18th edition

The 1st of January 2019 was a significant date on the electrical calendar, it was the day we at last saw the implementation of the 18th Edition of the IET wiring regulations. First introduced in July 2018, changes were made across the board as chapters were redesigned, rewritten or indeed introduced for the very first time. Definitions were altered, the scope was extended, and a declaration was made concerning only using the approved parts. Beyond these amendments however, perhaps the most important difference was the emphasis placed both directly and indirectly on green energy.

For many years, Residual Current Devices or RCDs have been commonplace in the vast majority of electrical installations.

RCDs provide additional protection against electric shock by constantly monitoring the current flowing through Line and Neutral conductors within a circuit, or an individual item of electrical equipment. Under usual circumstances, the current flowing within the two conductors is equal.

The 18th Edition Wiring Regulations (BS7671:2018) come into force on 1st January 2019 having been published in July earlier this year. There have been several changes to the regulations that affect various aspects of electrical installations. However, this does not necessarily mean that wholesale change is required in terms of test equipment for electrical contractors so it is important to carefully consider before making any purchases.

The original NAPIT EICR: Codebreakers was published in 2017 to help inspectors and contractors correctly code observations made during Electrical Installation Condition Reports (EICRs). The publication has now been fully updated to the BS7671:2018 18th Edition Wiring Regulations and this new version of the book will be released later this year.

The 18th Edition of the BS7671 Wiring Regulations has been finalised by the IET and will be issued on 2nd July 2018. It is set to supersede the previous 17th edition on 1st January 2019 and contains multiple changes, although not all of these are pertinent to test and measurement.