Just watched a video on installing an outside light. Now I’m confused

Alanp

Now let me make this clear from the outset, I used to be an electrician many many years ago but took a different direction and got into service engineering, I guess what I’m trying to say is , I understand and am confident around doing electrical work, ( not that I do much nowadays), now for the confusing bit, the video I watched shows a diy er installing a pir outdoor spotlight, he made a lovely job of it as you’d expect but then he ran a length of 1.0. mm twin and earth from the light fitting which he took into a nearby fcu already wired in , now I thought this would be classed as a new circuit and come under part p or at least requiring to be inspected and tested by the local authority, or am I missing something, the guy doing it probably was qualified, but I thought this was classed as beyond the scope for normal diy?

rob7475

If the FCU is already there, I don't see the issue. Connecting something to the outlet side of the switch can surely be completed by a "competent" person rather than being signed off. It's no harder than wiring a plug.

I'm not a spark though so I could be totally wrong 

grumbler

Unfortunately, when it comes to electrics in UK, you can't rely on common sense. 
It's a new circuit and outdoors one. I think some formalities are required to keep our authorities and our certified electricians happy. 

Bendy_House

When we had an extension built, the sockets and lights were taken from the adjacent room, and two outside lights were also added. I asked the BCO, when he came for the final inspection, if I should have received a cert from the sparky, but he said there was no need as it was effectively just extending an existing circuit.

I suspect he was ok with it 'cos a pro sparky was used instead of me DIYing it.

Alanp

Bendy_House said:

When we had an extension built, the sockets and lights were taken from the adjacent room, and two outside lights were also added. I asked the BCO, when he came for the final inspection, if I should have received a cert from the sparky, but he said there was no need as it was effectively just extending an existing circuit.

I suspect he was ok with it 'cos a pro sparky was used instead of me DIYing it.

Yes but this vid , I assume, was aimed at the diy,er, I was expecting him to use twin and earth flex and put a plug top on it, not use t&e and wire into an existing fcu, ( not sure what the fcu was supplying), surely this would class as a new circuit..?

Moss5

If you keep looking, you may find a regulation that says you may not do what you intend to do.
For this reason, my external power and lighting all come from 4-gang sockets. In the event of a visit from the regulatory authorities, I can unplug the 13A supplies. 

chris_n

Alanp said:

Bendy_House said:

When we had an extension built, the sockets and lights were taken from the adjacent room, and two outside lights were also added. I asked the BCO, when he came for the final inspection, if I should have received a cert from the sparky, but he said there was no need as it was effectively just extending an existing circuit.

I suspect he was ok with it 'cos a pro sparky was used instead of me DIYing it.

Yes but this vid , I assume, was aimed at the diy,er, I was expecting him to use twin and earth flex and put a plug top on it, not use t&e and wire into an existing fcu, ( not sure what the fcu was supplying), surely this would class as a new circuit..?

He could as a DIYer have spurred the fcu off an existing ring and it still wouldn't have been a new circuit and would have been completely legal.

Apodemus

chris_n said:

Alanp said:

Bendy_House said:

When we had an extension built, the sockets and lights were taken from the adjacent room, and two outside lights were also added. I asked the BCO, when he came for the final inspection, if I should have received a cert from the sparky, but he said there was no need as it was effectively just extending an existing circuit.

I suspect he was ok with it 'cos a pro sparky was used instead of me DIYing it.

Yes but this vid , I assume, was aimed at the diy,er, I was expecting him to use twin and earth flex and put a plug top on it, not use t&e and wire into an existing fcu, ( not sure what the fcu was supplying), surely this would class as a new circuit..?

He could as a DIYer have spurred the fcu off an existing ring and it still wouldn't have been a new circuit and would have been completely legal.

The following example is given in the Part P guidance:

"connecting an electric gate or garage door to an existing isolator switch is not notifiable work, but installing a new circuit from the consumer unit to the isolater is notifiable"

Alanp

So as long as it’s not from the consumer unit it’s ok to run a length of cable for, say an outside light, from any fcu, but could you add an fcu as a spur from a suitable socket and then run it to an outside light, as long as it was correctly fused down?, ( 3a) as I have done many times , and this would not be classed as notifiable