Publication of the 5th amendment to the NF C15-100 standard on electrical installations in dwellings:
The NF C15-100 electrical installation standard is evolving to reduce construction costs for residential buildings. Amendment 5 revises the structure of the standard, retaining only the safety and operating requirements.
Initiated at the request of the Ministry of Housing as part of the “Objectives 500,000” project, the published amendment updates the part of standard NF C15-100 dealing with residential premises.
It rephrases the provisions of the standard in the chronological direction of construction, making them easier to understand and more efficient on the worksite. This is the case, for example, for electrical installations in bathrooms, where the layout has been simplified.
The amendment creates a new structure for the standard, with two new chapters replacing parts 7-771 and 7-772 :
- Title 10 “Low-voltage electrical installations in residential buildings” ;
- Title 11 “Communication systems in residential buildings”.
The user will also notice a reduction in requirements for comfort-related installations. This is the case, for example, for the minimum number of sockets to be installed in a large living room, which is reduced from 10 to 7.
New requirements are also being introduced to improve safety. This is the purpose of creating a new zone: the home’s electrical technical area, which will become the heart of the home’s electrical installation by grouping together electrical equipment and networks, and prohibiting gas, heat or water pipes. Another example: the installation of differential devices (to protect against electrical contact) is reviewed on the basis of the number of circuits, not the surface area of the dwelling.
The link with regulations
The NF C15-100 standard was made mandatory by the decree of October 22, 19691. From the date of its publication, Amendment 5 will be voluntary for 6 months, i.e. until the end of December 2015. It will then be mandatory for all professionals concerned, unless, as the Ministry of Housing anticipates, it is modified by a new decree published in the meantime.
The changes brought about by the new amendment have been defined by the AFNOR “Electrical Installations” standardization committee, which brings together nearly 40 companies, unions, inspection bodies, federations and government bodies. Their aim remains to define essential requirements to ensure user safety, while taking into account the constraints on the professionals who will have to apply them.
