Wiring Regulations Pocket Book

Ray Tricker

• Publisher: Routledge
• Year: 2021
• eBook ISBN: 9781000458961
• Edition: 1
• Topic: Technology & Engineering
• Subtopic: Construction & Architectural Engineering
• Index: Technology & Engineering

This new Routledge Pocket Book provides a user-friendly guide to the latest amendments to the 18th Edition of IET Wiring Regulations (BS 7671:2018).

This Pocket Book contains topic-based chapters that link areas of working practice with the specifics of the Regulations themselves. The requirements of the Regulations are presented in an informal, easy-to-read style that strips away confusion. Packed with useful hints and tips that highlight the most important or mandatory requirements, the book is a concise reference on all aspects of the 18th edition of the IET Wiring Regulations.

This handy guide provides an on-the-job reference source for Electricians, Designers, Service Engineers, Inspectors, Builders and Students.

1 Introduction

DOI: 10.1201/9781003165170-1

Author's Start Note

This initial chapter provides a historical background of the BS 7671 standard, what it contains; a description of its unique numbering system, its objectives, legal status and what it actually encompasses. It also discusses the effect that Wiring Regulations have on other Statuary Instruments and how this British Standard can be implemented.

1.1 Introduction

The latest edition of the IET Wiring Regulations has now grown to a massive 560-page document that defines the way in which all electrical installation work must be carried out. It does not matter whether the work is carried out by a professional electrician or an unqualified DIY enthusiast, the installation must always comply with the Wiring Regulations.

The current edition of the Regulations is BS 7671:2015 and is entitled ‘Requirements for Electrical Installations – IET Wiring Regulations’, which is a bit of a mouthful to remember (!) and so it is normally referred to as ‘The Wiring Regulations’, ‘The Blue Book’, ‘The 18th Edition’ (or simply) BS 7671:2018 (whose front cover is depicted in Figure 1.1).

Figure 1.1Front cover of BS 7671:2015

Long Description for Figure 1.1

The IET Wiring Regulations are now published as a British Standard (BS 7671:2018) with the full support of the BEC (i.e. the British Electrotechnical Committee, which is the UK's national body responsible for the formal standardisation within the electrotechnical sector) in partnership with the BSI (i.e. the British Standards Institution).

This British Standard is published with the full support of the BEC (i.e. the British Electrotechnical Committee, which is the UK's national body responsible for the formal standardisation within the electrotechnical sector) in partnership with the BSI (i.e. the British Standards Institution, which has the ultimate responsibility for all British Standards produced within this sector) and The Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET) – which, with more than 168,000 members worldwide in 150 countries, is Europe's largest grouping of professional engineers involved in power, engineering, communications, electronics, computing, software, control, informatics and manufacturing.

The technical authority for BS 7671:2018 is the Joint IET/BSI Technical Committee (JPEL/64). BS7671:2018 came into effect on 1 January 2019, and from that date ALL new installations (as well as additions and alterations to existing installations) MUST comply with BS 7671:2018.

Please note that all references made in this book to the ‘Wiring Regulations’ or ‘Regulation(s)’ – where not otherwise specifically identified – refer to BS 7671:2018 ‘Requirements for Electrical Installations’ (IET Wiring Regulations – 18^th Edition).

1.2 Historical background

The first public electricity supply in the UK was at Godalming in Surrey, in November 1881 and mainly provided street lighting. At that time, there were no existing rules and regulations available to control their installations and so the electricity company just dug up the roads and laid the cables in the gutters. This particular electricity supply was discontinued in 1884.

On 12 January 1882, the steam powered Holborn Viaduct Power station officially opened and this facility supplied 110 V d.c. for both private consumption and street lighting. Once more, there was no one in authority to tell them how to lay the cables and their positioning was, therefore, dependent on the electrician responsible for that particular section of the work.

Later in 1882 The Electric Lighting Clauses Act (modelled on the previous 1847 Gas Act) was passed by Parliament and this enabled the Board of Trade to authorise the supply of electricity in any area by a local authority, company or person and to grant powers to install this electrical supply (including breaking up the streets) through the use of the 1882 ‘Rules and Regulations for the prevention of Fire Risks Arising from Electric Lighting’.

This document was the forerunner of today's Wiring Regulations.

Historically, since 1882, there has been a succession of new editions and amendments in alignment with other national and international standards. For example:

• in 1981 the 15^th Edition closely corresponded to the international standard IEC 60364;
• in 1991, the 16^th Edition was officially adopted by the British Standards Institute as the basis for BS 7671:1992 [‘Requirements for Electrical Installations’];
• in 2004, the 16^th Edition was officially adopted as mandatory requirements for the new Building Regulations Part P ‘Electrical Safety’;
• in 2008, the 17^th Edition was rewritten and included old, existing and new Comité Européen de Normalisation Electrotechnique (CENELEC), International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) and European Normalisation (EN) Harmonised Documents. It was then republished as a British Standard (i.e. BS 7671:2008); and
• in 2018, the 18^th Edition was published in order to include current changes to Fire Safety, Earth Fault Loop Impedance, Residual Current Device (RCD) protection of Socket Outlets and revised Inspection and Testing Documentations.

Since then;

• In 2020, Amendment No 1 to the 18^th Edition covered minor manuscript amendments to the Section (i.e. 722) concerning Electric Vehicle Charging Installations.
• In 2022, Amendment No 2 to the 18^th Edition is due to be published by the JPEL/64 committee with a number of manuscript changes and a new Part 8 on ‘Functional Requirements’. These proposed changes have been included in this edition of the book based on the current draft of this Amendment.

By aligning with all existing and new CENELEC, IEC and EN Harmonised Docume...

Table of contents

• Cover
• Half-Title Page
• Title Page
• Copyright Page
• Contents
• List of figures
• List of tables
• Foreword
• Preface
• Appendix A – About the author (during lock down!)
• BS7671 Colour Arrangements
• 1 Introduction
• 2 Building regulations
• 3 Earthing
• 4 External influences
• 5 Safety protection
• 6 Electrical equipment, components, accessories and supplies
• 7 Cables, conductors and conduits
• 8 Special installations and locations
• 9 Installation, maintenance and repair
• 10 Inspection and testing
• Annex A: Symbols used in electrical installations
• Annex B: List of electrical and electromechanical symbols
• Annex C: SI units for existing technology
• Annex D: IPX coding
• Annex E: Acronyms and abbreviations
• Annex F: Other books associated with the Wiring Regulations
• Index