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Electrical Note February 2020

Access Canberra Electrical Inspections team provide this guidance note to electricians in the ACT on some
emerging issues affecting the electrical industry.

Residential Smoke Detectors - Earth

The Access Canberra electrical inspectors would like to clarify the earthing requirements for residential
230Vac smoke detectors. Following some questions to the electrical inspections team, we noticed some
misunderstanding over this requirement and that there is a misunderstanding to whether a smoke detector
is a lighting point and requires an earth or is exempted electrical equipment.

In all cases the electrician should comply with the manufacturer’s instructions, and below we will step you
through the requirements as per the Wiring Rules (AS/NZS 3000:2018 A1).

230Vac smoke detectors are a lighting point in some clauses and electrical equipment in other clauses of
the Wiring Rules (AS/NZS 3000:2018 A1). This section of the electrical notice will work through what is the
Earthing requirements of a residential 230Vac smoke detector.

1. For the purpose of RCD protection, Clause 2.6.3.25 (a) Note: smoke detectors, exhaust fans and
ceiling sweep fans are all regarded as lighting points. Electricians should note that this is only for
the purposes of this clause, and does not make smoke detectors a lighting point for other clauses of
the Wiring Rules.

2. For the purpose of calculating maximum demand, table C1: Note 5, allows the electrician to count a
smoke detector as a lighting point. Electricians should note that this is only for the purposes of this
clause, and does not make smoke detectors a lighting point for other clauses of the Wiring Rules.

3. Clause: 5.4.3 Lighting points:

A protective earthing conductor, connected to a terminal or suitably insulated and enclosed, shall
be provided at every lighting point, including transformers supplying ELV lighting systems.

As discussed above in points 1 and 2, since the smoke detector is not a lighting point for the purposes of
clause 5.4.3, then this clause does not mandate an earth be supplied at a smoke detector if it does not need
one. Where the manufacturer’s instructions state an earth is required, the Wiring Rules mandate that you
follow that instruction.

The electrical inspections team would recommend that an earth be provided, in case a future replacement
smoke detector requires one, (and it could be considered good wiring practice) but the Wiring Rules does
not explicitly mandate one be provided. Please leave a copy of the manufacturer’s instructions on site for
the electrical inspector, and home owner.

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The Meaning of Domestic

The Access Canberra electrical inspections team are bringing to the attention of electricians an important
difference in the meaning of what is a Domestic installation between AS/NZS 3000 and AS/NZS 5033.

AS/NZS 3000:2018 A1 Electrical installations - Wiring Rules

Clause 1.4.53 “Domestic” lines up with clause 1.4.55 “Residential”. See extracts of both definitions below;

1.4.53 Electrical installation, domestic

An electrical installation in a private dwelling or that portion of an electrical installation associated
solely with a flat or living unit.

1.4.55 Electrical installation, residential

An electrical installation or that portion of an electrical installation associated with a living unit or
units.

In a free standing house, (NCC Class 1) it is the whole house, in apartment complexes (NCC Class 2), it is
only the living units, not the roof, and not any of the commercial units if they exist as part of the complex.

Please note:
AS/NZS 3000:2018 A1 clause 2.6.3.2.2 (c) requires that common areas of multiple residential
electrical installation have RCDs like Domestic and Residential installations.

AS/NZS 5033:2014 A2 Installation and safety requirements for photovoltaic (PV) Arrays
There is an important difference in the application of Domestic installations, when installing PV systems
over 600 volts. Clause 3.1 of this standard requires that domestic dwellings shall not have a PV array with a
maximum voltage greater than 600V. Electricians need to be aware that AS/NZS 5033:2014 A2 has its own
definition of domestic;

1.4.14 Domestic dwelling

A building of Class 1, Class 2, Class 3 or Class 10 as specified in the National Construction Code
(NCC) 2014 under Australia building classifications.

Renewable energy installers need be aware of this difference in standards and the effect this will have on
their design. An example of different applications of domestic could be “plant-equipment” when compared
to a “PV system” on the roof of a (NCC Class 2) multiple residential unit complex;

 Under AS/NZS 3000:2018 A1 this space would be treated as Non-Domestic, and the rules applied
as though this was commercial or industrial space.
 Under AS/NZS 5033:2014 A2 this space is classified as domestic and the limitations in system
voltages per clause 3.1 of AS/NZS 5033:2014 A2 would apply.

Please note:
AS/NZS 3000:2018 A1 clause 7.8.2 lists Standards that are additional to, replace, or modify the
general requirements of this Standard, and AS/NZS 5033 is a listed standard that can modify
AS/NZS 3000.

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Amendment 1 AS/NZS 3000:2018

Amendment 1 to AS/NZS3000:2018 was published on 31/01/2020. Under the regulations to the ACT
Electricity Safety Act, new requirements to AS/NZS 3000 take effect 6 months after publication, and error
corrections will take effect immediately. Error corrections are anything that is not a new clause or
requirement.

If electricians have projects underway that an error correction changes the meaning of a clause they were
using for a project, the Access Canberra electrician inspections team will consider an extension to the phase
in period, on a case by case basis.

This amendment is typically adding the “or” or “and” in most lists, with some clarification to existing
requirements. Below we have listed some of the major changes.

Major Amendment changes to note are;

1. A warning about possible adverse effects of air extract systems has been added. This is a warning that
Access Canberra has previously published in July2018 (click here for the PDF), electricians should take
note of this warning immediately.

4.1.5 Air extraction systems

Air extraction systems may adversely affect the safe operation of combustion appliances, including
those in other rooms, potentially resulting in carbon monoxide poisoning. Advise the customer to
have their flued combustion appliances tested by a competent person to ensure correct operation.

2. Application of Clause 4.8 has been clarified with the addition of an explanatory note. As this is a note
clarifying an existing clause there is no change.

Clause 4.8.1
At the end of the clause, add the following:

NOTE: Devices producing hot water or steam include, but are not limited to, boilers, storage hot
water systems, instant hot water systems, spa heaters, swimming pool heaters, sauna heaters, hot
drink appliances, etc. This Clause applies to such items regardless of whether electricity is the
primary energy source. For example, a gas califont with electric ignition is a water heater.

3. Clause 7.8 - Standards for specific electrical installations has been revised to make it clear that
referenced standards are able to change the requirements of AS/NZS 3000. This change is only
clarifying better what clauses 7.8.1, 7.8.2 and 7.8.3 can and cannot do. Since there is no change in
requirements it will take effect immediately.

Clause 7.8.1
Delete the text of the clause and replace with the following:

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This Clause (Clause 7.8) specifies Standards for specific electrical installations.

Where the listed Standards do not specify a requirement, the relevant requirements of this
Standard apply.

Clause 7.8.2 lists Standards that are additional to, replace, or modify the general requirements of
this Standard.

Clause 7.8.3 lists Standards that provide additional guidance for specific electrical installations.
The relevant regulatory authorities may have requirements additional to these standards with a
varying method of application.

4. The changes to clause 7.8.2.15 bring additional requirements of AS/NZS 5139 for compliance when
installing batteries for energy storage systems. As this change brings in additional requirements there
will be a 6 month phase in period of the additional requirements.

Clause 7.8.2.15
Delete the text of the clause and replace with the following:

Battery energy storage systems (BESS) and associated battery systems, as defined in AS/NZS 5139,
shall comply with AS/NZS 5139. All other secondary battery systems, as defined in the scope of AS
3011 (series), installed in buildings, structures or premises such as those with critical power
continuity requirements (e.g. for telecommunications, uninterruptible power supplies (UPS),
hospitals, sub-stations and black start) that are outside the scope of AS/NZS 5139 shall comply with
AS 3011 (series).

5. For fountains and water features, there is a re-write of clause 6.4.4.5 to provide better clarity on
exceptions, to make the clause flow better, and to fix up incorrect references to other clauses. The
Access Canberra electrical inspections team recommend you read the new clauses before working on
fountains and water features. As this change has error corrections and brings in additional
requirements there will be a 6 month phase in period of the additional requirements

In the example below, we have highlighted only one of the differences in the new clause, please read
the whole clause if this is an area of electrical work you are involved in;

6.4.4.5.1 General
The following requirements apply to the installation of luminaires, appliances and other items of
electrical equipment, excluding those specified in Clauses 6.3.4.3 (socket-outlets) and 6.3.4.4
(switches and other accessories), in classified zones.

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Standards Update
AS/NZS 3000:2018 Electrical installations (known as the Australian/New Zealand Wiring Rules) Amendment
1 was published 31 January 2020.

Australian Standards also have active projects to review;

 AS/NZS 3001:2008 Electrical installations - Transportable structures and vehicles including their site
supplies
 AS/NZS 3002:2008 Electrical installations - Shows and carnivals
 AS/NZS 3010:2017 Electrical installations - Generating sets
 AS/NZS 3015:2004 Electrical installations - Extra-low voltage d.c. power supplies and service earthing
within public telecommunications networks
 AS/NZS 4836 - Safe working on or near low-voltage electrical installations and equipment (New
proposal for 2020)

When standards are open for public comment, electricians and the general public are able to comment via
this link to Standards Australia. The Standards Australia comments site also has a list of all (AS) standards
open for public comments, such as;
 AS/NZS 3500.4 Amd 2 Plumbing and drainage, Part 4: Heated water services - Comments close
16/03/2020
 AS 2473.2:2015 Amd 1 Valves for compressed gas cylinders, Part 2: Outlet connections (threaded)
and stem (inlet) threads – Comments close 11/03/2020

Fact Sheet Updates

The fact sheet on DC isolators for PV systems was published this month.

The following Fact Sheets have been updated to reflect current standards requirements;
June 2019 PermTemp supply layout
June 2019 New Metering Tests V5
July 2019 Smoke detector requirements for battery systems in residential applications
July 2019 Residential photovoltaic and battery storage inspection process
August 2019 Contestable metering in the ACT
August 2019 Wiring System Protection Methods
September 2019 Split Air Conditioning Systems
November 2019 Public Street Lighting Systems
December 2019 DC Isolators for PV Systems
January 2020 DC Isolator Covers for PV Systems

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Email Address and Contact Information

All licenced construction professionals in the ACT are required to keep their details up-to-date, and to
notify Access Canberra within 7 days of any change. Use this link to access the change of address form.

Not only do we use your email address to keep you up-to-date with emerging issues affecting the electrical
industry, the;
 Licensing team need it to send out your licence reminders.
 Electrical inspections team need it to send out inspections reminders and defects.
 Registrar uses it to send out notices of disciplinary action.

Where you use a work email address, consider to also use a personal email address, for those times you are
on leave or change employers and we need to let you know of an important issue you do not miss out.

Electrical Inspector Advice and Interpretations

Electricians requiring advice on Wiring Rules interpretations should contact the electrical inspections team
by email; [email protected] or phone; 02 6207 7775. To aid in providing consistent advice
to the electrical industry, only the electrical inspections team managers will respond to your enquiry. If you
pose a question on site to an electrical inspector, this must not be considered as binding advice but as the
personal opinion of that inspector.

As a reminder, if you receive a defect notice from an electrical inspector and you have questions relating to
it, please call the inspector who issued the defect notice in the first instance, their mobile number will be
on the report. If you have further questions that require a more complex response than the electrical
inspector could provide, please use the above contact process to talk with the inspector’s manager.

Contact us
Access Canberra Electrical Inspections Team

Phone: 02 6207 7775 (8:30am to 4:30pm) Business Days

Email: [email protected].
Web: https://www.accesscanberra.act.gov.au

Previous electrical notices are available at this link:

https://www.accesscanberra.act.gov.au/app/answers/detail/a_id/2998/kw/electrician%20note#!tabs-5

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