Bathroom Install – Certificates?

bpk101

We're nearing the end of our bathroom installations final week, I wanted to ask what we should be expecting from the install team in terms of paperwork before handing over the final sum.

There's been no mention of it from their side, but as the works involved considerable electrics (recessed downlights, under floor heating, mirror de-misters etc) and plumbing work, are they legally obliged to provide gas safe and electric safe certificates for these works?

Unfortunately it hadn't crossed my mind to ask at the outset but I'm not sure which of the team members are Part P registered or Gas Safe registered, does this matter? The team came highly recommended from a reputable London bathroom chain and the works been very good... I just don't want to be left with issues later on if/when I need to produce documentation (house sale for example).

Also, with regards to guarantees, we agree via email what these lengths were, but I have nothing signed in writing. Will an email correspondence suffice should something go wrong?

Any other bits we should request before paying the final install sum?

Thanks

TheCyclingProgrammer

Why gas safe registered? What work was done involving gas?

I think you should get an electrical works/minor works certificate depending on the nature of the work and as the work is in a special location it's likely that at least some, if not all, of the work is notifiable under part P of the building regs. In this case you should check that the electrician is registered under a part P scheme and that the work has been notified to building control, who should then issue a completion certificate.

Were the electricians registered and if so who with?

csgohan4

An electrician had to verify a new electric underfloor heating and new bathroom lights. Got a certificate in the post a few weeks later

bpk101

csgohan4 wrote: »

An electrician had to verify a new electric underfloor heating and new bathroom lights. Got a certificate in the post a few weeks later

But did you need to book in and pay for that condition report cost separately, or did the bathroom installers cover that as part of their work?

csgohan4

bpk101 wrote: »

But did you need to book in and pay for that condition report cost separately, or did the bathroom installers cover that as part of their work?

Good bathroom installers should include that in as well.

I avoided Check a trade and mybuilder due to being burnt in the past. Colleague, friend referrals are the best generally.

bpk101

csgohan4 wrote: »

Good bathroom installers should include that in as well.

I avoided Check a trade and mybuilder due to being burnt in the past. Colleague, friend referrals are the best generally.

Our fitters came as a referral from the bathroom store we purchased most of our products from, they have a list of 5-8 fitters they know and trust. They've been very good, i just don't recall any agreement the bathroom will be subject to an inclusive EICR.

TheCyclingProgrammer

It's not an EICR you need. Any competent registered electrician should give you an electrical works certificate showing the work completed has been tested and installed to conform to the latest wiring regs.

In addition any notifiable works need to be notified to building control. If an electrician is registered on a part p scheme they should do this for you. If they aren't then I'm afraid you are responsible for notifying building control yourself although IMO it should have been made clear up front if the electricians were unable to self certify.

Lungboy

You can also get 3rd party certification from electricians, which is usually cheaper than getting the council to do it themselves.

TheCyclingProgrammer

Lungboy wrote: »

You can also get 3rd party certification from electricians, which is usually cheaper than getting the council to do it themselves.

How many electricians will certify work they have not done themselves?

bpk101

TheCyclingProgrammer wrote: »

In addition any notifiable works need to be notified to building control.

What constitutes 'notifiable' in our case? We've had the following works done:

– Electric Underfloor heating with external thermo
– Electric mirror demister fitted with external on/off switch
– 5 x new recessed LED downlights fitted with external dimmer
– Full wet room installed
– Bath, shower, basins and toilet installed

No extension work or alterations to walls etc.

TheCyclingProgrammer

As of 2013 (emphasis mine):

Work that remains notifiable includes:
• installation of a new circuit
• replacement of a consumer unit
• work in a room containing a swimming pool
or sauna heater
• any addition or alteration to existing circuits in
a ‘special location’

Note that the definition of ‘special location’ in this context is not the same as the ‘special locations’ described in BS7671!

A special location as far as the new Part P is concerned is defined as within a room containing a bath or shower, the space surrounding a bath tap or shower head, where the space extends:
• vertically from the finished floor level to
• a height of 2.25m; or
• the position of the shower head where it is attached to a wall or ceiling at a height higher than 2.25m from that level; and
• horizontally
• where there is a bath tub or shower tray, from the edge of the bath tub or shower tray to a distance of 0.6m; or
• where there is no bath tub or shower tray, from the centre point of the shower head where it is attached to the wall or ceiling to a distance of 1.2m
• or a room containing a swimming pool or sauna heater

All other electrical installation work is non notifiable - namely additions and alterations to existing installations outside special locations and replacements, repairs and maintenance anywhere.

Source:
https://www.elecsa.co.uk/Documents/Public-Documents/Spark-Newsletters/Spark_March2013.aspx

I'm sure somebody else (I'm not an electrician) can confirm but on the basis of the above all of the electrical work you've had done has the potential to be notifiable, particularly the underfloor heating and LED downlight. It really depends on their location and things like the height of the ceiling. Some people seem to think that all work in a bathroom is notifiable but I'm pretty sure its only notifiable within the specified zones.

I've often wondered about underfloor heating myself - we had it fitted in our downstairs shower room. A local electrician fitted the fused spur outside, the tiler ran the cable and I made the final connection to the thermostat myself. Another electrician we had doing some work tested and signed it off and we got our building control certificate but I could never establish if it was 100% needed what with it being below the finished floor level and the thermostat and spur being outside the shower room. I got it to be on the safe side, even though my interpretation of Part P is that it isn't (although I guess it depends on where the wiring exits the floor and presumably runs up the wall). Some interesting debate on that here:

http://talk.electricianforum.co.uk/topic/29185-bathroom-underfloor-heating-part-p/

Even if none of your work is notifiable, I would still insist on a completion certificate from the electrician or at least a minor works certificate if they feel this is appropriate.