A wiring system is described within Part 2 of BS7671 as: ‘an assembly made up of cable or busbars and parts which secure and, if necessary, enclose the cable or busbars.’
There are other definitions detailed within Part 2 for:
- Flexible wiring systems
- Prefabricated wiring systems
A flexible wiring system is, ‘a wiring system designed to provide mechanical flexibility in use without degradation of the electrical components.’
A prefabricated wiring system is, ‘a wiring system consisting of wiring sections incorporating the means of interconnection designed to allow sections to be connected together to form a given system and incorporating installation couplers conforming to BS EN 61535.’
A wiring system is, therefore, by definition, a combination of elements that when taken together form a wiring system, and it is within that context that any regulation referencing wiring systems must be considered. This combination might be, for example, a sheathed and insulated cable clipped directly to a surface or single-insulated conductors within conduit or trunking.