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ECX4234 Session 2 The wiring regulations

Lalith A. Samaliarachchi

Session 2
The wiring regulations

Contents

2.1 History of the IEE wiring regulations


2.2 Plan of the 17th edition of the IEE regulations
2.3 Definitions used in the regulations
2.4 Symbols used in the regulations

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ECX4234 Session 2 The wiring regulations
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Aim
The aim of this session is to teach you the basis of the IEE Wiring Regulations, get an
idea about the meanings of some terms and symbols used in electrical installation.

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ECX4234 Session 2 The wiring regulations
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Specific Objectives
At the end of this session you will be able to

1. Briefly recall the history of the Wiring Regulations

2. Briefly describe the plan of the 17th Edition

3. Identify a Regulation in terms of number identification system and


search for it in the Regulations

4. Explain the meanings of some terms used in electrical installation

5. Identify the symbols used right throughout the wiring Regulations


lessons.

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ECX4234 Session 2 The wiring regulations
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Introduction
In the previous session we learnt that the main legal enactment regarding the
electrical installations is the Electricity Act and that under this Act, Electrical
Installations must satisfy the IEE Wiring Regulations. Why has the IEE Wiring
Regulations been specified? Why not some local regulation? Probably the
Regulations of the London Institution were originally specified because we were
under the British rule at the time of the original Ordinance in 1906. We continue to
use it as our regulation as for one thing drawing up afresh a regulation of that nature
for Sri Lanka is not a feasible proposition, for another thing our electricity system is
based on the British pattern and finally the IEE Wiring Regulations have been drawn
up after careful thought and presently in line with International Wiring Regulations.

1.1 2.1 History of the IEE wiring regulations

There have been requirements for safe electrical wiring as far back as 1876 and, in
1882, the Society of Telegraph Engineers and Electricians, later to become the
Institution of Electrical Engineers (predecessor of IEE now part of the IET),
published the Rules and Regulations for the Prevention of Fire Risks arising
from Electric Lighting.

This first publication of the IEE Wiring Regulations was just a simple four-page
document. It was from these small beginnings that the idea of an inspection body with
teeth to protect the general public from the dangers associated with electricity use was
born. The first edition covered the topics dynamo machine, the wires, lamps and danger
to person, as these were the important topics at that time for public lighting. With time
the content and title of the regulations underwent various changes from edition to
edition, the work being undertaken by the IEE Wiring Regulation Committee.

The Wiring Regulation Committee are a group of members of the IEE who serve as
individual experts together with representatives of other professional institutions,
government departments, nationalized industries and electrical contractors and
manufacturers associations.

During the early 1950s, the electricity supply industry had begun taking increased interest
in installation issues, even at one stage proposing replacing the IEE Wiring
Regulations with a Code of Minimum Wiring Practice. This was opposed by
contractors, the ECA, the British Electrical & Allied Manufacturers Association
(BEAMA), BSI and the IEE, and the proposal was eventually dropped. The happy result
was a proposal for a more effective inspection body the NICEIC (National Inspection
Council for Electrical Installation Contracting), which was eventually formed in 1956.

Agreement had been reached some time before on the necessity for setting up of the
NICEIC, but difficulties of principle caused actual formation to take six long years.
The delay, however, had a major advantage and the 13th Edition of the Wiring
Regulations, introduced around 1955/56

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ECX4234 Session 2 The wiring regulations
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After about a decade, a modification/analysis to the 13 th Edition by NICEIC is


announced and in 1966 the 14th Edition was issued. The metric edition of the same
is introduced in early 1969.

With the proposed launch of the 15th Edition in 1981 more huge controversy
ensued, with many articles, news and views being aired in the trade press. A major
issue was that of mainland European influence, as the 15 th Edition was based in
layout on the IEC Wiring Regulations.

It should be noted that the two international bodies responsible for the publication of IEE
wiring regulations 15th edition are the International Electromechanical Commission (IEC)
and the European Committee for Electro technical standardization (CENELEC). These
are voluntary standards bodies made up of representatives of member countries.

After a about another decade, in December 1992, it was announced that implementation
of the 16th Edition of the IEE Wiring Regulations would come into effect from 1st
January 1993. The copyright of the publication is held jointly by the IEE and BSI.
Subsequently (2004) several amendments have been made to maintain technical
alignment with CENELEC harmonization document (HD) such as: Identification of
conductors by colors or numerals, safety principles for man-machine interface etc.

For example installation commencing on site after 31st of March 2006 are to comply with
the marking requirements of section 514 as amended and as appropriate cores identified
with the harmonized colors. Installations commencing on site after 31 st march 2004 and
before 1st April 2006 may be installed in accordance with Amendment No 2:2004 or
No 1:2002, that is, they may use the harmonized colors or the old colors, but NOT both.

17th Edition of the IEE Wiring Regulations came into force in January 2008. The
copyright of the publication is held jointly by the IET (The institution of Engineering and
Technology) and BSI. This new edition of the Regulations applies to design, erection and
verification of electrical installations. Existing installations that have been installed in
accordance with earlier editions of the regulations may not comply with this edition in
every respect ant it does not necessarily mean that they are unsafe for continued use of
require upgrading. BS 7671:2008 will continue to be amended from time to time to take
account of the publication of new or amended CENELEC standards.

Whats in the 17th Edition Wiring Regulations? There are many important changes.
The most significant changes can be summarized as follows:

A socket outlet can now be installed in bathrooms subject to being


3m from the edge of a shower or bath and it must be protected by a RCD.

Special Locations such as photovoltaic power supplies, fairgrounds


and amusement parks, marinas, exhibitions and floor and heating systems are
now covered.

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ECX4234 Session 2 The wiring regulations
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The chapters have now been re-structured and re-numbered for


alignment with international standards.

Below is an overview of the history of various editions of the IEE wiring regulations:

1882 1st Edition of the 'Wiring Rules' issued. Entitled Rules and Regulations for
the prevention of Fire Risks Arising from Electric Lighting consisted of a 4 page
document

1888 2nd Edition


rd
1897 3 Edition Entitled General Rules recommended for Wiring for the
Supply of Electrical Energy
1903 4th Edition of the IEE Wiring Regulations, called Wiring Rules
1907 5th Edition of the IEE Wiring Regulations
th
1911 6 Edition of the IEE Wiring Regulations
1916 7th Edition of the IEE Wiring Regulations
1924 8th Edition of the IEE Wiring Regulations Regulations for the
Electrical Equipment of Buildings
th
1927 9 Edition of the IEE Wiring Regulations
1934 10th Edition of the IEE Wiring Regulations
1939 11th Edition of the IEE Wiring Regulations, Revised issue (1943),
reprinted with minor amendments (1945), Supplement issued
(1946), Revised Section (1948)
1950 12th Edition of the IEE Wiring Regulations launched, Supplement
issued (1954)
th
1955 13 Edition of the IEE Wiring Regulations launched, Reprinted,
1958, 1961, 1962 and 1964
1966 14th Edition of the IEE Wiring Regulations published Reprinted,
1968, 1969, 1970 (in metric units), 1972, 1973, 1974 and 1976

With the publication of the fifteenth edition it was decided that in future reprints of
the same edition (amendments) would be contained in one of five different colored
covers red, green, yellow, blue and brown, a new edition would be published when
the brown covered reprint required updating.

1981 The 15th Edition of the IEE Wiring Regulations launched


1993 16th Edition of the IEE Wiring Regulations published

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ECX4234 Session 2 The wiring regulations
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In about 2008, 17th Edition of the IEE Wiring Regulations came into effect.

1.2 2.2 Plan of the 17th edition of the IEE wiring


regulations
Since the 17th Edition of the IEE Wiring Regulations is the latest guidance for
designer of electrical installations, let us first study the layout of the regulations.

Its chapters, sections, parts etc are not numbered in identical manner as normal
textbooks so that you may at first get confused. Numbering follows the pattern of
IEC60364. However, once you understand the plan, searching through the
Regulation becomes quite easy. The Regulations is divided into seven parts
followed by 16 appendices.

In the numbering system used, the first digit signifies a Part, the second digit a
Chapter, the third digit a Section and the subsequent digits the Regulation number.

We will first see what the 7 parts are.

Part 1: gives the overriding requirements.

These are the scope, object and effects, fundamental principles.

Part 2: gives the underlying definitions.

These give the sense in which certain terms are used throughout the Regulations.

The subsequent parts give the body of the Regulations. They are:

Part 3: deals with the identification of the risk or hazard.

These identify the general characteristics of the installation, or part of an


installation, that will need to be taken into account in choosing and applying the
requirements of the subsequent parts.

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Part 4: describes the basic measures of protection against the various risks and
the circumstance for which the measures are suitable.

These are for the protection of persons, livestock, and property against the
hazards that may arise from the use of electricity. A modification to protection
against voltage disturbances and electromagnetic disturbances are now
included in the 17th edition. A new section has been added, which deals with
measures against electromagnetic disturbances. Electromagnetic interference
(EMI) may disturb or damage information technology equipment/systems as
well as equipment with electronic component or circuits. Current due to
lightning, switching operations short-circuits and other electromagnetic
phenomena may cause over voltages and electromagnetic interference. A new
section 444 provides basic requirements and recommendations to enable the
avoidance and reduction of electromagnetic disturbances.

Part 5: deals with the requirements for the selection and erection of equipment.

Protection, isolation, switching, control and monitoring, now includes a new


section 534 in 17th edition which deals with the installation of surge protective
devices (SPD). The requirements of section 534 are for the selection and erection
of SPDs for electrical installations of buildings in order to limit transient over
voltages of atmospheric origin transmitted via the supply distribution system and
against switching over-voltages. The requirements are also intended to protect
against transient over-voltages caused by direct lightning strikes or lightning
strikes in the vicinity of buildings protected by a lightning protection system. The
requirements do not take into account surge protective components, which may
be incorporated in the appliances connected to the installations.

Part 6: covers the inspection and testing that is required to be carried out to check
that the installation concerned complies with the wiring Regulations.

Part 7: Special installation or locations

Under this section identifies the special installation locations like


Bathrooms, Swimming Pools, Hot Air Saunas, Construction sites,
Agricultural and Horticultural Locations, Restrictive Conductive
Locations, Caravan and Camping Parks, Marinas, Exhibitions, Shows and
Stands, Solar Photovoltaic (PV) Supply Systems, Mobile or Transportable
Units, Caravans and Motor Caravans, Amusement Devices, Fairgrounds,
Circuses, etc, Floor and Ceiling Heating Systems.

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Appendices 1-15: Provide tabulated and other background information required by


the designer/installer/tester

Now let us have a look at the plan of 17th edition of IEE regulations.

Figure 2.1 shows the important parts, chapters and sections of the Seventeenth
edition. Numbering follows the pattern of IEC60364 and CENELEC. You can
see from the diagram that various parts, chapters and sections are mentioned,
and that an all-number identification system is used.

Question

If you are required to search for Regulation 413.2, how would you set about doing
it? What do the individual digits mean?

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ECX4234 Session 2 The wiring regulations
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Discussion
First digit signifies the part, namely part 4-i.e. protection for safety. We have to then
turn to the chapter referred to by the second digit, namely chapter 1 of part 4-i.e.
protection against electric shock. We then have to select the corresponding section
referred to by the third digit, namely section 3 of chapter 1 of part 4-i.e. Protective
measure: Electrical Separation. The figure following the period/point is the regulation
or group number, namely regulation 2 of section 3 of chapter 1 of part 4, which for
simplicity is denoted by Regulation 413.2 (Four One Three point Two).

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Figure 2.2 Types of protective conductors

2.3 Definitions used in the regulations

As mentioned in our one of the objectives, an integral and essential part of the
Regulations is that which gives the meanings of the terms used, namely the
definitions. We will state here some of the relevant definitions, while some other
will be given later when they appear in the text.

Agricultural and horticultural premises. Rooms, locations or areas


where: -

- Livestock are kept, or

- Feed, fertilizers, vegetable and animal products are produced, stored, or


prepared processed, or

- Plants are grown, such as greenhouses.

Ambient temperature. The temperature of the air or other medium where


the equipment is to be used.

Back-up protection. Protection which is intended to operate when a


system fault is not cleared, or abnormal condition not detected, in the required
time because of failure or inability of other protection to operate or failure of
the appropriate circuit-breaker(s) to trip.

Barrier. A part providing a defined degree of protection against


contact with live parts from any usual direction of access.

Basic insulation. Insulation applied to live parts to provide basic


protection and which does not necessarily include insulation used exclusively
for functional purposes.

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Basic protection. Protection against electric shock under fault-free


conditions.

NOTE: For low voltage installations, systems and equipment, basic protection
generally corresponds to protection against direct contact, that is "contact of
persons or livestock with live parts".

Bonding conductor. A protective conductor providing equipotential


bonding

Circuit. An assembly of electrical equipment supplied from the


same origin and protected against overcurrent by the same protective device(s).

Circuit-breaker. A device capable of making, carrying and breaking


normal load currents and also making and automatically breaking, under pre-
determined conditions, abnormal currents such as short-circuit currents. It is
usually required to operate infrequently although some types are suitable for
frequent operation.

Circuit protective conductor (cpc). A protective conductor connecting


exposed-conductive-parts of equipment to the main earthing terminal.

Class I equipment. Equipment in which protection against electric


shock does not rely on basic insulation only, but which includes means for the
connection of exposed-conductive-parts to a protective conductor in the fixed
wiring of the installation

Class II equipment. Equipment in which protection against electric


shock does not rely on basic insulation only, but in which additional safety
precautions such as supplementary insulation are provided, there being no
provision for the connection of exposed metal work of the equipment to a
protective conductor, and no reliance upon precautions to be taken in the fixed
wiring of the installation.

Conduit. A part of a closed wiring system for cables in electrical


i n s t a l l a t i o n s , allowing them to be drawn in and/or replaced, but not
inserted laterally.

Consumer unit (may also be known as a consumer control unit or electricity


control unit). A particular type of d i s t r i b u t i o n board comprising a type-
tested coordinated assembly for the control and distribution of electrical energy,
principally in domestic premises, incorporating manual means of double-pole
isolation on the incoming c i r c ui t ( s ) and an assembly of one or more fuses,
circuit-breakers, residual current operated devices or signaling and other devices
proven during the type-test of the assembly as suitable for such use.

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Current-carrying capacity of a conductor. The maximum current which


can be carried by a conductor under specified conditions without its steady-state
temperature exceeding a specified value.

Design current. The magnitude of the current (rms value for a.c.) to be
carried by the circuit in normal service.

Distribution board. An assembly containing switching or protective


devices (e.g. fuses, circuit-breakers, residual current operated devices)
associated with one or more outgoing circuits fed from one or more incoming
circuits, together with terminals for the neutral and circuit protective
conductors. It may also include signaling and other control devices. Means of
isolation may be included in the board or may be provided separately.

Earth. The conductive mass of the earth, whose electric potential at any
point is conventionally taken as zero.

Earth fault current. An overcurrent l resulting from a fault of negligible


impedance between a line conductor and an exposed-conductive-part or a
protective conductor.

Earth fault loop impedance. The impedance of the earth fault current
loop starting and ending at the point of earth fault This impedance is denoted by
the symbol Zs.

Earth electrode. Conductive part, which may be embedded in the soil


or in a specific conductive medium, e.g. concrete or coke, in electrical contact
with the Earth.

Electric Shock. A dangerous physiological effect resulting from the


passing of an electric current through a human body or livestock.

Electrical Equipment. Any item for such purpose as generation,


conversion, transmission, distribution or utilization of electrical energy, such as
machines, transformers, apparatus, measuring instruments, protective devices,
wiring systems, accessories, appliance and luminaries.

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Electrical installation. An assembly of associated electrical equipment


having coordinated characteristics to fulfill specific purposes.

Exposed-Conductive-Part. A Conductive part of equipment which can


be touched and which is not normally live, but which may become live under
fault conditions.

Extraneous-Conductive-Part A conductive part liable to introduce a


potential, generally earth potential, and not forming part of the electrical
installation.

Isolation. A function intended to cut off for reasons of safety t h e supply


from a l l , or a discrete section, of the installation by separating the installation
or section from every source of electrical energy.

Leakage current. Electric current in an unwanted conductive path


under normal operating conditions.

Live Part. A conductor or conductive part intended to be energized in


normal use, including a neutral conductor but, by convention, not a PEN
conductor.

Overcurrent. A current exceeding the rated value. For conductors the


rated value is the current-carrying capacity.

Overcurrent detection. A method of establishing that the value of


current in a circuit exceeds a predetermined value for a specified length of
time.

Overload current. An overcurrent occurring in a circuit which is


electrically sound

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PEN conductor A conductor combining the functions of both protective


conductor and neutral conductor

Protective Conductor. A conductor used for some measures of


protection against electric shock and intended for connecting together any of
the following parts:

- Exposed conductive parts

- Extraneous conductive parts

- The main earthing terminal

- Earth electrode(s)

- The earthed point of the source, or an artificial neutral.

Prospective fault current (Ipf). The value of overcurrent at a given point


in a circuit resulting from a fault of negligible impedance between l i ve
conductors having a difference of potential under normal operating conditions,
or between a live conductor and an exposed-conductive-part.

Rated current. Value of current used for specification purposes,


established for a specified set of operating conditions of a component, device,
equipment or system.

Residual current. Algebraic sum of the currents in the live conductors


of a circuit at a point in the electrical installation.

Residual current device (RCD). A mechanical switching device or


association of devices intended to cause the opening of the contacts when the
residual current attains a given value under specified conditions.

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Residual current operated circuit-breaker with integral overcurrent


protection (RCBO). A residual current operated switching device designed
to perform the functions of protection against overload and/or short-circuit.

Residual current operated circuit-breaker without integral


overcurrent protection (RCCB). A residual current operated switching
device not designed to perform the functions of protection against overload
and/or short-circuit.

Residual operating current. Residual current which causes the RCD to


operate under specified conditions.

Shock current. A current passing through the body of a person or


livestock such as to cause electric shock and having characteristics likely to
cause dangerous effects.

Short-circuit current. An overcurrent resulting from a fault of


negligible impedance between live conductors having a difference in potential
under normal operating conditions.

Socket-outlet. A device, provided with female contacts, which is intended


to be installed with the fixed wiring, and intended to receive a plug. A luminaire
track system is not regarded as a socket-outlet system.

Spur. A branch from a ring or radial final circuit.

Voltage Nominal - Voltage by which an installation (or part of an installation) is


designated. The following ranges of nominal voltage (r.m.s. value for a.c.) are defined.

Extra low: Not exceeding 50 V a.c. or 120 V ripple-free d.c., whether


between conductors or to Earth.

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Low: Exceeding extra-low voltage but not exceeding 1000 V a.c.


or 1500 V d.c. between conductors, or 600 V a.c. or 900 V
d.c. between conductors and Earth.

High Normally exceeding low voltage.

Figure 2.2 diagrammatically shows the various types of protective conductors and
their use. Most of the definitions that we have considered are self explanatory. These
definitions should not be memorized, but their essence should be remembered.

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Figure 2.2 Types of protective conductors

2.4 Symbols used in the regulations

C rating factor general

Ca rating factor for ambient temperature

Cc rating factor for protective device or installation condition

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Cf rating factor for higher harmonic currents in line conductors

Cg rating factor for grouping

Ci rating factor for conductors embedded in thermal insulation

Ct rating factor for operating temperature of conductor

De overall cable diameter mm

Ib design current of circuit A

If fault current A

In rated residual operating current of the protective device in amperes A

Ipf prospective fault current A

I2t energy let-through value of device A2s

k material factor taken from Table 43.1

k2S2 energy withstand of cable A2s

n number of circuits in a group

S size (nominal cross-sectional area of the conductor mm2

Ze part of the earth fault loop impedance which is external to the


installation

Zs earth fault loop impedance

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