The Certificate of Suitable Electrical Installation and the technical file
An installer can do flawless work and still be unable to get a house connected: without the certificate, the utility will not supply it. This page explains what the Certificate of Suitable Electrical Installation is, how to choose the right type, what is verified in each case, and how the technical file that backs it up is put together, with the complete worked example of the ERSeP model house.
Who may sign the certificate, in which category and with what liability is in the Licensed Electrical Installer. The general framework (law, decree, AEA 90364, regulators) is in regulations for electrical installations; electrification grades and the circuits of a dwelling, in dwelling electrical design; residual-current devices and earthing schemes, in electrical protection. Here the subject is the document: what it says, what backs it up and how what it declares is calculated.
01What the certificate is and what it includes
Law 10.281 requires every user electrical installation, public or private, to have a Certificate of Suitable Electrical Installation in order to obtain the service. It is required of new installations and also of those that predate the law when service is reconnected. It is issued by a Licensed Electrical Installer whose scope of practice matches the type, voltage and power of the installation, and the user presents it to the utility when requesting connection or reconnection.
Whoever signs declares that the installation meets what it says it meets. That is why the certificate is also the installer's tool for showing what was certified if an accident happens: if the work is well done, the supporting files, complete and truthful, prove it. Liabilities are administrative (before ERSeP), civil and criminal (before the ordinary courts); the details are on the page about the licensed installer.
Neither the installer nor the utility may grant a deadline to bring an installation into compliance, or alter the conditions set by the regulations. If the installation is not suitable, it is not certified as suitable until it has been corrected. And on the form only the items actually verified are ticked: if one is missing, the certificate is issued as “not suitable.” There is no middle ground.
The certificate is not just a form: it is a set of six parts. The implementing decree requires it to contain the description of the installation as executed, modified or declared, its sketch, the photographs and the detail of the materials, and to be issued in triplicate: the original is presented by the applicant to the utility, the duplicate stays with the applicant and the triplicate with the installer. Today the documentation is uploaded digitally on the ERSeP platform, and only .jpg or .pdf files are accepted.
| Part | What it is | What to keep in mind |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | The certificate itself (form) | Applicant and property data, installation type, voltage, power and verified items. |
| 2 | Description of the installation (written description) | May be inside the body of the form. It describes what was executed. |
| 3 | Single-line diagram of the boards | Protective devices, cables, cross-sections and boards of the certified installation. |
| 4 | Floor plan | Service entrance, boards, outlets, raceways, earthing. |
| 5 | Materials list | Of the whole installation, not only what the installer supplied. May also be in the body of the form. |
| 6 | Photographs | Before, during and after, with the boards open and closed. |
How the form is completed
| Step | What is entered |
|---|---|
| 1 | Data of the person requesting the certificate and of the property whose installation is being certified. |
| 2 | Installation type (new, existing, for temporary supply) and its purpose (residential, commercial…). |
| 3 | Nominal voltage (220 V single-phase, 380 V three-phase) and the calculated power of the installation. |
| 4 | Scope: always “user installation and connection and metering point”; only “user installation” for grouped supplies. |
| 5 | The items verified as met are ticked. If not all are met, the certificate is issued “not suitable.” |
| 6 | The documentation is attached as .jpg or .pdf and the form is finalized. |
The declared power is that of the certified installation, complete and calculated, even if the customer asks the utility for something else. It also decides whether the installer has the scope of practice: Category III reaches 10 kW at low voltage.
02Installation types and definitions
ERSeP General Resolution 04/2023 (chapter I) classifies installations by their history and use, and each type has its own chapter with the requirements to verify. Choosing the wrong type means choosing the wrong checklist.
| Type | Definition | Chapter | Category III |
|---|---|---|---|
| New | One that is linked to the distribution grid for the first time. | II | Yes, within its scope. |
| Existing | One that already had supply, or that without having had it was built or started before 01/12/2017 (ERSeP RG 46/2017). | III (IV if larger or special) | Chapter III yes; chapter IV no. |
| Occasional and temporary use | Non-permanent connection: building sites, exhibitions, street stalls and the like. | V | Yes, for the permitted uses. |
| Permanent without metering | Permanent supply that, by its purpose or consumption, does not need a meter. | VI | No: categories I or II only. |
| Precarious dwelling | Of people in economic and social vulnerability, registered by the Ministry of Social Development. | VII | Not excluded. |
If the installation never had supply but was built, or construction started, before 01/12/2017, it is also existing, but the installer must prove that date in the certificate itself, which is issued as “existing under resolution 54” (ERSeP RG 54/2018). The definition is the same as in RG 04/2023; what changes is the duty to prove it.
Certification of an existing installation is required at the first reconnection and afterwards each time service is reconnected more than two years after the previous certification.
The definitions the form uses
| Term | What it is |
|---|---|
| Electricity supply | The provision of electrical energy to the user. It is definitive if connected to permanent installations and temporary if connected to occasional-use installations. |
| User | The natural or legal person who holds the supply. It becomes so from the moment the utility connects the service. |
| User installation | The one under the user's responsibility according to the EPEC Marketing Regulation or the Supply Regulation of the cooperatives. Without metering, it starts at the input terminals of the circuit breaker in the TPA and ends at the points where energy is taken; it does not include the user's utilization equipment (luminaires, cameras, amplifiers). |
| Connection and metering point | The set of materials, equipment and their assembly that allows the user installation to be connected to the grid and, if there is a meter, to record energy consumption or injection. |
| TPA | Service-entrance protection board: its enclosure holds the output circuit breaker of the connection and metering point. |
| TPU | User main board: the one the line from the meter or service entrance reaches and from which the final circuits or sub-feeders leave. It is different from the TPA. |
| Protective earthing | The user's earth connection, of a point that does not belong to the utility's service circuit; it protects people, animals and property (IRAM 2281-1, 3.17). |
| Service earthing | Earth connection of a point of the utility's service circuit, necessary for the normal operation of its equipment (IRAM 2281-1, 3.18). |
| Lightning earthing | Earth connection of a conductive part meant to carry lightning currents to ground (IRAM 2281-1, 3.19). |
| MICEM | Concentrated minimum-electrification installation module, defined in AEA 90364-7-779 and IRAM 63066. |
| Safety voltage | In installations without metering, the maximum permanent touch-voltage limit: 12 V AC. |
Chapter IV (larger existing installations or those with special characteristics, street lighting and signalling) and chapter VI (permanent connection without metering) are within the scope of categories I and II only. If the request falls there, the job is not signed, even if the power is small.
03What is verified: new and existing installations
New installation (chapter II). It must meet the AEA regulation in force for the type of installation; for a small single-family dwelling that is AEA 90364-7-770. If, because of its characteristics, there is no specific AEA regulation, ERSeP sets the conditions at the installer's request. Materials must comply with the applicable IRAM or IEC standards and be certified under Resolution MP-SC 171/2016 when required. On how a standardized material is recognized (IRAM mark, QR code), see the licensed installer and electrical materials.
Existing installation (chapter III). It applies to single-family dwellings and small commercial or industrial installations, at low voltage and up to 10 kW. Since the installation already exists and is not going to be redone, the decree provides that the certificate is issued upon the mere verification of the minimum safety conditions. There are ten:
| No. | Requirement (RG 04/2023, ch. III) | How it is checked |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Insulated user main board, with double insulation. | Enclosure of insulating material, no accessible sheet metal. |
| 2 | Ingress protection (IP) suited to the place. Minimums: IP 41 indoors, IP 54 outdoors (IRAM 2444). | Enclosure marking and condition of closures and seals. |
| 3 | Access to live parts restricted. | Covers, faceplates and shutters; no terminal in view. |
| 4 | TT protective earthing system, according to the AEA regulation in force and IRAM 2281-2 and 2281-3. | Earth rod with inspection box; resistance is measured. |
| 5 | Equipotential bonding: every conductive part that is normally not live and could become live in a fault is connected to the protective earth. | Continuity of the protective conductor to outlets and exposed parts. |
| 6 | In the TPU and in each sub-board, one circuit breaker per line or circuit, breaking phase and neutral. | One double-pole MCB per circuit; no loose single-pole breakers. |
| 7 | Residual-current protection of 30 mA or less, according to the board structure (see below). | RCD present, with legible sensitivity and its test button. |
| 8 | Fuses are prohibited for sub-feeders and circuits. | No screw-in fuses or fuse holders. |
| 9 | Standardized materials (IRAM or IEC), certified under Res. MP-SC 171/2016 when required. | Legible markings and marks. |
| 10 | Raceways, conductors, sockets and outlets properly installed; sockets in good condition and with three flat pins (IRAM 2071); closed outlets; no exposed cables. | Visual inspection of every socket and outlet. |
The RCD according to the board structure. If there is only a main board, all circuits are protected by a residual-current device of 30 mA or less, together with overload and short-circuit protection. If there is a main board and sub-boards, and the main board is outside the user's property, the main board carries the appropriate RCD together with the protection of each sub-feeder, and each sub-board protects all its circuits with an RCD of 30 mA or less. If the supply cannot meet that arrangement, the whole installation is protected with a 30 mA-or-less RCD.
The ERSeP course material contains examples that say “IP 44 for indoors.” The minimum set by the resolution is IP 41 indoors and IP 54 outdoors. An IP 44 board indoors complies (it exceeds the minimum), but an existing installation is not required to replace an IP 41 board in good condition with an IP 44 one: the checklist is built with the minimum stated in the resolution.
The power of an existing installation
An existing installation may have been built under AEA 90364-7-770 or without following it. In the second case, power is calculated with the procedure of Annex IV of ERSeP RG 17/2021:
- Total apparent power: 25 VA per lighting outlet, 240 VA per socket outlet and, for any equipment permanently located at an outlet (direct connection or through a socket) whose power is 500 VA or more, its actual power.
- Maximum apparent power: a minimum coefficient of 0.8 may be applied to that total.
- Maximum power to declare: a power factor of not less than 0.85 is also considered.
Here is the number of lighting outlets, the number of socket outlets and the sum of the actual power of fixed equipment of 500 VA or more. The result is a minimum reference value: if another method gives more, the other is used. And if the existing installation was built under AEA 90364-7-770, loads are calculated with that regulation: 25 VA per outlet does not apply in that case.
| Circuit | Annex IV (existing, not built under 770) | AEA 90364-7-770 (existing, built under 770) |
|---|---|---|
| General lighting (IUG) | 25 VA per outlet. | 2/3 of the sum of the outlets at 60 VA each (without derived sockets). |
| General-use sockets (TUG) | 240 VA per socket outlet. | 2,200 VA per circuit. |
| Specific-use sockets (TUE) | The actual power of the equipment if 500 VA or more. | 3,300 VA per circuit. |
A house built in 2019 has just been rented. It has the minimum electrification grade: 6 lighting outlets on a 10 A curve-B double-pole MCB and 15 sockets on another 16 A curve-C double-pole MCB. All sockets are three-flat-pin. The service entrance is double-insulated and there is a single IP 44 board in perfect condition inside the premises (the building line coincides with the property line), with a 25 A double-pole main MCB and a 2×25 A, 30 mA RCD. The conductors are standardized and of adequate cross-section; the green-yellow protective conductor (IRAM NM 247-3) and its earthing are present.
Verification. 1) insulating (PVC) board: complies; 2) IP 44 ≥ IP 41: complies; 3) access to live parts restricted: complies (the double-insulated service entrance is stricter than required); 4) TT system with rod and inspection box: complies; 5) protective conductor standardized, adequately sized and green-yellow: complies; 6) double-pole MCBs per circuit: complies; 7) 30 mA RCD: complies; 8) no fuses: complies; 9) standardized materials: complies; 10) three-flat-pin IRAM 2071 sockets and raceways in good condition: complies. All ten points are met: the file can be put together and the “existing” certificate issued.
Power. The installation was built under 770, so it is calculated under 770: a lighting circuit without derived sockets takes 2/3 of the sum of its outlets at 60 VA.
The 2,200 VA socket circuit is added, and the result is converted to active power with a power factor of 0.85:
That is 2.07 kW, far below the 10 kW of Category III. (No simultaneity coefficient is applied here; it would reduce the value: this is the worst case.) The tenant also wants to add a socket circuit. With that third circuit of 2,200 VA:
The current would be 4,640 VA / 220 V = 21.1 A, still below the 25 A of the main MCB and the RCD. Note: chapter II of RG 04/2023 includes “modifications or extensions of existing installations”; the new circuit is therefore built to the AEA regulation in force and not to the ten minimums.
A house from 2010, also rented. The service entrance is galvanized pipe, and behind it there is a sheet-metal board with 80 A screw-in fuses. Inside there is a mixed circuit of 6 lighting outlets and 15 sockets, protected by two 16 A single-pole MCBs (one on the phase, one on the neutral), and at the head a 2×25 A, 30 mA RCD. The breakers are in a sheet-metal board inside the house. The sockets are “biuso” (accepting round or flat pins) and the earth rod is joined to the outlets with bare cable.
What has to be corrected before certifying:
- Sheet-metal board: replace with one of insulating material, with the right IP (at least 41 indoors).
- Metal service-entrance pipe: it must have its own service earthing (rod with standardized cable), not connected to the user's protective earthing.
- Bare protective conductor: replace with green-yellow IRAM NM 247-3 cable, 2.5 mm².
- Check that the user's earth rod has its inspection box and connections according to AEA 90364-7-770 (the TT system, present only in the user's installation, is correct).
- Two single-pole MCBs per circuit: replace with one double-pole MCB that breaks phase and neutral.
- Head-of-installation fuses: replace with a double-pole MCB that protects the conductors of that stretch.
- “Biuso” sockets: replace with three-flat-pin IRAM 2071 sockets.
The 30 mA RCD is already there and is kept. Once everything is corrected, the existing-type file is put together. Power. This installation does not follow 770, so Annex IV applies, with 6 lighting outlets and 15 sockets:
By another route, multiplying both coefficients at once (0.8 · 0.85 = 0.68):
The declared power is 2.55 kW. The 80 A head fuses say nothing about power: what is declared is the calculated value. And the design current, 3,000 VA / 220 V = 13.6 A, fits a 16 A MCB.
04The connection and metering point
Under ERSeP General Resolution 08, the certificate issued by every installer, of any category, includes the connection and metering point of the certified installation: it is attested that its materials, equipment and execution meet the applicable technical specifications, verifiable before the utility grants service. The certification is made within the same form. The utility keeps its own control tasks all the same.
The course material cites this resolution as “08/2018”; the ERSeP form names it “08/2017,” and the download link also points to 2017. It is the same general resolution: cite it by its number, and confirm the year on the ERSeP website.
| Rule | What it establishes |
|---|---|
| EPEC ET-21 (ERSeP RG 06/2009) | Technical specification for the connection and metering points of low-voltage customers. RG 06/2009 approved its modification; it is the latest version issued. |
| ERSeP RG 11/2018 | For every new connection point, in addition to ET-21: meter boxes and protection-board boxes of insulating, self-extinguishing synthetic material; enclosures and raceways of self-extinguishing synthetic material or insulated with it; steel pipes, where they apply, insulated inside and outside (double insulation); and the earthing of the connection and metering point is dispensed with. |
| ERSeP RG 84/2018 | Points built, or started, before that requirement took effect: the 2009 ET-21 applies and the above is not mandatory, but the installer states it in the certificate. If something is damaged and must be replaced or repaired, it is done to the new criteria. |
| ERSeP RG 08 (arts. 5 and 6) | The connection point of grouped supplies (collective metering systems of condominium buildings) is certified by an installer of a category matching the maximum power of the whole set. |
What this means in practice. In a new installation or one with temporary supply, the service entrance is made with double insulation and no earth rod. In an existing one with metal components (pipe or meter box), those components are connected to their own service earthing, and under no circumstances is it joined to the user's protective earthing (RG 11/2018, art. 3). When any component is replaced, the replacement already follows the double-insulation criterion. A Category III installer cannot certify connection points of grouped supplies.
What the EPEC Marketing Regulation says
| Subject | What it provides |
|---|---|
| Custody and upkeep | The user provides the space for the meter and receives the service entrance and the meter as depositary. They must keep them in optimal condition. |
| Notice within 48 hours | On noticing an abnormality, damage or a broken seal, the user must notify EPEC within 48 hours, without handling, repairing or moving anything, either personally or through third parties. |
| Access | Metering is installed on the property line unless there are technical reasons. If it is inside, the user keeps it clean and clear for reading and inspections. |
| Limit of responsibility | If the meter box is on the property line, the limit is the meter's output terminals. If it is on private property, it is the property line, and the user may not work upstream. |
| Enclosure | With free space, dry, wide access, separated from water, gas, sewers and other lines, and with means to prevent flooding. |
This applies where EPEC provides the service. In the area of a concessionaire cooperative, the Electricity Supply Regulation it applies is consulted.
Before the meter the line is always live. Any work on the meter, its seals or the utility's service entrance is done or authorized by its staff. For safety practices in general, see occupational health and safety.
Temporary supply (chapter V)
For building sites, fairs, circuses and similar, the certificate is presented as a condition for the utility to grant the supply, and is renewed at each periodic review. It must always include the user installation and the connection and metering point. Besides the conditions of existing installations (double insulation, IP 41 indoors and 54 outdoors, restricted access, TT, equipotential bonding, MCB per circuit, 30 mA RCD, standardized materials), it requires:
| Specific requirement | Value or criterion |
|---|---|
| Security closure | Enclosures and boards that open only with a special tool (coded or not). |
| Boards | The TPU in a different enclosure from the TPA, unless the TPA meets the same requirements. |
| Portable installations | Sub-boards as close as possible to the loads and in restricted-access areas. |
| Link cables | Insulated copper, sheathed, rated 1.1 kV. Stretches on the floor are mechanically protected (PVC tubes, concrete slabs) and do not interfere with circulation. |
| Overhead runs | Pre-assembled cables at a minimum height of 4 m in pedestrian-only areas and 5 m where vehicles circulate. |
| Socket outlets | Behind a lockable cover or door, or external if watertight and complying with IEC 60309. |
| Fixed parts | Governed by the AEA 90364 regulation. |
05The technical file: description, single-line diagram and plan
The technical file is the set of documents that accompany the form. ERSeP publishes a model technical file (a new single-family dwelling, executed by the same installer who writes the description) that serves as a guide; its calculations are those of that property and must be redone with the real installation.
The written description
The description covers an installation that already exists: it is written in the past tense (“was installed,” “was measured”), not in the future (“a board will be installed…”), which is the tense of a project description. And it uses the technical name: “thermal-magnetic circuit breaker (MCB)” and not “the thermal.” A power-calculation sheet, a circuit sheet or a sheet of outlets per circuit is not a description: they may be attached, but they are not enough. Nor is the plan or the diagram copied; what they cannot say is written.
| Chapter of the model description | What it contains |
|---|---|
| 01 · Calculations and sizing | Location; area and electrification grade; number of circuits and maximum simultaneous demand (DPMS); final circuits; raceways; protective devices; summary table. |
| 02 · Description of the work | Preliminary work, boards and their verification, earthing, connection and metering point, feeding of boards, switching and protective devices, protective conductor. |
| 03 · Tests | Visual inspection, checking of materials, earthing with its connections, socket polarity; for boards, mechanical operation and selectivity. |
| 04 · Technical specifications | Cables, protective and switching devices, raceways, boards, earth rod, boxes, switches and sockets, each with its standard. |
| 05 · Other observations | Polarity, colors, connectors in the boxes, mounting heights, absence of “biuso” sockets and daisy-chain connections, general condition. |
The single-line diagram
It represents the boards and what they contain: only the protective devices, their associated cables and the earthing, starting at the service entrance. The TPA is located less than 2 m from the service entrance; if the house has its front door on the property line (the building line coincides with it), the same board serves as TPA and TPU. The thermal-magnetic breaker protects the installation against overloads and short circuits, not people; the RCD protects people and animals from earth leakage, not the installation. The data each carries:
Number of poles; standardized rated current (2, 4, 6, 10, 16, 20, 25, 32, 40, 50 or 63 A); trip curve (B, C or D); breaking capacity (3,000 A, 4.5 kA, 6 kA or 10 kA).
Number of poles and type (AC, A or B); standardized rated current (25, 40 or 63 A); sensitivity of 30 mA. Its rated current is chosen equal to or the next value above the sum of the currents of the MCBs it protects.
Each protective device also states the quantity, cross-section and type of its associated cable (for example, IRAM 247-3 · 2×2.5 mm²), and what it feeds (IUG, TUG…). It is drawn with standardized symbols (IRAM 2010: part I covers electrotechnical symbols and part III those for connection and protection).
The floor plan
It is drawn on a standardized sheet format (IRAM 4504) and dimensioned per IRAM 4513. It must show the location on the lot with setbacks and the property line; the connection and metering point; the TPA and TPU boards; all outlets with their height, each linked to its circuit with the cable and raceway of each stretch (for example, 2×2.5 mm² + PE, pR Ø 20); the earthing; and all circuits identified (IUG 1, TUG 2…). If no standardized symbol exists for an element, one is created and described in the legend. Drawing technique is covered in technical drawing and CAD.
New single-family dwelling of 72.42 m² (living room, dining room, two bedrooms, bathroom, kitchen, service room and patio), at Av. Emilio Olmos 5130, Córdoba. By its area, under AEA 90364-7-770 (2017 ed.), it corresponds to a medium electrification grade, which requires at least 3 circuits; the design adopts 4.
| Circuit | Use | DPMS (VA) | IB (A) | Cable (mm²) | Iz = 0.8 · table (A) | MCB | IB ≤ In ≤ Iz |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | IUG with derived socket | 2,200 | 10.00 | 2.5 | 0.8 · 21 = 16.8 | 10 A curve B | 10 ≤ 10 ≤ 16.8 ✓ |
| 2 | IUG | 316.8 | 1.44 | 1.5 | 0.8 · 15 = 12 | 10 A curve B | 1.44 ≤ 10 ≤ 12 ✓ |
| 3 | TUG | 2,200 | 10.00 | 2.5 | 0.8 · 21 = 16.8 | 10 A curve C | 10 ≤ 10 ≤ 16.8 ✓ |
| 4 | TUG | 2,200 | 10.00 | 2.5 | 0.8 · 21 = 16.8 | 10 A curve C | 10 ≤ 10 ≤ 16.8 ✓ |
The factor 0.8 is the grouping factor: two single-phase circuits in the same conduit reduce the cables' current rating. Circuit 2 (8 outlets of 60 VA) uses a coefficient of 0.66 on the sum:
Maximum simultaneous power demand. The circuits are added and the simultaneity coefficient for 4 circuits (0.8, table 770.8.II) is applied:
Main line. Design current:
The next standardized value above is 32 A (25 A is not enough, by 0.15 A): a 32 A curve-C, 6 kA double-pole MCB in the TPA. The 2×6 mm² line (IRAM NM 247-3, in embedded conduit) carries 36 A, and 25.15 ≤ 32 ≤ 36 is satisfied. The 2×40 A, 30 mA RCD matches the sum of the four 10 A MCBs (40 A).
Power to declare in the certificate (in kW, active, with the minimum power factor of 0.85):
By another route, from the current:
The declared value is 4.70 kW, comfortably within the Category III scope and justifying the single-phase service entrance (under 5 kW). Earthing: an IRAM 2309 rod, 1.5 m long and 19 mm, with 32 Ω measured, below the 40 Ω maximum.
The text of the model file says 7,080 VA, 5,664 VA, 25.75 A and 4.8 kW. They come from adding 2,680 VA of lighting, where circuit 2 is taken at its 480 VA without applying the 0.66. The summary table of the same document gives 6,916.8 VA, 5,533 VA and 4.70 kW: those are the correct values of the calculation and the ones used here. A real file must be consistent from end to end: text, table and single-line diagram. The model file's diagram also labels all four outputs as curve C, while the description asks for curve B on circuits 1 and 2; the description is followed here.
06Materials, photographs, measurements and times
The materials schedule
The list covers all the materials of the installation, not only those the installer added. Each product carries technical identification, quantity, material and the manufacturing and test standard. MCBs are identified by make, poles, rated current, curve and standards; RCDs, by make, poles, rated current, type, sensitivity and standards; cables, by make, quantity, cross-section, color, type and standard. This is how it looks in the model file:
| Material | Qty. | Standard |
|---|---|---|
| 32 A curve-C double-pole MCB | 1 pc. | IEC 60898 |
| 10 A double-pole MCB (curves B and C) | 4 pcs. | IEC 60898 |
| RCD 2×40 A, 30 mA | 1 pc. | IEC 61008/9 |
| Underground cable 2×6 mm² | 20 m | IRAM 2178 |
| Single-core flexible PVC cable (2.5 mm², several colors) | m | IRAM NM 247-3 |
| Semi-heavy rigid conduit, 20 mm, self-extinguishing | 100 lengths | IRAM 62386 |
| Rectangular 5×10 and octagonal boxes | 23 and 14 pcs. | IEC 60670, IRAM 62670, IRAM 2346 |
| Earth rod, 1,500 mm, copper-clad steel, 3/4" | 1 pc. | IRAM 2309 |
| Double-pole socket modules with earth, 10 A and 20 A | 30 and 1 pcs. | IRAM 2071 |
| Switch modules | 13 pcs. | IRAM-NM 60669-1 |
| Double-insulated service-entrance drop pipe, Ø 34 mm | 1 pc. | IRAM 2477 |
To choose each material, the following are considered: service conditions (voltage, current, time, temperature), external and environmental influences, regulatory and technical requirements, protection against direct contact, ingress of solids and liquids (IP code) and cost. Proof of conformity is what shows that the material is standardized: IRAM mark and, depending on the manufacturing date, the electrical-safety mark or QR code, besides certification under Res. MP-SC 171/2016. See electrical materials.
The model file sets IP 41 for the TPU and IP 43 for the TPA “according to ET-21,” but its materials list calls for an IP 65 watertight enclosure for the TPA. Whoever assembles a file checks that what the description says is the same as what is listed and photographed.
The photographs
- The before of the intervention and the detail of what was done: if a “biuso” socket was replaced with a three-flat-pin one, a photo before, one after and one of the back showing the line, neutral and earth connections.
- In new service entrances, the whole installation, where it can be seen that the materials are double-insulated and that the meter box is class 2.
- The TPA and TPU boards: the protection rating marking (IP 54, IP 44), the inside and the board closed.
- The splices used and the installation in general.
The measurement protocol
Verification of the installation ends in a protocol: a table with each test, the instrument, the measured value and the limit. The values set by the sources of this page are few and are noted as given; the other limits are taken from the current edition of the verification regulation (AEA 90364-6), not from memory.
| Test | How | Criterion |
|---|---|---|
| Earthing resistance | Earth tester on the user's rod. | Equal to or less than 40 Ω. (The model file measured 32 Ω.) |
| Protective conductor continuity | From the TPU to every outlet; the cable is not interrupted or cut. | Continuous at all outlets. |
| Socket polarity | Socket tester. | Correct in all. |
| Double-pole breaking | Each protective device is operated. | They break phase and neutral, in all circuits. |
| RCD | Test with the button and with an instrument. | Trips at 30 mA or less, without delay; the limit value, from the current edition. |
| Operation under load | Started up with all loads running. | No overheating or tripping; terminals tight. |
Controlling execution times
A job is planned in stages with estimated hours, and what was planned is compared with what actually happened. The times below are teaching assumptions (they come from no source) for the model house and serve as a template: what is learned is the method, not the numbers.
| Stage of the model job | Planned (h) | Actual (h) |
|---|---|---|
| Connection and metering point and TPA board | 8 | … |
| User main board | 6 | … |
| Conduits and boxes | 14 | … |
| Wiring, modules and fixtures | 22 | … |
| Earthing and measurements | 6 | … |
| Technical file and photographs | 4 | … |
| Total | 60 | … |
Photographs and notes are taken during the job: rebuilding the file at the end, from memory, is the most common cause of a description that does not match what was executed.
07In the workshop
Surveying an installation means opening boards and touching conductors. Work with the installation de-energized, with lockout, tagging and verification of absence of voltage with an instrument, as explained in occupational health and safety. Tests that require voltage are done by the teacher or under direct supervision.
Material: the classroom installation or an authorized dwelling, the list of the ten minimum points, flashlight, camera and form. Steps: go through the ten points and note “complies / does not comply / could not be verified” with a supporting photo; list what would have to be corrected and decide suitable or not suitable. Acceptance: the ten points with their status and evidence; a consistent decision (a single “does not comply” is enough for “not suitable”).
Material: the plan of a dwelling with its outlets and a calculator. Steps: count lighting outlets and sockets; calculate the power with Annex IV (25 VA, 240 VA, 0.8 and 0.85) and with AEA 90364-7-770 (2/3 of outlets at 60 VA, 2,200 VA per TUG), and express both in kW. Acceptance: both powers by two routes each, with the comparison and the check that they do not exceed 10 kW.
Material: an installation built in the workshop, its single-line diagram and plan. Steps: write a description of one to two pages, in the past tense and in technical vocabulary, with the standard of each material (IEC 60898, IRAM 2071, IRAM 2309…). Acceptance: no “will be installed”; no colloquial word; an outside reader can reconstruct the installation without seeing the plan.
Material: the same workshop board and paper or CAD. Steps: draw the single-line diagram with poles, rated current, curve and breaking capacity of each MCB, and the RCD with type and sensitivity; draw the plan with boards, outlets with heights, identified circuits and earthing. Acceptance: all the data in the list of section 05 and the IRAM 2010 symbols, with a legend.
08Common mistakes
| Mistake | Consequence |
|---|---|
| Giving a deadline “to fix it” and certifying anyway | A false sworn statement is signed. If it does not comply, the certificate is “not suitable” until corrected. |
| Choosing the certificate type from memory | The wrong checklist is verified. A permanent installation without a meter or a larger existing one belongs to chapter VI or IV, which Category III does not certify. |
| Declaring the power the customer asks for | The power is the calculated one of the installation; it can take the job outside the scope of practice. |
| Calculating a 770-built existing installation with “25 VA per outlet” | If it was built under 770, loads are calculated under 770 (2/3 of 60 VA, 2,200 VA per TUG…). |
| Leaving screw-in fuses or single-pole MCBs on the neutral | Fails points 6 and 8: they are replaced with a double-pole MCB. |
| Accepting “biuso” sockets | Fails point 10: they must be three-flat-pin IRAM 2071. |
| Joining service earthing with protective earthing | It is prohibited (RG 11/2018, art. 3). |
| Writing the description in the future tense or copying the project's | What is executed is certified, not what is planned. A calculation sheet is not a description. |
| Listing only the materials the installer supplied | The list is that of the whole installation. |
| Text, table and single-line diagram saying different things | The file loses value as evidence, exactly when it is needed most. |
09Self-assessment
Who issues the certificate and to whom is it presented?
It is issued by a Licensed Electrical Installer whose scope matches the type, voltage and power. The user presents it to the utility when requesting connection or reconnection of service.
An installation has a single item that does not comply. Can it be certified as suitable with a deadline to fix it?
No. Neither the installer nor the utility may grant deadlines. It is certified as “not suitable,” or corrected first and certified afterwards.
A house never had electricity, but its construction was finished in 2016. What type of certificate applies?
Existing, because it was built before 01/12/2017. Since it never had supply, the installer must prove that date in the certificate, which is issued as “existing under resolution 54.”
Name five of the ten minimum requirements of an existing installation.
For example: insulated main board; IP 41 indoors or IP 54 outdoors; TT system; one double-pole MCB per circuit; RCD of 30 mA or less; no fuses; three-flat-pin IRAM 2071 sockets; closed outlets and no exposed cables.
An existing installation (not built under 770) has 8 lighting outlets and 10 sockets. What power is declared?
By Annex IV:
By another route: 0.68 · 2,600 = 1,768 W. That is 1.77 kW.
In a new service entrance, does the connection and metering point have an earth rod? And in an existing one with a metal pipe?
In the new one, no: it is double-insulated and its earthing is dispensed with (RG 11/2018). In the existing one with metal parts, yes: its own service earthing, never joined to the user's protective earthing.
In the model house, why is the TPA MCB 32 A and not 25 A?
Because the design current is 25.15 A: a 25 A MCB would be below it. The next standardized value, 32 A, is taken, and it is checked that the 6 mm² cable (36 A) supports it: 25.15 ≤ 32 ≤ 36.
What is wrong with this sentence of a description: “A board will be installed and a 16 A thermal will be fitted”?
It is in the future tense: what was executed is certified (“was installed”). And it uses a colloquial name: it should read “16 A, curve-C double-pole thermal-magnetic circuit breaker (MCB), IEC 60898.”