according to Barbour ABI’s index

Martyn Allen, technical director at Electrical Safety First, was this year’s worthy winner of Innovative Electrical Retailing’s (IER) lifetime achievement award, which recognises dedication to the electrical retail industry.

Martyn leads Electrical Safety First’s electrotechnical team as an impartial centre of excellence for the safety of electrical installations and products.

The charity, which is recognised by government and industry as the leading campaigning charity and technical authority on home electrical safety, also represents consumer safety interests on a range of British, European and international committees.

Originally trained as an underground electrician with British Coal, Martyn worked in engineering risk management with Royal and Sun Alliance for 16 years, before joining the Electrical Safety Council (the forerunner of Electrical

Safety First) in 2006. He is a chartered electrical engineer and corporate member of the Institution of Engineering and Technology.

“Our lifetime award is given to the individual, who, in the opinion of his or her peers, has demonstrated a lifelong contribution to the electrical retail industry and continued support for the independent sector,” explains Linda Dorling, IER’s events manager. “Martyn was such a natural fit for this award that our judges unanimously voted him as the winner.”

While such recognition came as no surprise to industry figures, one person was completely blindsided. “I was speechless!” says Martyn. “But I am truly delighted at receiving this award.

As well as a personal award, it is also an indication of the value the industry puts on consumer safety as a key part of sustainable business.”

NEW FACE FOR GRANTHAM NICEIC has appointed Terry Parrish as area engineer to cover Grantham in Lincolnshire.

Terry has worked in the electrical industry for around 40 years, spending the last 25 years in the technical and testing background. Most recently, he was technical services manager for E7 Building Services for 10 years, where he also acted as principle duty holder and qualified supervisor.

Outside of the workplace Terry is a keen photographer, and also enjoys travelling.

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INDUSTRY UPDATE UPDATE INDUSTRY

Households in England can now access the government’s £2 billion Green Home Grant Scheme, a programme introduced to support the adoption of green home improvements including insulation and low-carbon heating.

The scheme allows homeowners to apply for up to £5,000 towards these improvements, with the grant covering up to 65 per cent of the total cost. For low-income households, the allocation increases to £10,000, which can cover 100 per cent of the costs. The scheme seeks to save consumers up to £600 per year on utility bills, and to protect green jobs and the environment.

Paul Collins, NICEIC and ELECSA technical services manager, said: “We welcome the government’s Green Home Grant Scheme and the

opportunities it affords our contractors.

Greener technologies are key to achieving our net-zero targets, and the electrotechnical industry has a pivotal role to play in their implementation.

“Our registrants are at the forefront of technical excellence, and we will continue to ensure they have the

The scheme aims to help consumers adopt green home assets such as ground source heat pumps

skills and support needed to meet the challenges of today and of tomorrow.”

All improvements carried out under the new Green Home Grant Scheme must be completed by a TrustMark registered contractor. The scheme also requires contractors to be certified on technology-specific schemes such as MCS for renewable technologies and PAS 2030 for insulation.

NICEIC and ELECSA contractors who are not registered with TrustMark should contact NICEIC and ELECSA customer services on 0333 015 6625, should they wish to apply to join.

NICEIC and ELECSA can also offer access to the schemes included in the Green Home Grant and can support with relevant Competent Person Scheme approvals and training.

IMAGE: ALAMY

GOVERNMENT’S GREEN HOME GRANT SCHEME NOW OPEN FOR BUSINESS

Viewpoint: Make your voice heard The announcement of the Draft for Public Comment (DPC) surrounding Amendment 2 of BS 7671: 2018 in September provided the first glimpse of the proposed changes to the regulations, which are planned to be introduced in March 2022.

The document outlined some extensive changes that, if implemented, could have significant ramifications for all electrical contractors. The DPC gives everyone within the electrotechnical industry an opportunity to put forward their views, and I urge all to engage and comment.

There is misconception among some that NICEIC and ELECSA write the regulations. While it is true that we sit on several panels that review and develop industry standards, the Institution of Engineering and Technology and the British Standards Institution jointly publish the Wiring Regulations, and we are one voice in the process.

Therefore, it is vitally important that every one of you puts forward your views. Please do not leave it to someone else; it is our collective responsibility to ensure we form part of the process when it comes to important introductions such as this.

As such, we will be working with NICEIC and ELECSA registered contractors in the coming weeks to explore the document in greater detail. We recently ran a free webinar on the topic, which can now be accessed on-demand via the Events section of the customer portal – access the portal at www.my.niceic.com/login A top-line summary of some of the proposed changes shown within the DPC is listed here:

• The introduction of a new Part 8 – Functional Requirements.

This includes Chapter 82: Prosumer’s Low-Voltage Electrical Installations • Changes to the regulation surrounding AFDDs on circuits less than 32A • Removal of the risk assessment method for omitting additional RCD protection on socket outlets • Alterations to the model forms situated in appendix 6 • New cut-off date for complying with the 18th Edition • Alterations surrounding SPD requirements • New foundation earthing requirements • New protected area requirements (protected escape routes).

While it is important to remember that the proposed changes have been brought forward to improve safety and provide alignment with international and European standards, we must ensure implementation is both practical and achievable for contractors.

To learn more about the DPC and what it could mean for you and your business please www.niceic.com/contractor, where you will find a page dedicated to the topic. This page will provide a summary of the proposed changes, links to our webinar and the full DPC document.

The closing date for comment is 11 December 2020.

John O’Neill is the NICEIC and ELECSA Director of Technical Excellence

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18TH EDITION

Remote assessment Certsure is one of the few bodies licensed to allow contractors to take the exam for the 18th Edition qualification from the comfort of their own home or office

E

Neil Vincent is head of training at NICEIC and ELECSA

ducation has made headlines of late as controversial grading systems led to widespread anger and confusion for students up and down the country. While GCSEs and A Levels are behind most of us, we do need to keep up to date with training, given the safetycritical nature of our profession.

As such, exams and assessments are still a necessary evil.

One such exam has just become that little bit easier to take. Keen to offer flexibility, City & Guilds has introduced a remote option for contractors looking to obtain their BS 7671:2018 qualification. This means you can now sit the exam from the comfort of your own home or office. Initially offered by a very small number of authorised bodies, I am delighted to confirm that Certsure, in conjunction with JTL, is on the list of those licensed to provide this option.

When announcing the introduction, Sam Egerton, sales manager at City & Guilds, said: “We recognise society is changing and that many people now want and need to update skills remotely. For some it comes down to timing and not being able to take time away from the day job; for others it is a preference, and, in light of the current situation, for many it is about necessity and safety.

“Whatever the reason, we are committed to meeting the needs of our customers while rigorously maintaining standards.

Working closely alongside recognised organisations such as Certsure and JTL, who are able

to uphold our strict assessment protocols, we are confident both contractors and industry will welcome this introduction.”

It is fantastic to be one of the first organisations able to offer this option, and it adds to our range of virtual training tools, which includes our Virtual Classroom products and blended learning options. Having had the remote exam in our portfolio for two months now, I am also encouraged by the feedback we have seen from delegates: “Having attended the 18th Edition Virtual Classroom course

to anyone needing to complete their 18th Edition qualification.”

Comments like this affirm my belief that training is an individual experience and that, as training providers, we must deliver choice. This is a priority for us, and you will continue to see developments in how we create and deliver training tools.

We are making progress on the phased return of our faceto-face courses, which have now been reintroduced safely across a number of our training sites.

In keeping with government guidelines, and with safety

‘Once completed, I received an instant pass mark which put my mind at ease’ – an option which worked for me as it meant I didn’t have the associated costs of travel or being away from the business – I was delighted to learn that I could also sit the exam from home,” said Liam Turvey of Compass Electrical Solutions.

“Overall, the experience was excellent, the set-up was straightforward, and the instructions were clear. Despite it being an exam, which of course involved an element of nerves, I definitely felt more relaxed being in my own environment.

“Another added benefit was the speed of the result. Once completed, I received an instant pass mark which put my mind at ease, leaving me free to get straight back to work. I would definitely recommend this option

remaining our top priority, we will continue to expand on this in the coming weeks and months, paying close attention to local lockdowns across the country.

Before I leave to you enjoy the autumn, I would like to impart one final piece of advice. Please don’t neglect your skills; they are your most valuable asset and, like all things of value, they must be maintained in order to stay sharp. There are a variety of tools at your disposal. Make sure you find the one that works for you.

Until next time, please take care and keep safe.

To book your 18th Edition Remote Assessment, please contact the NICEIC Training administration team on 0333 015 6627

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05/10/2020 10:56

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02/10/2020 12:49

YO UR P I C T U R E S

2

Caught on camera

1

Trusty NICEIC and ELECSA contractors have been busy uncovering and rectifying dodgy installations and DIY botch jobs. Here are some of the worst offenders from the past quarter

3 4

T

his issue’s collection of dubious discoveries includes: the cause of a ‘burning smell’ in a domestic property (1); a ‘Lucozade’ junction box buried under a lamp post in a garden (2); a dangerous attempt to restore power in a dilapidated fuse board (3); cavity wall insulation that had eaten its way through to the conductors (4); and an untidy installation in an electrical supply room (5).

It continues with : the remains of an earth rod which gave a 550 ohms reading on a TT system (6); an unfortunate mouse which had got into a metal fuseboard and touched the busbar (7); an ill-advised location for a consumer unit (8); a supporting loft joist cut right through to house an old-style halogen downlight (9); and a poor job of a consumer unit upgrade (10).

6

5

Thanks to...

8

> Brian Walker of BRG Electrical in Leeds > Jason Parker from Creative Electrical in Solihull > Cyril Townsend of C Townsend Ltd in Leominster > David Bowman of Bowmans Electrical Contractors in Sheffield > Iftikhar Choudry from ACI Electrical Services in Slough > Jonathan Isaac from CanDo Electrics in Neath > Kevin Ryan of K Ryan Electrician in Brentwood > Krzysztof Niemiec of Bestelec Ltd in Carshalton > Russell Sears from RS Electrical Services in Studham > Ricky O’Donoghue of Rod Electrical in Beaconsfield.

7 10

Keep those shots coming in!

Email caughtoncamera@redactive.co.uk

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02/10/2020 12:50

MARKETING

Stand out in a crowd Many electrical contractors try to be all things to all customers.

But a more targeted approach can be a better strategy, says James Dewane

S

urviving as a local business is difficult in any climate, never mind during a global pandemic. The big problem with our industry is that no one teaches you how to make a business from what you do. Generation after generation of self-employed electricians make the same mistakes time and time again.

Long gone are the days of having one or two electricians to a town; now you are often competing with 10 or 12 others within walking distance of your home or office – so it’s important that you stand out. This is easier than you think, and yet most people will go looking for the more complicated and expensive answers.

There are six areas to focus on to establish yourself as the go-to person in your area.

SPECIALISE You will often see ‘anything from a single socket to a complete rewire’ or ‘industrial, commercial and domestic’ plastered across vans and marketing material.

However, being willing to do anything for everyone can lead to being a busy fool.

Specialising in a niche area will help you remain profitable and sane. Consider the areas you should specialise in by asking yourself what you do, what your most profitable work is, where you work, whether travel is eating into your time, and who you work for. It is a mistake to think everyone can be your customer, and it’s impractical from a marketing point of view. By narrowing who you promote your services to, you reduce your advertising spend and will get a better quality customer.

RAISE AWARENESS What are you doing to alert potential customers to your existence? You need to advertise, but this does not have to be expensive. There are many effective local, low and no-cost methods – Facebook, leaflets or community magazines, to mention a few.

BUILD RELATIONSHIPS Do you see your customers as just a transactional relationship? There is a cost involved in acquiring each customer, so understanding and utilising their lifetime value is invaluable.

People believe that it takes time to build relationships, yet there are steps you can take to accelerate the process. Find something you have in common, as people tend to like people who are like them. Pay attention to what they like and understand that if they give their attention to something then it is important to them, whether it’s a classic car, their garden or a collection they may have.

Your willingness to converse about these things will help you stand out.

‘Specialising in a niche area will help you remain profitable and sane’

James Dewane is founder of My Electricians ToolBox and author of The S.P.A.R.K.S Blueprint to Marketing.

Download a free copy at www.jdewane. com/freebook

PUSH YOURSELF LOCALLY Many electricians blanket advertise or depend on lead generation companies, and put little effort into enhancing their position in the community.

It takes little effort to position yourself as the local expert. Educate your potential customers, and publish helpful how-to content. Be visible on social media and in the places where your customers are. Control your image, and manage how you are seen in your local community.

KEEP IN TOUCH When was the last time you followed up with a customer? How many past customers have you spoken to, written to or emailed since their job was completed? Maintaining contact in a nonsalesy manner can be a great way to get repeat and referral business. One method is to set up an email autoresponder that occasionally sends out helpful information (not sales messages).

Set it up once and it keeps working for you by occasionally touching base with past customers.

This alone brings back a lot of repeat business.

DEVELOP EFFECTIVE SYSTEMS Have you got systems and procedures in place to ensure you get a constant stream of work?

Create a simple marketing calendar that prompts you to complete seasonal marketing activities; by spending a small amount of time each week working on, rather than in, your business, you can create a steady funnel of work.

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05/10/2020 10:58

OFFSITE CONSTRUCTION

Efficiency push Promising E commercial opportunities exist for the electrical industry as the offsite construction sector plays its part in helping to tackle the nation’s house-building crisis, says Jane Yorke

T

he UK government has committed to the delivery of 300,000 new homes each year by the middle of this decade to meet escalating demand. As such, there is increased focus on ways to drive efficiencies and productivity across the construction sector.

One method – offsite construction – is widely viewed as a way to ease the pressure on traditional building practices. While it has already been successfully used across other industries, many feel that two specific areas require close attention for it to gain traction and grow sufficiently.

At a roundtable discussion hosted by Hager, various stakeholders with vested interests in the offsite construction debate concluded that better levels of collaboration across the multi-disciplinary project and supply chains, as well as a push for a more standardised approach and regulatory oversight, are critical.

Early collaboration with key specialists across the supply chain will, according to experts at the debate, lead to better high-level coordination and successful design, and promote supply chain trust and cost certainty.

The drive for collaboration is also impacted by the role of specified product solutions. If the sector is to move towards a more efficient manufacturing process, then flexible products that can offer customised and bespoke solutions are key. The supply chain must optimise product suitability, flexibility, performance and availability.

Standardisation and information sharing is also key. All links in the offsite manufacturing chain must be more prepared to disclose knowledge and provide accurate details around origin, content and embodied energy needs.

The future of offsite construction, and its ability to influence the course of the UK’s housebuilding requirements, presents attractive business opportunities for many potential stakeholders – including the electrical industry. However, it will take early and sustained collaboration, partnership, intervention and knowledge sharing for offsite construction to evolve into a ‘go-to’ construction solution.

Jane Yorke is residential market manager at Hager

IN FO C U S / RU SS E LL S E ARS How did you come to work for yourself?

I started as an apprentice for British Rail and then went into the printing industry as an engineer.

I did that for 20 years and took voluntary redundancy in 2013. I wanted to go back to my roots and work for myself.

How did the Covid-19 situation affect you?

I had about five months of doing emergency work only, but things have gone back to normal now.

What kind of work did you take on?

I started off doing work for Honeywell on a product recall in 2013 and that gave me the momentum.

Russell Sears, RS Electrical Services

parks. There are 103 homes up at Whipsnade, so there’s plenty of work. That’s about 20 per cent of my work, and the rest is with a large letting agent. That’s getting busy now with new regulations around the private rental sector.

What’s the hardest thing about working for yourself?

Turning work away. I like to get involved and help people. I find it hard to say I’m too busy.

What do you do today?

I specialise in mobile home

I believe your wife helps out with the books?

Yes, that helps a great deal.

Paperwork isn’t my forte.

Will you take a break over Christmas?

I tend to put myself down for emergency work only.

What do you do outside of work?

I do DIY, play golf and restore classic motorcycles.

If you are a small business or sole trader and would like to feature in In Focus, email infocus@redactive.co.uk

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02/10/2020 12:52

CASE STUDY

The stage is set

BY DAVID ADAMS

This year has not been kind to the arts sector.

But when normality resumes, the English National Ballet will return to a state-ofthe-art centre, made possible by NICEIC firm Lund Roberts

has completed in the Docklands has been unlike all the others: working to help create a new headquarters for the English National Ballet (ENB).

Originally formed in 1950, the ENB is a hugely successful ballet company that has staged major productions featuring some of the most celebrated ballet dancers in history. In normal conditions it would stage about 150 performances each year in venues across the UK. Until 2019 it had to manage this while working from a relatively cramped building in west London, which was not large enough to

1950: THE YEAR THE ENGLISH NATIONAL BALLET WAS SET UP

accommodate full performance rehearsals of its productions.

The ENB’s new headquarters, a beautiful £27 million, 8,600m2 building designed by architectural firm Glenn Howells, stands at the heart of a new development called City Island on the Leamouth Peninsula, where the River Lea flows into the Thames.

The building houses: a theatresized production rehearsal studio that incorporates a 26m-high fly tower from which scenery can be moved onto the rehearsal space below; seven dance studios; a gym; a hydrotherapy

IMAGES: HUFTON AND CROW

E

very great city exists in a state of continuous renewal, and you will find no better example of this than in London’s Docklands. Once a huge hub of international maritime trade, this part of the East End has been reborn during the past 35 years as an extension of the international financial centre based in the City of London, which lies a little further west along the Thames.

Throughout that period, NICEIC registered firm Lund Roberts has grown at a healthy rate, in large part because it has become a preferred supplier of electrical, mechanical and other services to many financial companies working in the old Square Mile and in the new buildings to the east. But one project the company

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The view from the fly tower in the production studio

pool; a lecture theatre; and a workshop where the company’s costumes are created. Larger spaces include a café area on the ground floor and an exhibition space on the first floor.

FAMILY FIRM Lund Roberts was established as a signage company more than 100 years ago. It assumed its current form in 1967 under the leadership of cofounders including Des Sands Senior, who served as managing director until his retirement in 2003, only four years before his death.

The company is still privately owned today; Des Sands’ son, also Des Sands, is now the managing director, and it employs 27 permanent staff alongside a much larger roster of trusted and experienced sub-contractors. Most of its work is for financial and other blue-chip companies in central London, completing projects from full office refurbishment to more specialised tasks such as installing M&E services for trading rooms.

In 2018, Lund Roberts won the contract to complete a full electrical Category A fit out of the new ENB building, working alongside the main contractor, BW, on an M&E design

by Hydrock. The team started work in August 2018. “Our team are used to working in high-end commercial buildings, with raised floors and false ceilings – so City Island, with diggers moving around, was a bit of a change!” says Des Sands. “It was a concrete shell, with the services coming in and a switch panel. For us to then take that and help make it what it is today is amazing.”

If the first challenge was the nature of the building, the second was the timetable. The development was already behind schedule, but the ENB’s lease in South Kensington was due to end in 2019, so the new building had to be ready for the company to move in later in the year.

The project was extremely complex, including high-end lighting

installations throughout. The lighting gallery for the production studio, and lighting for unique architectural features such as the main staircase, were particularly challenging. At times the company had 60 people on site, led by director Ray Kearney.

“We’ve worked in every field, from medical to commercial, but I had never done anything like this before,” says Ray. “When we started there was still rain coming in the roof when we were installing kit. But we hit the ground running.

“The real challenge was the level of detail and the high-end finish, concealing our work within different fabric elements on a tight programme. The other issue was the shape: there wasn’t a straight room, a suspended ceiling or a raised floor in the place. And the budget was tight too – that adds stress.”

TEAM EFFORT In a number of different areas, clashes between the ENB’s needs, the electrical design and the practical constraints of the building forced Ray to work alongside other contractors to redesign elements of the services.

In the production studio, the fly

60: THE NUMBER OF LUND ROBERTS OPERATIVES ON SITE AT ONE POINT IN THE PROJECT

tower contains 70 sets, suspended above the stage area, but there is a need to provide completely flexible stage and ‘front of house’ lighting to simulate a theatre stage environment through this complex grid of equipment. Lund Roberts also installed a range of power and data outlets that enable the space to be used in many different ways.

The original lighting design for the main staircase called for LEDs to be used next to the handrails as people moved along the stairs. “The handrails weren’t thick enough, so we had to design something else,” says Ray. The end result looks fantastic – an example of innovative yet practical lighting adding another dimension to the building design.

The project was completed in July 2019, allowing the ENB to move into its new home. Ray says the team felt “delighted but exhausted”. “It was unique – I’ll never see another project like it,” he says. “It was complex, interweaving technologies in a new building under some very difficult contractual circumstances.

I’m incredibly proud of the team. It was a battle, but we got there in the end. It looks lovely.”

Since completing the project, Lund Roberts has returned to its more usual work, with its current portfolio including serving as principal contractor on a lighting and lighting controls refurbishment of a 30-storey building in Docklands. Many of the elements within the ENB project will never be relevant to the needs of many of the firm’s other clients, but Des and Ray have brought some of them to City Island to visit the building anyway.

“They were blown away,” Des says. “It’s not what Lund Roberts is normally known for. It was very, very challenging, but we stuck at it and we delivered it. I’m incredibly proud of our work on this building – and I know my Dad would be very proud too.”

David Adams is a freelance business journalist

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05/10/2020 11:00

COUNTERFEIT PRODUCTS COUNTERF RF F EI EIT P EIT PR R OD O UCTS

BY PENELOPE RANCE

In any downturn, the risk of inadvertently using counterfeit products increases as contractors come under pressure to cut costs.

Installers need to be ultra-vigilant

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IMAGE: GETTY

WITH THE UK ECONOMY ALREADY

in recession, the construction sector is under pressure to cut costs. One of the knock-on effects is likely to be electrical contractors being expected to reduce their overheads, in order to stay competitive in a squeezed market.

Saving money on products by sourcing cheaper versions may be tempting, but contractors need to be aware of the risks involved in inadvertently purchasing substandard or counterfeit goods. “The copying of electrical products, from plugs and cables to circuit breakers, is big business, and counterfeit products pose a significant safety hazard to the electrical industry,” warns Mark Flanagan, technical manager at Scolmore Group. “They are sold as safe and manufactured by a reputable company, when the fact is that they are not.”

The counterfeit electrical products issue is growing, and contractors need to protect themselves against being duped into obtaining them.

“From our research, one in three UK consumers have inadvertently purchased a fake electrical product – mainly through an online marketplace such as Amazon Marketplace, eBay, Wish or Facebook Marketplace,” warns Martyn Allen, technical director at Electrical Safety First. “That’s about 18 million people.”

A recent Which? survey revealed that 23 per cent of counterfeit goods were purchased from two of the largest, best known online marketplace websites in the UK. Scolmore Group has had first-hand experience of dealing with counterfeit products. “A few years ago, we successfully challenged a major UK retailer which had been selling products which had counterfeit plugs attached to them,” reveals Flanagan.

“These counterfeits were copies of Scolmore’s genuine products.”

Some products are more likely to be copied than others. Common counterfeited items include cables and fuses, including plug tops and main house supply fuses.

“Counterfeiters, most of whom

‘Aside from the obvious risks of injury or death, there is the risk of damage to property, loss of business and reputational damage’ are based in China in unregulated factories, will target high-volume products that, on the surface at least, are relatively easy to copy,” says Chris Stammers, compliance services manager for BEAMA. “The proliferation of 3D printers which are able to manufacture illicit goods at very low cost and with high precision is likely to exacerbate the problem.”

HIGH PRICE TO PAY Buying and installing fake electrical products is a risky business, both from a legal and safety point of view. “Counterfeit products are typically cheaper, and cheaper for a reason; they will not have been designed, tested and manufactured in accordance with the relevant standards,” points out Flanagan.

“There are no safety guarantees with counterfeit products, and they can create a very dangerous environment and life-threatening situations,” adds Stammers. “Aside from the obvious risks of injury or death to individuals – possibly leading to legal action, fines or imprisonment – there is the risk of damage to property, loss of business and reputational damage.”

Although not all non-compliant products are counterfeit, a high proportion of counterfeit products are non-compliant. Installing substandard products could lead to commercial issues, including return visits to rectify issues, the cost of replacing failed products, and lack of product performance or reliability – all of which will affect contractors’ bottom lines.

“When an installed product is difficult to

In the absence of a supporting technical file, the CE mark is not in itself proof of compliance

18M

access or subje subject to 24/7 usage, can heavily the costs involved invol outweigh any benefit gained by the initial cost savings,” says Stammers. “A contractor is legally liable for the services provided under contract for six years from completion of the works. Contractors might not be able to return the defective products for refund or replacement, and may have to source new, more expensive, compliant products from legitimate sources.”

Electrical contractors are at the front end of legal accountability for the consequences of installing a counterfeit product, and can be liable either for breach of contract or failure to comply with the relevant regulation. “While responsibility lies with everyone in the supply chain, installers are responsible if they install fake or substandard products,” warns Allen. “As well as the obvious reputational risk, it could lead to court action, both civil and criminal.

“Electrical specifiers and installers are required by BS 7671: 2018 Wiring Regulations to check the products they install are compliant with a national or the European/harmonised standard.

If a fake or substandard product is installed and leads to an incident, the installer could be prosecuted.”

In addition, any deliberate use of counterfeit products that turn out to be non-compliant may invalidate insurance policies. “Insurers insist that compliance with the law and a full disclosure of risk is made before assuming a financial obligation to the insured,” warns Stammers. “Under the English legal system, installers cannot, without a subsidiary agreement, usually side-step a customer’s claim for non-compliant goods to be replaced and to deny a claim for consequential losses and compensation.”

LEGAL CHANGES Contractors need to be up to speed with the latest legislation – and Brexit will almost certainly result in new industry regulations. “Following

The number of people who have inadvertently purchased a fake electrical product

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COUNTERFEIT PRODUCTS

the UK’s withdrawal from the EU, we will see products requiring a UK conformity assessment (UKCA) mark, which installers and specifiers will need to look out for,” says Allen.

This will be done using a phased introduction between 2021-23.

The standards to which electrical products are currently made will continue for the foreseeable future, as long as the UK remains a member of CENELEC, the European standards system – but restrictions on counterfeits may tighten. “Leaving the EU provides the UK government with the opportunity to introduce additional legislation to reduce the proliferation of fakes,” says Allen.

“For example, online marketplaces could be made more accountable for the products sold on their platforms, by being recognised as a distributor in the supply chain. Many UK retailers will also become importers following the EU withdrawal, which will place more obligations in terms of complying with product safety legislation.”

This also applies to electrical contractors. “If they purchase electrical equipment online from an overseas source, they will be legally classified as the equipment importer and have the added obligation of ensuring the equipment is designed, examined and tested to be electrically safe and compliant,” warns Stammers. “And having sight of the CE marking stamped on a product is not in itself – in the absence of a supporting technical file – proof of compliance.”

sectors, the country’s border checks and other compliance controls such as Trading Standards could be overwhelmed, or resources targeted to other products,” warns Dr Jeremy Hodge, director of the Approved Cable Initiative (ACI).

The UK will be also more vulnerable to counterfeiting once it has lost some of the umbrella protection provided by the EU, adds Stammers. “The greatest concern is that the UK will potentially no longer have access to schemes like the Safety Gate rapid alert system for dangerous non-food products (RAPEX), set up by the European Commission, which facilitates the rapid exchange of information between national authorities,” he warns.

The onus will lie with contractors to make sure they are using regulation products. “We have to protect ourselves as an electrical industry and the customers we serve,” says Hodge. “Now is the time to engage in proper scrutiny to ensure that necessary product checks are being carried out before installation. We have to be confident that poor quality and dangerous products are picked up early, because the consequences don’t bear thinking about.”

Contractors need to ensure they are able to identify the fakes.

“Counterfeiters are clever; it can be difficult to spot,” says Flanagan.

“However, installers day in and day out use the same products, and over many years develop a familiarity with those. This nurtures an instinct for those products which have been designed, tested and manufactured in accordance with all the relevant standards, and are ultimately fit for purpose.”

‘We have to be confident that poor quality and dangerous products are picked up early’

ADDED RISK In spite of any new regulations, we may actually see an increase in the volume of counterfeit products entering the UK after Brexit. “In an environment of wholesale change to regulatory requirements across all

Penelope Rance is a freelance journalist business journalist

ANTI-COUNTERFEITING CHECKLIST • Check the product you’re purchasing is genuine – if the price is too good to be true, it may be fake or substandard. Some counterfeits are for sale just below the recommended retail value to hoodwink savvy purchasers • Always buy through a reputable source, and ensure that distributors are authorised by the manufacturer. Make sure you know where the supplier is: a co.uk URL doesn’t guarantee the website is UK-based. If there is no address, or just a PO Box, be cautious • Check the manufacturing location – ask your supplier for a certificate of origin and a declaration of compliance or performance.

If in doubt, ask for a sample to test before installation • Examine any markings carefully and cross-reference with those of the relevant certification agencies. Look for a CE mark or mark from an accredited test house • Make a visual check: does the item have all required elements in the right proportions?

Look out for flimsy packaging; substandard printing; illegible, poorly aligned or smudged graphics, symbols or warnings; spelling mistakes; obvious imperfections in mouldings; visible corrosion of metal components • Make sure everything that should be there is there. Fake products may not include supplementary materials such as a manual or a product registration card – or even all the parts • Beware of a product that only has glowing reviews, especially if reviewers aren’t verified.

Also be aware that some sites cross-reference user reviews with their buyer database and label those people as ‘verified purchasers’ • Words qualifying an item’s authenticity are a red flag. If the seller claims the product is ‘genuine’, ‘real’ or ‘authentic’, double-check the source. Reputable retailers don’t need to market their products in this way • Trust your instincts: if you are still uncertain about the product for any reason, you’re probably right to be concerned

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05/10/2020 11:51

SMART HOMES

FOR A LONG TIME, smart homes or home automation – the latter here meaning more complex installations based on a cabled network – were limited to a small number of wealthy people. In recent years, though, gadgets that wirelessly run aspects of home security, lighting or heating have become more accessible.

These technologies are encouraging consumers to consider more advanced home automation, and demand is increasing – creating opportunities for electrical contractors. More complex, integrated installations may control lighting, heating, security systems, energy and home entertainment equipment, or sensors that can detect water leaks, fire, smoke or carbon monoxide.

The global smart home market was worth $43.4 billion (around £32 billion) in 2017, and was expected to be worth $91 billion (around £69 billion) in 2020, according to industry body techUK. It predicts the global market will be growing by 15 per cent a year by 2024.

Meanwhile, research conducted by home technology industry association CEDIA suggests the UK home technology market was worth

about £700 million in 2018/19 – but CEDIA has a narrower definition of home technology. It focuses on comprehensive home automation installations based on a cabled network and managing multiple functions, rather than homes that simply contain one or more electronic point solutions, such as intelligent security systems. However, there are opportunities for contractors working in both versions of the smart or automated home. They could install simpler products, such as smart lighting systems, while also acquiring the expertise to work on more complex systems. Many now work alongside developers, builders or architects on installation design.

Contractors may also be able to work on similar systems in other buildings, including residential blocks or offices.

have spent more time at home, so may be considering upgrading their facilities. “There is an opportunity for electricians to provide smart home and home automation solutions to these consumers,” he says.

Paul Collins, technical services manager for NICEIC and ELECSA, says contractors should remember that other service providers may also want to seize that opportunity. “The plumbing industry seems to be ahead of the electrical industry,” he warns.

“If someone is having a boiler change, the heating engineer may be offering to install a smart thermostat.”

ENTRY POINTS Consumers can move towards these technologies from several different starting points, such as control of security, lighting or heating, before adding further functionality. CEDIA managing director Matt Nimmons suggests Covid-19 may have boosted interest in these technologies: people

All under control

BY DAVID ADAMS

Greater consumer interest in smart homes and home automation could provide a welcome boost for electrical contractors. It’s important to seize the opportunity 26 AU T U MN 2 02 0

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IMAGES: LOXONE / NEW WAVE AV, CEDIA MEMBER

Many opportunities relate to newbuilds. Philipp Schuster, managing director of home automation technology provider Loxone, suggests that smart home equipment can be useful for smaller developers. “Small and mediumsized developers are often looking for a USP,” Schuster explains. “That’s where we’re seeing a great uptake, in developments of 20 to 100 houses.”

One example can be seen at The Ridings, a development near Reading, where buyers of 35 three, four or five-bedroom homes can add Loxone smart heating, lighting, security and multi-room home entertainment systems to their homes.

Schuster also highlights opportunities presented by new highrise residential buildings. “Investors funding these developments are asking what should be put into these buildings now to make these homes appealing not just today, but in five, 10 or 20 years’ time,” he explains.

GOING RETRO Consumer awareness and enthusiasm is also helping to increase demand for retrofitting of smart and automated home technologies in existing

‘We’re seeing a great uptake in developments of 20 to 100 houses’ homes. Retrofit installations may be constrained by a property’s physical characteristics or existing electrical services, but contractors may have opportunities to upsell home automation equipment if they are hired to install a point solution, such as a thermostat, or for a larger task, such as a full rewire.

Not all smart and home automation products cause major disruption when installed. Lightwave chief commercial officer Adam Williams says many of its installations come from consumers who want to upgrade from smart lightbulbs.

“Essentially, Lightwave is an electrical wiring accessory, so there’s nothing scary about the technology,” he says.

“It’s a light switch or a relay or a socket with IP technology built in.”

The system’s flexibility allows consumers to start small. “People get hooked on the benefits that the plug-and-play technology provides and might graduate to installing more technology when they have a home refurb,” he says. The technology can also be integrated with existing home automation installations, he adds.

Nimmons says CEDIA’s 500 member firms include “a growing army of electricians” seeking to upskill to install home automation solutions. Larger contractors may be able to train different team members in different technologies; smaller companies may prefer to focus on a single manufacturer’s technology.

The latter approach has been taken

by Matt Payne of Salisbury contractor Matt Payne Electrical, which has four employees. Payne works with Niko, a smart and automated home technology vendor that offers lighting, heating, energy management and other functions, and that can be installed using either bus wiring or traditional wiring infrastructure.

“I’ve done quite a few different projects, from a three-bed house

that had a simple home automation system put in to a project in Vauxhall at a really large house, with 20 heating zones and hundreds of cables,” he says. “It is definitely becoming more popular.”

TECHNICAL SKILLS Collins advises that interested contractors take a NICEIC data cabling training course before considering which systems they want to work with. Most manufacturers run their own training courses, usually free of charge. CEDIA also offers training.

Collins believes the connected home concept will eventually absorb many other aspects of domestic electrical work. “I think we will start to see smart consumer units that you have to programme, like an alarm panel, and everything will become fully integrated,” he says.

He also suggests contractors keep an eye on Power over Ethernet technologies, which allow lighting to be controlled and powered by the same Ethernet cable. Each luminaire has its own IP address, so can be monitored and managed individually.

Williams thinks consumer interest in simpler smart home products will continue to be an important influence. “Growth is led by major technology brands bringing voice control and smart speakers into the home, and by easy access to plug-and-play products,” he says.

“It’s also important that we are breaking down barriers such as the compatibility question, as that gives customers peace of mind: they know that if they buy something it’s not going to be obsolete in a couple of years.”

“I can only see this market continuing to grow,” says Nimmons.

“In the coming years we may see people travelling less, so they may spend that money on their homes instead. People will want to work with professionals who have the right skills and knowledge. Electricians can come into that space.”

David Adams is a freelance business journalist

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CON T RAC TO R P R O F I L E

Hidden history The electrical division of Paine Manwaring has an unusual past, but constant evolution has enabled the firm to progress through the ages Electrical services director Andy Prager (third from left) with members of the team

BY NICK MARTINDALE

IMAGE: DAVE MCHUGH / UNP

T

oday, Paine Manwaring is a full mechanical and electrical services company operating out of two offices in Chichester and Worthing. Its roots go back more than 250 years, when a William Paine operated a blacksmith firm in the 1720s; a relative, Frank Manwaring, became involved in the 1870s, and the firm started to move into general engineering.

Its electrical division has its own proud history. Formerly Willard Electrical Services Ltd, it was taken over by Paine Manwaring in 2012, a few years after Paul Willard – grandson of founder Bert Willard – exited the business. Willard Electrical Services had itself taken over TF Lummus in around 1960, acquiring with it one of the earliest NICEIC registration numbers, 1570 – still used by Paine Manwaring.

“Both TF Lummus and Willard Electrical Services were electrical contractors working in and around the Chichester area,” says Andy Prager, who joined Willard Electrical

Services as an apprentice in 1984 and worked his way up to director level, before becoming electrical services director at Paine Manwaring. He took on the role of managing director for the whole business in 2019.

“Bert and his son Jack had started off predominantly doing electric motor rewinds in Chichester, and their business also included industrial electrical installations,” he says. “Chichester then was a thriving industrial area with lots of gravel pits, heavy farming and agriculture, and printing firms, and that’s where the motor rewinds came from. TF Lummus operated out of a shop in Chichester and was very much a domestic electrical contractor, doing a lot more of the household breakdown and appliance repairs.”

The combined firms initially operated at a very local level. “They used to have just one van, and even when I joined as an apprentice the engineers used to tell me about when they had to cycle seven miles to West Wittering with a bundle

Company Paine Manwaring Established 1725 Major projects Secure learning disabilities residential unit at Tatchbury Mount Hospital

of heavy-gauge conduit straddled between the handlebars of two bikes riding in tandem, or the weeks they would spend drilling holes through oak beams in old properties with an old hand brace. If I had a penny for every time I heard about how lucky I was, I would have been a rich man – even when I was an apprentice.”

By the time Paul Willard, who now runs engineering and manufacturing firm Willard Conservation Ltd and remains landlord of the Chichester office, came into the restructured business in 1981, the sector was starting to change. “The industry was beginning to slow down in the area,” says Andy. “The heavy industry businesses were going and manufacturing was changing, and the business just needed a fresh outlook. The shop in Chichester continued trading as ‘Willards’ until 1987 when it was closed, and Paul ran the main electrical business from the current location until 2007 when, after the death of Jack, the family sold their interest.”

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CON T RAC TO R P R O F I L E

CURRENT FOCUS Willard Electrical and Paine Manwaring started working together in the late 1980s, passing mechanical and electrical work to each other.

“Even back in those early days there were often discussions about forming one company, but it didn’t happen until 2012,” recalls Andy.

Today, the focus of the business has shifted towards larger mechanical and electrical projects.

“On the electrical side we undertake design-and-build contracts up to about £2.5 million, but combined mechanical and electrical up to about £4 million, predominantly in the education, healthcare, highend residential and commercial markets,” says Andy.

“We do still have a mechanical and electrical service department which carries out planned and reactive maintenance for homes, landlords and businesses,” he says. “We’re servicing about 7,000 appliances a year and completing test and inspection and electrical installations.”

The work covers Sussex, Surrey and Hampshire, he adds, with much of it coming through main contractors.

It has just completed a new secure learning disabilities residential unit at Tatchbury Mount Hospital, which was a combined £3 million electrical and mechanical package through Kier Construction, and also a secure children’s unit in East Sussex with a combined mechanical and electrical package of £1.6 million.

The whole business employs 106 people, with around 25 directly employed electrical contractors and apprentices, supplemented by specialist sub-contractors when needed. “The business has grown year-on-year over the last five years,”

adds Andy. “Our turnover was just over £18 million last year, which has increased from £15 million and £12 million a few years ago, so we’ve been very successful, particularly with the design-and-build market.”

The success of the last few years and the firm’s focus on the health sector have helped it weather the current turbulence, says Andy. “We were lucky enough to have quite a few secured projects, and because they were predominantly healthcare we were able to continue working, so quite a high percentage of our staff remained employed all the way through lockdown,” he says.

He admits to concerns around the next year, with many decisions around projects being postponed.

“While we have been extremely busy tendering for work, there seems to be a reluctance to place any orders at the moment,” he says. “Everyone is still very nervous and I think it will probably be like that for the next six to 12 months.”

Paine Manwaring inherited one of NICEIC’s oldest registration numbers, 1570, from forerunner TF Lummus

‘The engineers would tell me of when they had to cycle seven miles with a bundle of heavy-gauge conduit’

STRATEGIC THINKING When the market bounces back, the intention is to grow the electrical side of the business, says Andy.

32

106

“We are smaller electrically than we are mechanically and we would like them to be on a par,” he says. “We’re actively restructuring the electrical department to bring in more senior management and additional resources for estimating and project management. We’ve also recently brought in an electrical operations manager to take over some of my dayto-day work.” In time, this is likely to include reluctantly handing over his duties as NICEIC qualified supervisor – a post he has held since 1993.

One option could be another acquisition that would allow Paine Manwaring to offer new services, should the right opportunity present itself. “We’re wondering whether there might be some opportunities in the coming year, and we would be interested in purchasing another business if we felt it was a discipline that complemented ours,” he says.

“But we’d only do that if we felt comfortable doing so in the current market.” Domestic newbuilds are another potential growth area.

Andy, though, has good reason to be quietly satisfied with how his own career has developed during the past 35 years. “It’s not always been rosy and there have been recessions,” he says. “But the industry has been good to me and it’s one that I’m very passionate about, and one I would like to remain in until I retire.”

The number of people employed by Paine Manwaring

Nick Martindale is editor of Connections

AU T U MN 2 02 0

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technical

Your industry-leading reference guide to technical information 36

Ask the experts Answers to some of the more frequently asked questions put to our Technical Helpline

38

Electrical design considerations for the electrical supply to hot tubs A look at the requirements found in standards, regulations and guidance relating to the electrical installation of hot tubs and spas

44

Apprentice Corner How voltage, current and power are aected by parallel connected loads

50

Using metal conduit and/or trunking as a circuit protective conductor How to determine whether the use of rigid metallic conduit and trunking complies with BS 7671 in a given situation THE NICEIC AND ELECSA PUBLISHING TEAM

56

Conduit sizing Determining the appropriate diameter of conduit for the installation of conductors

60

The importance of agreeing and recording the extent and limitations for periodic inspection and testing Restrictions on the extent of an EICR inspection must be clearly agreed and recorded in order to avoid liability for the contractor issuing the report, as well as ensuring safety

Tim Benstead principal technical author Jonathan Elliott senior technical author Terry Bratley technical author Craig Waslin technical author Chris Long technical engineer Alex Whitworth technical illustrator

HELPLINE Sam Donaghy technical engineering manager Duncan McFarlane technical helpline engineer Norman Bradshaw technical helpline engineer Mark Cooper technical helpline engineer Richard Atkins technical standards engineer Mark Barnes-Rider technical helpline engineer Craig Kemp technical helpline engineer Craig Cunningham technical helpline engineer

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T E C HN I CAL

Ask the experts

QU E ST I ON

We continue with our series of answers to some of the more frequently asked questions put to our Technical Helpline Q UE STIO N

Can an Electrical Installation Condition Report be used to ‘certify’ newly installed electrical installation work instead of an Electrical Installation Certificate?

A N SW E R

No. An EIC and an EICR are designed for two different sets of circumstances: • An EIC is used to demonstrate that a new installation, or additions or alterations to an existing installation, comply with the requirements of the edition of BS 7671 current at the time that the work took place and so is suitable to put into service (see Section 641).

• An EICR is used to demonstrate whether (or not) an existing electrical installation remains in a satisfactory condition for continued use (651.1) and, with one notable exception, should only be used for their intended purpose.

Should the absence of smoke alarms in a domestic premises be recorded as an observation and awarded a classification code on an Electrical Installation Condition Report (EICR) for a domestic premises?

Q

No. Although the requirements of BS 7671 are applicable to, for example, the installation of cables supplying control panels or linking detectors, the choice and location of fire detectors is outside the scope of BS 7671. Regulation 110.1.3 lists fire detection and fire alarm systems for buildings (in indent (v)) as an example where reference must also be made to another British or Harmonised Standard.

Best Practice Guide 4 Electrical installation condition reporting: Classification codes for domestic and similar electrical installations, published

by Electrical Safety First, advises that the absence of a fire detection and alarm system (smoke/heat/carbon monoxide detectors etc.) is worthy of note but does not warrant a classification code, and suggests that a comment could be recorded in the observations section of the EICR.

A

Exceptionally, and in England only, Approved Document P (ADP) permits the use of an EICR as one way for a registered third-party certifier* or other suitably competent specialist to declare notifiable work* installed by someone who is not a registered competent person* as complying with the requirements of the edition of BS 7671 current at the time the work took place.

A Building Control Body* may also accept an EICR to ‘certify’ notifiable work that was not notified at the time of its original installation, as part of their regularisation process to allow the issue of Building Regulations certification. * All items marked with an asterisk are terms defined in ADP. Do you have a technical query? Call our helpline on 0333 015 6628

I have just replaced a consumer unit and added several new circuits to an installation in a property that is rented out to private tenants.

I have carried out the necessary inspection and testing on the new work and the existing installation, and issued an Electrical Installation Certificate (EIC).

The landlord has asked me if this EIC will be acceptable to demonstrate that the whole electrical installation in the property is satisfactory for the purposes of the recently issued Electrical Safety Standards in the Private Rented Sector (England) Regulations 2020?

ANSWE R

No. The EIC you have issued can only be used to demonstrate the suitability of the installation work detailed in the ‘Description and extent of the installation’ section of the certificate.

Any such declared installation work, if unmodified, will not then require re-inspection for up to five years, or less if a shorter interval before the next inspection was stated on the EIC (see Regulation 3 paragraphs (1)(b) and (2) of the Electrical Safety Standards in the Private Rented Sector (England) Regulations 2020).

Within part 2 of those regulations (Duties of private landlords): • Regulation 3, paragraph (1) requires a private landlord who grants or intends to grant a specified tenancy to have the electrical installation in the residential premises inspected and tested at regular intervals by a qualified person, to determine whether the relevant electrical safety standards given in BS 7671: 2018 are met during any period when the residential premises are occupied under a specified tenancy.

• Regulation 3, paragraph (3) requires that, following inspection and testing of an electrical installation in the premises required by paragraph (1) described above, a private landlord must obtain a report from the person conducting the inspection and testing.

The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) has

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issued guidance documents aimed variously at landlords, tenants and local authorities. These guides clarify that: • The report will usually be an Electrical Installation Condition Report (EICR), and • Inspectors will use the classification codes prescribed in BS 7671 for use with an EICR in the report to indicate where a landlord must undertake remedial work, advising that: - where the report contains a code C1, C2 or FI, then the landlord must ensure that further investigative or remedial work is carried out by a qualified person within 28 days, or less if specified in the report, and - a C3 classification code does not indicate remedial work is required, only that improvement is recommended.

It is not possible to include this information in an EIC and so it is not suitable to report on an electrical installation subject to the Electrical Safety Standards in the Private Rented Sector (England) Regulations 2020.

(a) no more than five years after the initial certification of the electrical installation or the issue of an EICR where the overall assessment of the installation, in terms of electrical safety and suitability for continued use, is stated as being satisfactory; or (b) where the most recent report under sub-paragraph (3)(a) requires such inspection and testing to be at intervals of less than five years, at the intervals specified in that report.

With reference to Part 7 of those regulations (Duty of manager to supply and maintain gas and electricity) it states, in Regulation 14, that Regulation 6(3) of the Management of Houses in Multiple Occupation (England) Regulations 2006 shall be omitted.

This has the effect that the requirements of the Electrical Safety Standards in the Private Rented Sector (England) Regulations 2020 apply to all private rented tenures (see paragraph 2.3 of the Explanatory Memorandum to the Electrical Safety Standards in the Private rented Sector (England) Regulations 2020).

QUEST IO N

Q UE STIO N

A landlord of properties in England has asked me how long an Electrical Installation Condition Report (EICR) is considered valid after the date of issue. What advice can I offer on this?

A N SW E R

Regulation 3, sub-paragraph (1)(b) of the Electrical Safety Standards in the Private Rented Sector (England) Regulations 2020 states that a private landlord who grants or intends to grant a specified tenancy must ensure that the electrical installation in the residential premises is inspected and tested at regular intervals by a qualified person.

Regulation 3, paragraph (2) clarifies that for the purposes of sub-paragraph (1)(b), “at regular intervals” means:

What classification code would be appropriate where during periodic inspection and testing a measured earth fault loop impedance (Zs) taken at ambient temperature does not exceed the maximum values stated in Chapter 41 of BS 7671 but does however exceed the adjusted value when applying the equation from Appendix 3 of that standard?

I would like some guidance on coding for an Electrical Installation Condition Report (EICR) on a domestic premises regarding downlighters that are not fire-rated and are installed in a ceiling cavity with either a room or a roof space immediately above.

Q

The main concern surrounding penetrations of ceilings in domestic premises is the effect these might have on the structural stability of the structure, rather than on spread of fire.

Many properties are now constructed using engineered timbers, which are heavily reliant on the plasterboard linings to provide them with protection in the event of a fire. Premature collapse can occur when such protection is compromised. This subject is covered in much greater depth in Best Practice Guide 5 Electrical installations and their impact on the fire performance of domestic premises used as single family houses.

Best Practice Guide 4 Electrical installation condition reporting: Classification codes for domestic and similar electrical installations, published by Electrical Safety First, advises that the following observations could indicate potentially dangerous conditions and would warrant a C2 classification: • Unenclosed electrical connections at luminaires.

• Evidence of excessive heat, such as charring to the installation or its surroundings close to downlighters, including structural elements such as joists, purlins and floor boarding.

• Luminaires that are not suitable for such positioning, and additional compensating provisions such as fire hoods or similar have not been installed to shield the luminaire from flammable structural elements.

A

All of the Best Practice Guides may be downloaded free of charge from the Electrical Safety First website.

ANSWE R

It is reasonable to assume that the competent person undertaking the periodic inspection and testing should verify the measured earth fault loop impedance value, Zs(m), satisfies the condition of the formula detailed in Appendix 3 shown below: U × Cmin Zs(m) ≤ 0.8 -----0----------------Ia

Where manufacturer’s data is used, as opposed to the tabulated values given in Chapter 41, the same rationale applies.

Where Zs(m) obtained from the application of the formula does not satisfy the equation, allocation of a C2 classification code would be appropriate.

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T E C HN I CAL

Electrical design considerations for the electrical supply to hot tubs O B JE C TIVE

The onset of unseasonably hot, sunny weather this spring, combined with many more people being at home because of the Covid-19 lockdown, saw an increased demand for the installation of hot tubs and spas in both indoor and outdoor locations.

This brought with it an increase in the number of questions posed about the requirements for the electrical supply to such equipment.

What is a hot tub?

Whirlpool baths and whirlpool spas1, or hot tubs as they more commonly known in the UK, are typically a complete item of electrical equipment. Their construction is covered by an electrical product standard in much the same way that a cooking appliance or fridge-freezer is. They are neither a swimming pool nor a bath intended for bathing for sanitary purposes.

Hot tubs are designed to be supplied via either a factory-fitted plug and a socketoutlet, or a permanent connection to the fixed installation. Hot tubs suitable for indoor and outdoor installation and use are available.

This article considers the requirements for the electrical supply of hot tubs and similar appliances, and does not consider the choice of hot tub or spa pool systems in relation to water regulations or infection control. Guidance

1 The primary difference between a whirlpool bath and a whirlpool spa is that the former is intended to be drained after usage, whereas the latter is not. See definitions given in BS EN 60335-2-60.

on this may be found in the Health and Safety Executive publication HSG282 – The control of legionella and other infectious agents in spapool systems, which may be downloaded free of charge from the HSE website.

Requirements of the product standard The electrical requirements for whirlpool baths and whirlpool spas are given in BS EN 60335-260: 2003+A12: 2010 – Household and similar electrical appliances – Safety: Particular requirements for whirlpool baths and whirlpool spas. Despite the title, this standard is also applicable to similar appliances intended to be used by laymen (that is, ordinary persons as defined in BS 7671) in hotels, fitness centres and similar places (see Clause 1). A note to Clause 1 of BS EN 60335-1:2012+A2:2019 Household and similar electrical appliances – Safety – Part 1: General requirements clarifies that a household environment includes the dwelling and its associated buildings etc., including the garden.

Additionally, BS EN 17125:2018 details safety requirements and test methods applicable to domestic spas, whirlpool spas and hot tubs.

For the most part, BS EN 60335-2-60 relates to the construction of whirlpool baths and whirlpool spas. However, it also contains a number of clauses that have a direct bearing on installation. Furthermore, in many cases it states that the technical intent of these clauses must be included in the installation instructions provided by the manufacturer of an appliance that is covered by the standard.

Table 1 shows the requirements within the standard that are of interest when considering the supply arrangements for a hot tub.

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Table 1. BS EN 60335-2-60 requirements with a bearing on electrical supply arrangements Clause

Requirement

Commentary on BS 7671-related requirements

6.1

Portable appliances to be of Class II or Class III construction.

Stationary appliances to be of Class I, II or III construction.

Class II and Class III equipment does not have nor requires an earth connection to maintain safety.

6.2

In respect of external influences classification, whirlpool baths and whirlpool spas to be rated at least IPX5.

Other appliances shall be rated at least IPX4.

A note to this clause states that parts of appliances intended for mounting outside the room in which the appliance is installed may be rated IPX0.

This aligns with the requirements of Regulation 701.55 for current-using equipment installed in zone 1 of a location containing a bath or shower.

7.12.1

The installation instructions to state the substance of the following: • Parts containing live parts, except parts supplied with safety extra-low voltage not exceeding 12 V, must be inaccessible to a person in the bath or tub; • Earthed appliances must be connected permanently to fixed wiring; • Parts incorporating electrical components, except remote control devices, must be located or fixed so that they cannot fall into the bath or tub; • The appliance should be supplied through a residual current device (RCD) having a rated residual operating current not exceeding 30 mA.

This aligns with the requirement of Regulation 701.411.3.3 in respect of additional protection by RCD. In some cases, such RCD protection may be integral to the product. Even where this is the case, the requirements of BS 7671 for additional protection of the circuit supplying the appliance must still be met.

• The installation instructions to give details on how to follow the wiring rules – for example, specifying that parts are installed in the correct zone and that equipotential bonding is carried out.

For indoor installations, a hot tub should be installed in accordance with the relevant requirements of Section 701 of BS 7671 in respect of the zoning dimensions given therein. Similarly, a hot tub installed near a swimming pool or other basin should be installed in compliance with the relevant requirements of Section 702 in respect of its specific zoning dimensions.

24.102

Class III appliances shall be provided with a safety isolating transformer classified as at least IPX4.

25.1

Class I appliances to only be provided with means for permanent connection to fixed wiring.

27.2

Class I appliances to be provided with a terminal for the connection of external equipotential bonding conductors.

As such, it can be seen that Class I appliances may only be permanently connected and not supplied via a plug and socket-outlet arrangement (see also clause 7.12.1).

Electrical supplies for hot tubs

arrangement, and the rated current does not exceed 32 A, this is a specific requirement of Regulation 411.3.3.

Where the above is not the case, it should be noted that Regulation 415.1.1 states that the use of RCDs having a rated residual operating current not exceeding 30 mA is recognised as providing additional protection in the event of failure of the provision for basic and/or fault protection and for carelessness of users. Such additional protection is specified in a number of sections within Part 7 of BS 7671 where an electrical supply is taken to circuits serving equipment installed outdoors and as such it is logical for such protection to be provided for hot tubs so located.

General requirements Any supply arrangement used to supply a hot tub must be suitable for the environment in which it is installed.

A hot tub may be designed to take a supply from either a socket-outlet circuit or from a dedicated final circuit. In either case, the general requirements of BS 7671 apply to the installation of the supply arrangement.

In all cases, additional protection must be provided by an RCD having a rated residual operating current not exceeding 30 mA. Where the appliance is supplied via a socketoutlet, or where installed outdoors by any other 39 AU T U MN 2 02 0

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T E C HN I CAL

It should be noted that Appendix 15 of BS 7671 advises that a dedicated radial final circuit should be provided for appliances that have a rated power exceeding 2 kW (8.7 A at 230 V).

In either case, the instructions for connection provided by the manufacturer should be taken into consideration.

The use of a factory-fitted in-line RCD is recommended for the plug and socket arrangements.

Where installed outdoors, any equipment such as a socket-outlet or isolator and any associated enclosures should provide a degree of protection of at least IPX5 in order to protect against water jets that might be encountered when filling and/ or cleaning the hot tub.

Minimum recommended distances between hot tub and point of supply (isolator or socketoutlet) vary between manufacturers, but any specific requirement of BS 7671, such as those applicable for a location containing a bath or shower, must be met in all cases.

Hot tubs supplied by a dedicated final circuit Some hot tubs designed for multiple occupants or with additional features – in particular swim spas, in which pumps are installed to provide a ‘tide’ to swim against – can have a current demand significantly higher than that which can be supplied via a conventional socket-outlet circuit arrangement, such as those described in Appendix 15 of BS 7671. Some such products have a single-phase rating of up to 40 A. Where current demand rules out supply via a socket-outlet circuit, a dedicated final circuit must be provided that meets all applicable general requirements of BS 7671. These will not be discussed in detail in this article, as such factors must always be taken into consideration when designing any circuit.

There is no specific requirement in BS 7671 for a means of isolation or switching off for mechanical maintenance to be provided at the ‘load’ end of a circuit for the supply of an appliance covered by a product standard, as both functions may be provided by the protective device at the origin of the final circuit. However, many manufacturers will require such means to be fitted for the safety and convenience of those installing the hot tub and making the final electrical connection.

Hot tubs supplied by a socket-outlet Appliances designed to be supplied from a socket-outlet will have a current demand that is sufficiently low to permit such means of connection, and may additionally be of a type that is suitable for temporary use and can be dismantled or deflated for storage when not required for use.

In the case of ring final circuits specifically, Regulation 433.1.204 states that the requirements for co-ordination between live conductors and protective device are deemed to be met where the current-carrying capacity (IZ) of the conductors is not less than 20 A and the load current in any part of the circuit, such as an appliance connected to an individual socket-outlet on a more or less permanent basis, is unlikely to exceed this current for extended periods of time.

Hot tubs are available, often marketed as ‘13 A plug and play’ hot tubs, for which a supply could be taken from a socket-outlet forming part of a ring final circuit or suitably rated radial socket-outlet circuit, whether pre-existing where suitably located or installed specifically for that purpose.

Fig 2 In-line RCD

Fig 1 Weatherproof isolating switch

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As is the case whenever there is intention to introduce a significant increase in current demand, an assessment of the suitability of the host electrical installation’s existing electrical supply capacity should be carried out. Where necessary, arrangements should be made with the relevant service provider to have the supply suitably upgraded.

Fig 3 Socket-outlet suitable for use outdoors when lid is closed

Hot tubs installed indoors In addition to the general requirements, where a hot tub is installed indoors, regardless of whether or not it is within a location already containing a bath or shower, any relevant requirements of Section 701 of BS 7671 in respect of the zoning dimensions given therein must be met.

It could be argued that hot tubs and spas installed indoors fall under indent (iv) of Regulation 701.55 (current-using equipment), which refers to ‘whirlpool units’.

it is clear that hot tubs fall outside of the scope of Section 702 of BS 7671 (see Regulation 702.11). So unless, as stated previously in this article, a hot tub outdoors is installed within the zones of a swimming pool, only the general rules of that standard are applicable.

Hot tubs installed in a location containing a swimming pool Spa pools are often installed in locations that also contain a swimming pool. Where this is the case, they should be suitable for such a location and installed in accordance with any applicable requirements of Section 702 with respect to the zoning dimensions falling within the scope of that section.

Summary Any likely increased risk of electric shock associated with the use of a hot tub should have been mitigated in the product design and hence the product standard. A hot tub, like any other electrical appliance, should be designed to be safe when installed and maintained in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions.

Any applicable general requirements of BS 7671 should be applied to the supply arrangements for hot tubs and spa baths.

Where installed within a premises, the relevant requirements of Section 701 for locations containing a bath or shower should also be met regardless of whether or not such a location also contains facilities for sanitary/hygiene reasons.

Although not falling within the scope of Section 702 specifically, where a hot tub is installed in a location containing a swimming pool, any relevant requirements of Section 702 in respect of the zoning dimensions therein should be met.

Neither the Electricity Safety, Quality and Continuity Regulations, ENA Engineering Recommendation G12/4 nor BS 7671 places any restrictions on taking a supply for a hot tub from an installation forming part of a TN-C-S (PME) system.

In all cases, additional protection by RCD having a rated residual operating current not exceeding 30 mA must be provided for the circuit supplying the hot tub.

Hot tubs installed outdoors Hot tubs are often installed outdoors, for example in the garden and on the patio of a premises. Where this is the case, they should be installed in accordance with any applicable requirements of the general rules of BS 7671, in particular the requirements for additional protection.

Hot tubs and TN-C-S Supplies The NICEIC Technical Helpline is often asked whether a hot tub installed outdoors may be supplied from a circuit taken from an installation forming part of a TN-C-S system, often referred to as a PME Supply.

Neither the Electricity Safety, Quality and Continuity Regulations nor the guidance given in Engineering Recommendation G12/4 – Requirements for the Application of Protective Multiple Earthing to Low Voltage Networks, published by the Energy Networks Association, places any restrictions in respect of the connection of a hot tub to a PME supply.

G12/4 does offer several alternatives in respect of the connection of a swimming pool to a PME supply and it is sometimes suggested, erroneously, that hot tubs should be treated in the same manner as a swimming pool. However, 43 AU T U MN 2 02 0

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T E C HN I CAL

connected components are connected ‘across’ the supply, whilst series connected components are connected ‘in line’ or series with the supply.

Only purely resistive loads will be considered; the effects of reactance may be discussed in a future article.

It would be useful if the Site Guide produced by Certsure was to hand when reading this article.

Apprentice Corner

Parallel connected resistors Resistors are said to be connected together in parallel when both of their terminals are respectively connected to each terminal of the other resistor(s), as shown in Fig 1.

Unlike a series circuit, the circuit current in a parallel network can take more than one path.

Since there are multiple paths for the supply current to flow through, the current may not be the same through all the branches in the parallel network, and therefore can be classified as being a current divider – much like a series circuit could be described as being a voltage divider. The comparison between the two types of circuits is shown in Fig 2.

In Fig 2b, a shunt resistor is a component that is specifically designed to provide an alternative path for a portion of the circuit current, by having a very low resistance.

Although parallel and series circuits differ from one another, as shown by Fig 2, the equations of Ohm’s law equally apply to both types of circuit.

The total resistance for a parallel circuit cannot be found by adding together the resistances, as is the case for a series circuit; a different approach is required.

Considering Fig 1 in terms of current flow: ITotal = I1 + I2 + I3 From Ohm’s law, the current drawn from the supply is: U I= Rt

Resistance Part 4 Parallel connected circuits The aim of Apprentice Corner in this issue of Connections is to consider how voltage, current and power are affected by parallel connected loads. This will be complemented using an example, a scenario and a number of multiplechoice questions.

Introduction This is the final part of the series looking into resistance and connected loads. Those that have been following the series will have learnt that the resistance of a material is dependent upon: • The material it is made out of (resistivity ρ) (Issue 211), • its length (m), • its cross-sectional area (m2), and • the surrounding temperature, which is typically referred to as ambient temperature (t °C) (Issue 213) It is useful to remember that current flow in a series connected circuit is constant and the same throughout, but the supply voltage is divided across each connected load in relation to its ohmic value. The larger the resistance, the greater the voltage drop (Issue 214).

It is also important that the correct terminology is used when dealing with connected loads. Parallel

Fig 2 Comparison of a series and parallel circuit

R1

Fig 1 Resistors connected in parallel

Input voltage (Uin)

I

IT

R2

I1 12 V

IS

R1

I2 R2

I3

Output voltage (Uo)

Rshunt

A IM

R3

a) Voltage divides across R1 and R2

b) Current divides between the shunt resistor and the current through the ammeter

44 AU T U MN 2 02 0

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U wherever it occurs gives: R U U U U RT = R1 + R2 + R3

Substituting I for

Fig 3 Parallel circuit for Example 2

I1

Cancelling out U because the voltage is constant: 10 A

/ 1 U/ 1 U/ 1 U /1 1 1 1 1 1 U = + + gives R = R + R + R ... + R RT R1 R2 R3 T 1 2 3 n

Normally, when calculating total resistance of resistors in parallel, it is easiest to use the reciprocal key on your calculator, which is typically denoted as 1 or x-1. x Another way of determining the total resistance of a parallel circuit would be to use the product over the sum rule:

I2

R2 = 4 Ω

U

manner in which the circuit is configured will have no effect on the solution process. The power formulas identified in Issue 214 are used whether the circuit(s) are series or parallel connected.

The power consumed by each resistor in a parallel network can be found by one of three methods: Method 1, using the branch current and the resistance: P1 = I12 × R1 Method 2, using the branch current and the voltage dropped across a resistor: P1 = U × I1 Method 3, using the voltage dropped across a resistor and the resistance:

R ×R RT = R1 + R2 1

R1 = 6 Ω

2

However, the formula shown above only works best when there are two resistors in parallel. Where there are more resistors connected in parallel a variant on this formula can be used, but it becomes unwieldy.

Note: The combined resistance for a parallel circuit is always less than the lowest value connected, as shown by the following example.

Also, remember that the reciprocal key must be pressed after the = key in order to get the right answer.

P1 =

Example 1

U2 R1

It is easiest to determine the branch currents first, and this can be achieved using the current divider rule:

Resistors of 3 Ω, 5 Ω and 8 Ω are connected in parallel. What is their combined resistance?

1 1 1 1 1 1 1 = + + = + + RT R1 R2 R3 3 5 8

4 R I1 = I × R +2R = 10 × 4 + 6 = 4 A 1 2

1 RT = 0.3333 + 0.2 + 0.1250 = 0.6583

R 6 I2 = I × R +2R = 10 × =6A 4+6 1 2 Source voltage U = I × R and because it is a parallel circuit having a constant voltage, either branch current and its resistance can be used.

U = I1 × R1 = 4 × 6 = 24 V Power consumed by each branch load: P1 = I12 × R1 = 42 × 6 = 96 W P2 = I22 × R1 = 62 × 4 = 144 W

1 1 = = 1.52 Ω RT 0.6583 In a parallel circuit, since the voltage is constant, the current through each branch is dependent upon the value of resistor in that branch and can be found using the current divider rule: R I1 = I × R +2R 1 2

This can be verified by checking against the power developed at the source: P = U × I = 24 × 10 = 240 W (96 + 144)

Example 2 Consider the circuit of Fig 3, which shows two loads connected in parallel. What is the current in each branch, what is the source voltage and what is the power consumed or absorbed by each load?

Note: Power is a measure of the rate of work, and since power consumed by each load must equal the total power applied by the source(s) (as per the Law of Conservation of Energy), the

Scenario During a periodic inspection on a farm, you notice that a 11.96 kW heater has replaced an old unit that was supplied by a 4 mm2 steel-wired armoured cable. Instead of replacing the 4 mm2 cable for one with a larger cross-sectional area to suit the new 45 AU T U MN 2 02 0

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load current requirements, a separate 1.5 mm2 armoured cable has been added and connected in parallel, as permitted by Regulation 433.4.2.

The heater and its control gear are 30 m from the intake position.

The 4 mm2 and 1.5 mm2 cables are protected by overcurrent protective devices to BS 88-3, rated at 32 A and 20 A respectively. The arrangement is shown in Fig 4. Is this design acceptable?

To determine if this existing heater circuit arrangement is acceptable, the design current in each parallel connected cable must be known. This arrangement can be simply modelled by a seriesparallel network, which is shown in Fig 5.

The circuit current can be found from:

Design current in the 4.0 mm2 cable: R1.5 I4.0 = Ib × R + R 4.0 1.5 0.726 I4.0 = 52 × = 37.654 A 0.2766 + 0.726 Design current in the 1.5 mm2 cable is 52 – 37.654 = 14.35 A Another option is to use the equation given in Appendix 10 of BS 7671.

For parallel conductors up to and including 120 mm2 cross-sectional area, the design current Ibk for conductor k is given by: S Ibk = Ib × S +k S 1 2

P 11.96 × 103 I = U = 230 = 52 A

Where: S1, S2 are the csa of the conductors, and Sk is the csa of conductor k

From Table 4D4A, the tabulated current carrying capacity of the 4 mm2 and 1.5 mm2 cables, installed to reference method C (clipped direct) are 38 A and 21 A respectively. At first glance this appears to meet the loading requirements if the current is divided between the two branches as expected.

There are two methods that can be used to determine the current in each branch cable. One method is to use the current divider rule along with the cable resistance. To do that will require using Table A1 of Appendix C in the Site Guide to find the resistance of the 4.0 mm2 and 1.5 mm2 cables over the length of run of 30 m.

This gives resistance values of: R4.0 = 0.2766 Ω and R1.5 = 0.726 Ω

Current in the 4.0 mm2 cable: 4.0 Ibk = 52 × 4.0 + 1.5 = 37.82 A Current in the 1.5 mm2 cable is 52 – 37.82 = 14.18 A Both methods show that the current in the 4.0 mm2 cable exceeds the rating of the protective device and therefore indicates non-compliance with Regulation 433.1. Furthermore, the 32 A protective device would be able to withstand this small overload for a considerable period of time.

To appreciate why this is the case, refer to Fig 3A3(a) in BS 7671. Notice that a current of nearly 40 A does not intersect at any point on the characteristic curve for the 32 A protective device.

Given that the maximum time on the vertical axis is 10 000 seconds (nearly three hours), it follows therefore that this small overload will be carried by the protective device and cable for a long period of time, probably indefinitely.

This arrangement is not acceptable and appropriate comments would be added to the Electrical Installation Condition Report.

This series on resistance will have shown that having knowledge of how currents and voltages behave in series and parallel resistor networks, provides the tools to solve real life problems.

Fig 4 Heater supplied by two cables connected in parallel

4 mm2 1.5 mm2 Heater unit 30 m 11.96 kW 230 V

Fig 5 Series-parallel arrangement of the heater

32 A R4.0

Multiple-choice questions 1. The element that is constant in a parallel circuit is: a) Current c) Resistance b) Voltage d) Power

52 A R1.5 Supply

20 A

Load

2. Three cables, having resistances of 0.04 , 0.06 and 0.08 respectively, are connected in parallel to carry a total load 46 AU T U MN 2 02 0

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current of 160 A. What is the current carried by the cable having a resistance of 0.08 ?

Give your answer to two significant figures. a) 71 A c) 60 A b) 53 A d) 37 A

Meet the assessor / Mark Essam When did you first become an assessor for NICEIC? June 2015.

3. The combined resistance of the circuit of MC1 is:

How has the job changed in that time?

The biggest change since I started is going completely paperless which, as long as everything works or I understand how it works, has helped amazingly.

10 Ω 2.5 Ω

7.5 Ω

Fig MC 1

a) 6.8 Ω b) 20 Ω

c) 2.7 Ω d) 1.6 Ω

4. The combined resistance of the circuit of MC2 is 93.75 . The value of resistor R is: 50 Ω 75 Ω

R

Fig MC 2

a) 27.25 Ω b) 18.75 Ω

c) 30 Ω d) 125 Ω

Mark Essam Northamptonshire, Leicestershire, Bedfordshire, Warwickshire and Buckingham NICEIC and ELECSA employ 80 field team staff to assess contractors’ work and provide up-to-date technical advice. To many of you they will be the face of NICEIC and ELECSA that you see regularly. Here we turn the tables and put them in the spotlight

5. The circuit arrangement of Fig 2(b) shows an ammeter having a shunt resistor connected in parallel with it. If the ammeter requires 50 mA to give full scale deflection and has an internal resistance of 20 , what value of shunt resistor will be required if the ammeter is to be used to measure a current of between 0 and 5 A? a) 0.202 Ω c) 20 Ω b) 20 kΩ d) 2.0 Ω

If you could have a superpower, what would it be?

Healing the sick.

If you had a day off tomorrow, what would you do?

Take my family to a family-fun Volkswagen event.

R2 = ?

Favourite book, film and TV programme?

Film: Sahara TV programme: American Pickers Book: I don’t get much time to read, but the last book I read was called The Cross and the Switchblade. It was about American gangs and was hard to put down.

R3 = 1 Ω

I

What’s the strangest request you have had?

If I knew the effect of Brexit on electricians!

What are your interests outside of work?

God, family and old Volkswagens.

R1 = ?

1V

What’s the strangest thing you have come across on an assessment during your time with NICEIC? I was on an assessment with an ELECSA contractor and his client had stuffed animals, including lions, a baby giraffe and a fully grown giraffe’s head and neck coming out of the ceiling and looping down the corridor.

What interesting jobs have some of your contractors being involved with?

I got taken to an old rectory in the middle of nowhere.

The company I was visiting had come up with a system to stop vermin attacking the wiring, because the problem was that bad. It involved flexible metal conduit being buried in the floor voids.

6. What is the value of resistor R2 in the circuit of Fig MC3? Hint: This problem is best solved by considering the total power consumed by the circuit which is given by: Pt = PR1 + Pparallel Note: This is a challenging question and is particularly aimed at apprentices in their final year of study. If you managed to solve it, well done indeed.

1A

What are some of the biggest changes within the industry that you have come across in that time?

Most recently the increased use of surge protection, but generally the increased reliance on RCD protection instead of earthing.

9W

Fig MC 3

a) 3 Ω b) 2 Ω

c) 9 Ω d) 8 Ω

What’s the best bit of advice you would give to electrical contractors?

If in doubt, seek advice and do the job properly.

49 AU T U MN 2 02 0

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Using metal conduit and/ or trunking as a circuit protective conductor O B JE C TIVE

The purpose of this article is to remind contractors that rigid metallic conduit and trunking may only be used as a circuit protective conductor (cpc) where all the relevant safety requirements of BS 7671 relating to such use have been satisfied.

and to verify compliance with the relevant requirements of BS 7671. As the temperature change of the steel containment system under even the highest of fault conditions is negligible, this need not be taken into account during the selection process generally.

In particular, the requirements of indents (i) and (ii) to Regulation 543.2.2 should be satisfied.

That is: • Electrical continuity should be assured either by construction or by suitable connection, and • The cross-sectional area (csa) of the conduit and/or trunking should comply with Regulation 543.1 (543.2.2).

The cross-sectional area of protective conductors, other than bonding conductors, may be determined by: • calculation, in which case the requirements of Regulation 543.1.3 apply, or • selection in accordance with Regulation 543.1.4 (543.1.1).

Introduction Although its use as such is not now as commonplace, a correctly installed rigid wiring support system constructed from metallic conduit and trunking almost invariably has sufficient cross-sectional area to be used as the sole circuit protective conductor (cpc) for one or more circuits installed within.

In some circumstances, it may be beneficial for the designer to use steel trunking, and in particular steel conduit, as the cpc, rather than installing separate cpcs. For example, using the containment system as a cpc may allow more circuits to be accommodated. It may also in some cases permit the use of a smaller diameter conduit or trunking. However, in such circumstances careful consideration must be given to grouping factors, although these are not discussed in this article.

Where steel conduit or trunking is to be used as the cpc, it is the responsibility of the designer to assess fully the risks of such use

Determining minimum size of a cpc by selection is more straightforward than using calculation.

However, where the cross-sectional area of the line conductors has been determined by considerations of short-circuit current, and if the earth fault current is expected to be less than the short-circuit current, the cross-sectional area of the associated cpc must be determined by calculation (543.1.1). As a result, this article contains examples of the use of both methods.

Determining minimum cross-sectional area by calculation (543.1.3) The minimum permissible cross-sectional area may be calculated using the formula: 50 AU T U MN 2 02 0

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S=

√I2t k

2.) Determine disconnection time provided by the fault current calculated in 1.)

Referring to Fig 3A3(a) in Appendix 3 of BS 7671, it can be seen that a current of 154.964 A will cause operation of a 20 A BS 88-2 type E fuse within 0.2 sec.

Where: S is the nominal cross-sectional area of the conductor (mm²) I is the value of fault current for a fault of negligible impedance, which can flow through the associated protective device, taking account of the current limiting effect of circuit impedances and the limiting capability (I²) of the protective device (A) t is the operating time of the protective device corresponding to the fault current (I) (seconds) k is a factor taking account of the resistivity, temperature co-efficient and heat capacity of the conductor material and appropriate initial and final temperatures.

3.) Determine the minimum permissible crosssectional area for a steel conduit to be used as a protective conductor.

Using the equation given in Regulation 543.1.3: √I2t k

S≥

√154.9642 × 0.2 47*

S ≥ 1.475 mm2 * k is obtained from Table 54.5 (thermoplastic 70° C PVC insulated copper conductors in steel conduit) When the operating time t determined for a particular protective device is less than 0.1 second, an appropriate value for I²t obtained from the protective device manufacturer may be used in the equation above in place of the separate values for I² and t in order to obtain a more accurate solution. However, in most cases the degree of accuracy obtained by calculation using separate values will suffice.

Where the minimum acceptable crosssectional area of a steel conduit or trunking to be used as the protective conductor for more than one circuit contained within is to be calculated, the highest individual fault current and associated disconnection time should be used in the equation given in 543.1.3, reproduced above (543.1.2).

Example The design of an installation calls for a particular section of heavy gauge solid steel conduit run on the surface of a concrete wall to contain three single-phase circuits. Each circuit is to be wired using 2.5 mm² single-core 70°C thermoplastic insulated copper conductors protected by a 20 A BS 88-2 type E fuse. Each circuit has an earth fault loop impedance of 1.41 Ω.

Determining minimum cross-sectional area by selection (543.1.4) As an alternative to the calculation given in Regulation 543.1.3, the minimum permissible cross-sectional area of a protective conductor may be determined using the criteria given in Table 54.7 of BS 7671 (543.1.4).

The material of the protective conductor (steel) is different to that of the associated live conductors (copper). As a result, the formula given in column 3 of Table 54.7 appropriate to the cross-sectional area of the associated live conductors must be used for the selection process.

The cross-sectional area of the largest line conductor of the circuits to be contained should be used in the formula when selecting the minimum acceptable cross-sectional area of a steel conduit or trunking to be used as the protective conductor for more than one circuit contained within (543.1.2).

1.) Determine the fault current (I) for a single circuit.

U ×C I = 0 Z min s

I=

S≥

230 × 0.95 1.41

I = 154.964 A Where: is the minimum voltage factor to take Cmin account of voltage variation depending on time and place, changing over transformer tap settings etc.

Where a low voltage supply in accordance with the Electricity Safety, Quality and Continuity Regulations is employed, Cmin is taken to be 0.95.

Example Using the same installation criteria given in the example calculation above, determine the 51 AU T U MN 2 02 0

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minimum permissible cross-sectional area for a steel conduit to act as the protective conductor.

All circuits to be contained within the conduit have a cross-sectional area of 1.5 mm². As this is less than 16 mm², the following formula is selected from column 3 of Table 54.7 to determine the minimum permissible crosssectional area for a steel conduit to be used as a protective conductor:

Fig 1 Isolated section of conduit not requiring earthing Catenary wire ELV Cable

Suspended ceiling

k1 S(protective conductor) ≥ k × S 2

115 S(protective conductor) ≥ 47 × 1.5

Isolated conduit

S(protective conductor) ≥ 3.67 mm² Where: S is the csa of the largest line conductor contained within the conduit k1 is obtained from Table 43.1 (thermoplastic 70°C PVC insulated copper conductors of csa ≤ 300 mm²) k2 is obtained from Table 54.5 (thermoplastic 70°C PVC insulated copper conductors in steel conduit).

Class II enclosure

Verification of compliance of design

as shown in Fig 1, may not require earthing as an exposed-conductive-part. A typical example may include extra-low voltage control wiring.

A circuit protective conductor (cpc) must be run to and terminated at each point in wiring and each accessory (411.3.1.1). This is provided by the electrically continuous conduit/trunking system when installed correctly.

The facility to permit connection of other protective conductors must be provided at every predetermined point of connection in the conduit/trunking system, such as conduit and accessory boxes (543.2.2 indent (iii)).

Where an item of Class I equipment (which requires a connection of its exposedconductive-parts to the cpc for fault protection) is installed, a separate protective conductor – often referred to colloquially as a ‘fly lead’ – must be installed between the earthing terminals of the equipment and the earthed wiring system (543.2.7) (see Fig 2).

Where a flexible or pliable conduit forms part of the wiring system, such as for the connection of an item of machinery, it must not be used as a protective conductor (Regulation 543.2.3 refers).

Regardless of whether the minimum permissible cross-sectional area for a steel conduit or trunking to be used as a protective conductor was determined by calculation or selection, it will be necessary to refer to either the manufacturer’s data or suitable published guidance to determine adequacy.

From Table D5 of IET Guidance Note 1 Selection and Erection, 20 mm diameter heavy gauge steel conduit has a cross-sectional area of 83.1 mm2. It can be seen therefore that compliance with Regulation 543.1.1 is achieved easily in both cases.

In practice, for circuits of current rating not exceeding 100 A, a steel conduit and/or trunking system will almost invariably have sufficient cross-sectional area to be used as a protective conductor for the circuits they contain.

Exposed-conductive-part Where fault protection is provided by Automatic Disconnection of Supply (ADS), as would generally be the case, all exposed-conductiveparts of the installation must be connected to the same earthing system (411.3.1.1). Therefore, regardless of whether metal conduit and/ or trunking is, or is not, used as a protective conductor, it should provide reliable electrical continuity and be effectively and permanently connected to the Main Earthing Terminal (MET).

It should be recognised that in some circumstances a short length of isolated conduit,

Electrical continuity Every joint in a metallic conduit/trunking system should be electrically and mechanically continuous (543.3.6).

Therefore, plain slip or pin-grip connection sockets should not be used for conduit (see clause 6.8 of BS 7430: 2015) and all conduit 52 AU T U MN 2 02 0

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coupler on a galvanised conduit installed outdoors, a suitable protective coating, such as galvanised paint, should be applied to prevent oxidisation (rusting).

Where an installation comprises a mixture of metallic and non-metallic enclosures, additional precautions should be carried out to ensure earth continuity is maintained.

Fig 2 Provision of protective conductor connection via a ‘fly-lead’ to the terminal in the back of the accessory box Through box

Protection against external influences

Metal conduit Earthing terminal

Protective conductor (flylead)

External influences can vary and are dependent upon the environmental conditions at the point of installation. A metallic wiring system may be installed internally, installed externally, surface mounted or buried. For these reasons, all component parts should comply with appropriate products, and be selected and installed in a way that takes account of manufacturers’ instructions and product details as appropriate to their point of installation (521.6 and 134.1.1).

Summary Irrespective of whether a cpc is formed by a conduit or by any other means permitted by Regulation 543.2.1, it is the responsibility of the installation designer to confirm that all the relevant requirements of BS 7671 are met.

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fittings, such as bushes, couplers and lock-nuts, should be sufficiently tight.

In addition, where conduit enters an enclosure, all insulating material, such as paint or similar, should be removed so that a low resistance connection can be maintained. Where paint or other protective coating is deliberately removed from an enclosure to maintain continuity, or removed inadvertently during the process of cutting to length, threading or similar, appropriate measures should be taken to prevent corrosion.

For example, where the protective coating is removed for the fabrication of a running

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T E C HN I CAL

Conduit sizing O B JE C TIVE

This article looks at methods that may be used to determine an appropriate diameter of conduit for the installation of conductors, taking account of the number of conductors to be installed and the most onerous section of the conduit system into which they will be drawn.

Introduction Regulation 522.8.1 requires that wiring systems shall be selected and erected to avoid damage to the cables and their terminations during installation, use or maintenance. BS 7671 does not provide guidance on the methods that can be used to comply with this regulation.

When considering conduit, there are, however, two accepted methods for determining the diameter of the conduit to be used: • The unit system method, and • The space factor method.

pulled into the particular conduit configuration without the use of undue force. The major advantage of this method is that it takes into account both the distance between drawing-in points and the number of bends in the conduit, both of which will impact the effort required to draw the cables into the conduit.

This method involves the designer using standard tables to obtain factors for both conduit and conductors and ensuring that, for the particular conduit installation, the conduit factor is larger than or equal to the sum of the factors for the cables to be installed.

For short, straight runs of conduit, the friction between cable and conduit is less than for longer runs or for runs containing bends. As a result, separate tables are used for conduits arranged in: • straight runs not exceeding 3 m in length, or • straight runs exceeding 3 m in length, or runs of any length incorporating bends or sets.

In the examples shown in this article, use is made of data given in the tables listed in Appendix A of IET Guidance Note 1 (GN1) and Appendix E of the IET On-site Guide (OSG). Reference to one of these publications may aid the reader when working through the calculations.

Example 1

Rather than using one of these generally accepted methods to determine the diameter of the conduit required for a particular installation, there is a tendency amongst some electrical contractors to select the conduit size based on previous experience. All too often this results in an installation where it is overly difficult to draw the cables into the conduit, increasing the likelihood of damage to the cables.

Four 4 mm2 single-core PVC conductors are to be drawn into a 3 m length of conduit with no bends. Using the per unit method, determine the minimum size conduit that should be used.

Answer 1 From Table A1 of GN1 or Table E1 of the OSG: For 4 mm² conductors the factor is 58.

So, for 4 x 4mm2 conductors the total cable factor is 4 x 58 = 232 From Table A2 of GN1 or Table E2 of the OSG: For a straight 3 m length the smallest conduit with a factor equal or larger than 232 is 16 mm, which has a conduit factor of 290.

Method 1: The use of conduit and cable factors (unit system method) This method for sizing conduit is based on a methodology stemming from practical tests aimed at ensuring that single-core cables can be 56 AU T U MN 2 02 0

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Example 2 Four 4 mm2 single core PVC conductors are to be drawn into the conduit system shown in Fig 1.

Using the per unit method, determine the size of conduit that should be used.

Note: a double set can be treated as being equivalent to a single right angle bend.

Answer 2 From Table A3 of GN1 or Table E3 of the OSG: For 4 mm² conductors the factor is 43.

So, for 4 x 4mm2 conductors the total cable factor is 4 x 43 = 172 From Table A4 of GN1 or Table E4 of the OSG: For section 1, having one bend and one double set (effectively a conduit run having two right angle bends) in 7 m, the smallest conduit with a factor equal or larger than 172 is 25mm, having a conduit factor of 311.

For section 2 (with three bends in 5 m) the smallest conduit with a factor equal or larger than 172 is 25 mm, having a conduit factor = 260.

Consequently, for the proposed system, the smallest size conduit that should be used in either section is 25 mm.

It should be noted that the position of the drawing-in points may impact the size of conduit used. Altering the location of the drawing-in point or adding an extra drawing-in point may provide the designer with the option of reducing the size of conduit used.

Comparing the answers obtained in examples 1 and 2 illustrates that, for a short straight run, a conduit with a smaller diameter may be used due to the friction between conduit and cable being less than that for the longer, more complex shape.

Fig 1 Conduit system arrangement for Example 2 Section 2 Total length of 5 m with 3 x bends

Section 1 Total length of 7 m with 1 x bend and 1 x double set

Drawing in point (through-box)

Where a conduit contains cables of the same size, the minimum internal diameter of the conduit is given by: n × d2 Minimum Internal Diameter = ද0.35 Where n = number of cables in conduit d = diameter of the cables in the conduit (including insulation) 0.35 = conduit space factor Fig 2 Usable space within a conduit (bearing in mind the non-uniform arrangement of installed cables)

Conduit end Red shaded area represents the maximum proportion of conductors within the conduit, i.e. 35 %

Method 2: The use of a space factor A space factor may be used as an alternative approach for determining the minimum size of conduit for those types not covered by the tables in Appendix A of GN1 and Appendix E of the OSG. The current editions of GN1 and OSG recommend that the area occupied by the cables should not be more than 35% of the internal area of the conduit (see Fig 2).

Previous editions recommended a space factor of 45%, but the application of this figure led to situations where problems were encountered whilst drawing cables into conduit, so the space factor was reduced.

In order to use this method, the following information is required: • The overall diameter of the cable, including its insulation, and • The internal diameter of commonly available sizes of conduit.

Example Minimum conduit size of 25 mm with a wall thickness of 1.5 mm has an internal diameter (ID) of = 23.5 mm; Therefore Using πR2 = 3.142 x 11.75 x 11.75 = 433.79 mm2 or 4.33 cm2 35% equates to = 35/100 x 433.79 = 151.82 mm2 or 1.51 cm2

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Apprentice Corner answers Where the conduit contains cables of different sizes, the minimum internal diameter of the conduit is given by: Minimum Internal Diameter = n1 × d12 + n2 × d22 + etc.

0.35 Where d1 and n1 are the diameter and number of the first set of cables and d2 and n2 are the diameter and number of the second set of cables.

Remember to use the reciprocal key on your calculator which is typically 1 or x -1, and to press the reciprocal key once more after the = key in x order to get the right answer. The method shown below is just one way of solving the problems; other solution methods are equally permissible.

1.

2. Correct option is (d)

Total resistance: 1 = 1 + 1 + 1 = 0.04-1 + 0.06-1 + 0.08-1 = 54.1667 RT R1 R2 R3

Example 3 Determine the minimum size steel conduit that will accommodate four 4.0 mm2 single-core cables with an overall diameter of 4.8 mm and two 2.5 mm2 single-core cables with an overall diameter of 4.2 mm. It can be assumed that the conduit used has a nominal wall thickness of 1.6 mm.

Correct option is (b) Current is constant in a series circuit.

RT = 54.1667-1 = 0.0185 Ω Voltage drop: U = I × RT = 160 × 0.0185 = 2.96 V 2.96 U Current flow in 0.08 Ω cable: I = R = 0.08 = 37 A 0.08

3. Correct option is (a) RT =

Answer 3 Using the formula for the minimum internal diameter of the conduit:

4. Correct option is (c) Resistance of parallel branch: Rp = 93.75 – 75 = 18.75 Ω

4 × 4.82 + 2 × 4.22 = 19.07 mm 0.35 Taking the nominal wall thickness of the conduit as 1.6 mm would give a minimum internal diameter of 19.1 + 3.2 = 22.3 mm.

Therefore the minimum standard size of conduit that complies with the 35 % space factor is 25 mm.

Using 1 = 1 + 1 Rt R50 R 1 = 1 – 1 R Rt R50 Resistance of R: 18.75-1 – 50-1 = 0.03333 ∴ R = 0.03333-1 = 30 Ω

5. Correct option is (a) Current giving full scale deflection of the ammeter is 50 mA (Im) Resistance of the ammeter 20 Ω (Rm) Circuit current to be measured 5 A (I)

Summary When conduit is used it is necessary to determine the maximum number of cables that can be drawn in to ensure there is sufficient free space remaining to prevent overheating.

There are two methods of achieving this aim; one uses the unit system method, which relies on using cable factor tables, the second involves verifying that the area occupied by the cables does not exceed 35% of the internal area of the conduit.

R1 × R2 + R = 10 × 7.5 + 2.5 ≈ 6.8 Ω R1 + R2 3 10 + 7.5

-3 I ×R Shunt resistor: Rs = mI – I m = 50 × 10 × 20 = 0.202 Ω 5 – 50 × 10-3 m

The shunt resistor needs to be a very low value to ensure the bulk of the circuit current bypasses the sensitive instrument.

6. Correct option is (b) Noting the information provided: Voltage across R1 is 1 V (U1); Current through R2 is 1 A (I2); and R3 is 1 Ω Using the hint given: Pt = PR1 + Pparallel Pt = U1 × I + U2 × I Where U2 is the volt-drop across the parallel connected resistors and can be found by using a branch current and its resistance: U2 = (I – I1) × R3 but R3 = 1 Ω and I1 = 1 A U2 = (I – 1) × 1 = (I – 1) V Given that the voltage across the series resistor U1 = 1 V: Pt = U1 × I + U2 × I Pt = 1 × I + (I – 1) × I = I + I2 – I Pt = I2 9 = I2 I = √9 ∴I=3A U I × R (I – 1) × 1 (3 – 1) R2 = I 2 = 2 I 3 = = 1 =2Ω 1 1

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T E C HN I CAL

The importance of agreeing and recording the extent and limitations for periodic inspection and testing O B JE C TIVE

An Electrical Installation Condition Report (EICR) is issued to provide a formal declaration that, within the agreed extent and limitations, the details recorded provide an accurate assessment of the condition of the electrical installation at the time it was inspected and tested.

The extent of the installation being inspected and tested It is not necessary to inspect and test the complete installation or part thereof under scrutiny where reference can be made to: • certification covering the original electrical installation work and any subsequent additions and alterations of the installation and/or • any EICRs issued thereafter.

Nevertheless, it will still be necessary to inspect and test a representative proportion of the installation, its circuits and fixed items of equipment, including accessories, for the overall outcome of the report to have any value.

The exact extent of the installation that is – and is not – being inspected and tested should be agreed with the person ordering the work, and should be recorded before the work commences in Section D of the EICR (Part 7 of the NICEIC version).

Introduction It is recognised within Chapter 65 of BS 7671 that there may be circumstances where it will not be possible, or reasonable, to inspect all parts of an installation or to perform all of the tests carried out for initial verification purposes when carrying out periodic inspection and testing in accordance with the requirements of Regulation Group 651.

Regulation 653.2 requires that the full extent of, and any limitations on, the periodic inspection and testing are recorded. It is essential this is done as accurately as possible.

Ensuring that the extent and limitations applied to inspection and testing in the course of a periodic inspection are defined clearly and recorded accurately not only benefits the recipient, but also the contractor issuing the report, particularly as failing to do so may involve them in unforeseen liabilities at a later date. When discussing extent and limitations,

sampling in respect of inspection and testing must also be considered.

Fig 1 Extent and limitations

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Operational limitations, including the reasons

The extent should be expressed as clearly as possible in terms of, for example: • Physical parts of the installation; that is, particular buildings, floors of buildings or distinct parts thereof in the premises; • Main and sub-distribution boards, distribution and final circuits, items of equipment etc.

• In smaller premises, particular socket-outlets, accessories or similar.

In some circumstances it may not be possible to perform some or all inspection and testing activities in all the areas or on all circuits/ equipment agreed previously with the client.

This may be as a result of, for example: • inability to gain access to a particular part, area, or room in the installation, or • ongoing activities in the premises that may pose a danger to persons.

In the absence of suitable reference information in the form of prior certification and reports, great care must be taken when considering the extent of the installation to be inspected and tested. In some cases, and with the agreement of the person ordering the work, it will be beneficial to carry out a pre-inspection survey to inform your decision.

Where the full extent has not been correctly identified, the contractor issuing the report may find themselves unwittingly assuming responsibility for areas or parts of the electrical installation not covered by their periodic inspection. As a consequence they may be deemed responsible should, at a later date, an electrical defect in that area or part of the installation result in danger or damage.

Where this is the case, it is essential that the relevant details of these operational limitations are brought to the attention of the person ordering the work as soon as possible and are recorded accurately, so that the person responsible for the safety of the installation can arrange for those areas to be inspected at an appropriate time in the near future.

Sampling While sampling may be employed for both the inspection and testing elements of periodic reporting, it should only be applied appropriately, and the size of sample agreed must be appropriate for the installation and the purpose for which the report is required.

As mentioned earlier in this article, the sample size may also need to be increased where no previous certificates or reports are available for the installation, or as a result of defects being found during the inspection.

It should be also noted that, in some cases, sampling may not be acceptable to a third party such as, for example, an insurance company.

Therefore where sampling is intended, it should be based on an appropriate risk assessment. The initial degree of sampling for both the inspection and the testing elements should be discussed and agreed with the client and, where necessary, any relevant third party prior to the inspection, and it should be recorded in Section D of the report.

For installations having a small number of circuits, such as typical domestic premises, the process of sampling is normally applicable to the inspection element of the work only.

Sampling can never be applied to measures to determine adequacy of: • Incoming supply arrangements • Main earthing and protective bonding.

Limitations All agreed limitations on the inspection and testing should be agreed with the client, or the person responsible for the safety of the installation, prior to the inspection and testing commencing (653.2). These, and the reasons for them, should be recorded in the appropriate part of Section D of the EICR (Part 7 of the NICEIC version).

As stated on NICEIC condition report forms, unless specifically requested by the client, the inspection does not cover cables installed in locations that are inaccessible, such as those routed within the fabric of the building structure, in ceilings, or under floors and the like.

However, the inspection should cover all accessible areas within the agreed extent and limitations, including lofts and roof spaces where electrical equipment such as pumps, boilers, or inverters are housed.

Therefore where a location, such as a loft in a dwelling, is accessible but not included as part of the agreed inspection, it should be recorded as a limitation on the report.

Where an agreed limitation applies to a particular circuit test, ‘LIM’ should be entered in the appropriate entry field on the test schedule.

Where no limitations have been recorded, NICEIC (and the client) will assume the extent of the inspection and testing to be comprehensive.

Whilst a degree of sampling is permitted, in the case of domestic premises it is recommended that the following should be undertaken as a minimum where practical: 61 AU T U MN 2 02 0

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• An external visual inspection of all accessible electrical equipment (light fittings, switches, socket-outlets etc.)

• An internal visual inspection of every distribution board or consumer unit and confirmation that all conductors are correctly located in terminals and are tight and secure • A close inspection of the terminations and connections at a representative number of items of electrical equipment on every final circuit and, in particular, where the external visual inspection has raised concerns • Continuity testing of circuit protective conductors to all accessible exposedconductive-parts.

Note: An earth fault loop impedance test may be used to confirm there is a connection to Earth.

• Earth fault loop impedance testing at: • the origin, • every accessible socket-outlet and, • so far as can be determined, the furthest point of every final circuit (e.g. a lighting circuit).

• Testing of all RCDs in accordance with BS 7671.

Fig 2 Reviewing the report

Fig 3 A concise yet accurate summary of the condition of the installation must be given on the report

Summary It is not always necessary or possible to carry out a periodic inspection of all of an electrical installation.

With the agreement of the person ordering the work, restrictions can be placed on the extent of the installation subjected to inspection and testing, the items inspected and the circuits tested. On occasion, for operational reasons not expected or considered when agreeing the limitations ahead of the work, it may be necessary to further restrict the extent of the inspection and testing.

For the benefit of the both the person carrying out the inspection and testing and the person ordering the work, it is essential that the extent of the installation inspected and any limitations applied are recorded accurately.

It should be appreciated that the greater the limitations applied to an EICR, the less value the report will be to the client in terms of feedback on the safety of the electrical installation. In view of this, NICEIC condition report forms require the name of the person(s) agreeing the limitations to be recorded on the report.

Where no limitations have been recorded on an EICR, NICEIC – and the client – will assume the extent of the inspection and testing to be comprehensive.

For the benefit of both the client and contractor, when sampling has been carried out, the items, circuits or similar selected for inspection and testing should be identified as clearly as possible so that a different sample can be selected for the next and subsequent periodic inspections. Where necessary, such details can be given on an additional page, affixed to the report.

Issuing the report Regulation 653.5 requires EICRs to be compiled, signed and authenticated by skilled persons who are competent to verify compliance with BS 7671. For NICEIC condition report forms, the registered Qualified Supervisor is responsible for reviewing the report and signing to confirm that it is compiled accurately before being issued.

The person compiling the report should record in Section E of the report (Part 3 of the NICEIC version) as much information as possible with regards to the report’s findings in terms of electrical safety. Simple words such as ‘good’, ‘fair’ or ‘poor’ are far too vague and open-ended, and hence not appropriate for a technical report. Likewise it would not be appropriate simply to say ‘satisfactory’ or ‘unsatisfactory’ in this section, because this would be an overall declaration for the installation.

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Ovia Lighting

Metrel’s new EVSE testing kit will save you cash and help get your business back on the road. The kit includes the classleading MI3152 multi-function tester, the EVSE adapter A1532 and the MESM Pro software, which enables you to produce EVSE certificates. brendan.beaver@metrel.co.uk / 01924 245000

Ovia’s free lighting design service is available to electrical contracting companies and anyone involved in the specification of lighting and lighting control equipment. The aim is to provide expertise in choosing the right products and solutions for a proposed scheme, ensuring full compliance with the relevant regulations and standards. www.oviauk.com / sales@oviauk.com / 01827 300640

Zappit

Schneider Electric

The new Zappit mains voltage indicator helps you identify and isolate the correct circuit to be worked on.

The kit, consisting of a transmitter, receiver and two leads for excellent connectivity, will allow you to connect and remotely identify and isolate the correct circuits first time. www.zappit.org.uk

The new Powerpact 4 250A Powerboard from Schneider Electric has a completely new, feature-packed design that utilises the NSXm MCCB as an outgoing device to give you up to three times the outgoing ways than its predecessor – all this while decreasing the overall board size by up to 17%. www.se.com/uk

Scolmore Scolmore has taken a step to ensure its wiring accessory products offer enhanced hygiene properties. The company’s Mode, Mode Part M and Polar plates have been shown through independent testing to have properties against enveloped and non-enveloped viruses. After a contact period of four hours, all tested plates were shown to have a 99.9% kill off rate against enveloped viruses and a 92% kill off rate against non-enveloped viruses. This new anti-viral testing is in addition to the anti-bacterial testing already carried

out. Mode, Mode Part M and Polar are all manufactured using urea formaldehyde, which has similar inherent properties to antimicrobial additives. When tested, products achieved a 99.99% kill off rate across MRSA, E. coli, salmonella and Klebsiella pneumoniae. www.scolmore.com

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05/10/2020 17:33

O F F T HE TO O L S

Record-breaker evenings.

There have to be recovery days e too, t so it has to be quite well timetabled. I have h to make sure I have enough to eat too, and a I’ve recently taken a sports nutrition qualifi cation to help with that. Since 2018 q I have also been supported by Kit Chamier from True Food Sports Nutrition, who has f really helped me tailor my diet. r

How H do you fit it all in with your job?

In her day job, Emma Drackford is communications director for Electrical Safety First. But she’s also a Commonwealth Championships powerlifting record-holder, and has Olympic ambitions How did you get into powerlifting and weightlifting?

I’ve only trained in powerlifting and weightlifting for three and a half years, and only competed for two. I was born with a knee condition which caused my legs to lock but I couldn’t have the operation to fix it while I was still growing. I needed three operations in all and had to learn how to use my muscles again. My consultants and physio were keen for me to develop more strength in my legs so I started weight training. I did a couple of fitness competitions and competed in the World Championships, but that can put quite a toll on your body. I did that for a year and then my coach suggested powerlifting.

What level have you got to?

I competed in the Commonwealth Championships in Canada in September last year, which was my first really big

It can be a challenge, but once I got selected for f the international teams last year I put in i a flexible working application because of the t training required. They backed it 100 per p cent and are very keen to support my sporting career. When I was competing at s the t Commonwealth Championships the team were all watching from the boardroom! t

What does the day job involve?

international competition representing the country. I competed in the under-57kg powerlifting and broke the Commonwealth squat record. I took the gold squat medal, the silver deadlift medal, the bronze bench medal, and silver overall.

I’d competed earlier at the English Championships and broke the English and British squat records, so that captured the attention of the coaches. I was spotted for weightlifting as well, and if the Olympics had happened this year I would have been there for that as well. I now have to get reselected for the Olympic team. That was due to take place in October but has been suspended.

But I still have to train as if I was competing.

I run the communications department in the charity, so everything from media relations to social media, website development, public affairs, research and stakeholder engagement. It can involve everything from trying to improve legislation with government to trying to get consumers to use a registered electrician to do work in their home.

Does the job help the competition, or the other way round?

There is a crossover. Even before I started competing, training was about having an outlet to let off steam. That was my time to clear my mind and relax. But the discipline you need with training also crosses over into managing the team and juggling the different activities. When we do personality tests in the leadership team, mine always come up very different to everyone else’s and they always say it’s from the sports psychology.

How much training do you do?

At the moment I train four to eight hours a week for powerlifting and weightlifting, but that can vary according to the competitions that are coming up. I also run one day a week to improve my cardio fitness and explosiveness. I don’t work on a Friday so I have a whole afternoon to train, and I train weekends and evenings. The pandemic has actually helped because I’m not commuting to London so I have more time in the

Where would you like to get to?

I want to win everything! World records are where I’m trying to get to, and the Olympics would be amazing. My ultimate would be to win golds in both sports and break the world records in all of the lifts.

What do you get up to in your spare time? Email offthetools@redactive.co.uk

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05/10/2020 17:12

CURRENT AFFAIRS

#SPARKSLIFE We’ve been asking you to send in pictures of the jobs you are working on via social media – and you haven’t disappointed. Keep sending them in via Twitter @officialNICEIC or @officialELECSA, or via Instagram using the hashtag #sparkslife.

Light fantastic The location of these luscious luminaires is a closely guarded secret, but they form part of a project by Concept Bespoke in Central London, featuring around 200 individual LED hanging shafts wired back to and controlled by a Lutron panel.

Do you have an installation of which you’re particularly proud?

Email currentaffairs@redactive. co.uk with some pictures

This issue’s prize for the best shot, a £25 voucher, goes to Hawlec Electrical

Taking a well earned rest – Simon Brewster of Hawlec Electrical after installing a new baling machine for a wool firm

FINAL FRONTIER

RECOVERY MODE Electricians are getting a post-lockdown boost from repairing the damage inflicted by cooped-up homeowners, according to research by Direct Line.

Some 13 per cent of electricians say they have seen an increase in work, with botched DIY jobs a major reason. Other reasons for the much-needed boost include extra wear and tear due to people spending more time at home and people having more time to deal with home callouts because they’re in the home more frequently.

In general, nearly six in 10 (55 per cent) tradespeople say they’re feeling positive about their business and trade prospects, and more than a quarter feel neutral (28 per cent). Perhaps locking people up in their houses could be good for business, after all?

Most workplaces in the UK have accepted the need to move from filament bulbs to LEDs, based on the energy and cost savings that can result.

However, in Northern Ireland, a row has broken out between lighthouse authorities and local campaigners over plans to update the light source in the 176-yearold St John’s Point lighthouse, on the County Down coast. The lighthouse is one of the last in Ireland not to have moved over to an LED light.

One proposal has already been vetoed by the local council but the Commissioners of Irish Lights (CIL) – the authority which runs the lighthouse – is now proposing to retain the existing sweeping beam emitted by the lighthouse, using a specially designed unit for lighthouses that fits into the old Fresnel lens enclosure. It also plans to fit solar panels and improve the power system as part of the work.

But, for now, there is no sign of the row abating in what is becoming one of the last bastions for the traditional filament bulb.

Tell us about any hidden talents or charity initiatives. Email currentaffairs@redactive.co.uk

A tight spot for second-year apprentice Thomas of Mearns Electrical Plumbing

The door to Narnia? An unexpected surprise in a wardrobe, discovered

by Flow Electrics

An afternoon off for ramberlinman, to enjoy the sunshine and “catch up with paperwork”

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05/10/2020 11:19

Loop test with confidence

The all-in-one installation tester with confidence built-in

MFT1741 With the newest, patented pending algorithm for earth loop impedance testing, Megger introduce the MFT1741.

Fast, repeatable 3-wire no–trip loop test results on normal circuits 3-wire loop test results from noisy circuits that are repeatable and in which you can have confidence.

Built–in confidence meter that indicates the reliance you can place on your loop measurement Results unaffected by RCD or RCBO impedance

These new features combined with those of the well liked MFT1701 series of toughness, ease-of–use and reliability make the MFT1741 a very attractive package.

To find out more scan the QR code or call 01304 502 102 Megger Ltd, Archcliffe Road, Dover, CT17 9EN, T. 01304 502101

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05/07/2019 02/10/2020 14:16 13:49

Connect and convert Connect with new customers and convert them into satisfied ones

Join Which? Trusted Traders Call 0117 456 6036 quoting TTNICEIC trustedtraders.which.co.uk/niceic

NICEIC and ELECSA members get 50% off for the first 6 months*

*A Which? Trusted Traders endorsement starts at £60 per month including VAT. Initial assessment usually costs £200 + VAT. Businesses must have been trading for 6 months or more. Full terms and conditions at trustedtraders.which.co.uk/niceic. Other trade associations are welcome to ask us about applicable discounts.

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10/03/2020 13:50 16:39 02/10/2020