NAPIT - jargon buster

Jargon Buster

Scheme Jargon

Arbitration
The main alternative to the court system where the parties have the power to decide many of the procedures that will govern the conduct of their arbitration. The decision is binding in law. NAPIT provide this service through the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators.
Building Regulations
A set if requirements covering new buildings, improvements, extensions, renovation and even maintenance and repairs. The regulations set standards and rules by which those standards can be met and in some cases sets demands for notification and certification.
Competent Persons Scheme (CPS)
Schemes authorised by DCLG where work can be certified as complying with the building regulations without prior notification to the local authority building control.
Conciliation
A voluntary, non-binding 'without prejudice' process in which trained third party negotiators attempt to bring people together to reach settlement. NAPIT provide this service through the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators.
Cooling off period
A period of time allowed to change your mind about a purchase decision. Currently, goods and services that are sold unsolicited are subject in law to a seven day cooling off period.
DCLG
The Department of Communities and Local Government (formerly the ODPM).
Defined scope
A member of a Competent Persons Scheme who worked in an area only to support his/her main activity. An example is a builder or kitchen fitter who is competent to carry out some electrical work, but only in support of their main trade. As a result, their approval is limited in its scope.
Estimate
An informed guess, a rough price.
Home Information Pack (HIP)
A government backed scheme where certain information about a house being sold is supplied by the seller (also known as the home sellers pack). The launch date for the HIP is June 2007.
Insurance Backed Warranty
A six year warranty that covers the consumer in the event of poor workmanship or failure to complete work. This cover is in place from the moment a contract is signed and is triggered if other steps to correct the problem are unsuccessful.
Notification
Within the building regulations some services must be notified. If being carried out by a member of a Competent Persons Scheme such as NAPIT this can be self certified by the Member who will notify NAPIT. If not, the householder is responsible for notifying the intended work to the local authority building control department before work commences and they will determine inspection requirements and charges over and above the work done by the tradesperson.
Quote
A fixed price that is binding.
TrustMark
A scheme backed by Government that recognises tradespersons who are willing to sign up to consumer protection rules and lead the fight against cowboys.

Trade Jargon

Balanced flue
A flue that has concentric tubes, i.e. one inside the other, arranged in this way so that one tube carries out the exhaust fumes and the other brings in the air for combustion. The combustion chamber is thus room-sealed and safe.
Boiler
An appliance that heats water for central heating or hot water supply. See also combination boiler and condensing boiler.
Bonding
All metal pipes in buildings must be earthed electrically by linking them all together with wires, which are then connected to earth. This is done to prevent severe electrical shock to persons should the pipes become live through a fault.
Circuit
An assembly of electrical equipment supplied from the same origin and protected against overcurrent by the same protective device(s).
Circuit-breaker
A device capable of making, carrying and breaking normal load currents and also making and automatically breaking, under predetermined conditions, abnormal currents such as short-circuit currents. It is usually required to operate infrequently although some types are suitable for frequent operation.
Combination boiler
A boiler that supplies direct domestic hot water without a storage cylinder as well as for central heating.
Commissioning
In many trades, the adjustment of equipment to ensure optimal performance in terms of safety and efficiency. Sometimes required if manufacturer's warranty cover is to be valid.
Condenser
The outside unit in an air-conditioning system that disperses the waste heat and condenses the gas back to a liquid.
Condensing boiler
A boiler that fully cools (condenses) the heat in the flue gases so that the maximum energy is utilised.
Consumer Unit
Also known as a fusebox, consumer control unit or electricity control unit, the mechanism by which circuits are protected by overload.
Distribution Board
An assembly containing switching or protective devices (e.g. fuses, circuit-breakers, residual current operated devices) associated with one or more outgoing circuits fed from one or more incoming circuits, together with terminals for the neutral and protective circuit conductors. It may also include signalling and other control devices. Means of isolation may be included in the board or may be provided separately.
Domestic Hot Water Cylinder
A storage vessel normally made of copper in which domestic hot water is stored. Inside the cylinder is a coil of pipe through which water from the boiler passes to heat the water which becomes available through your hot water taps.
Evaporator
The internal part of an air conditioning system where the system gas cools the room air by evaporating.
First Fix
Plumbing or electrical carcassing prior to plaster.
Header Tank
Small open cistern (tank) that feeds water to a central heating system.
Leigonella
The term given to a group of bacteria that thrives in water of between 15 and 45C. The bacteria can infect susceptible people and result in an illness similar to pneumonia. The systems particularly prone are older mixers where the hot and cold are mixed remote from the point of use.
Making Good
The finishing touches that bring work up to scratch.
Motorised valves
An electrically powered valve for the control of water flow through pipes, it can be operated by a time switch or thermostat.
Open flue
A chimney taking flue gases from an appliance which terminates in the open air, usually above roof level.
PAT
Portable Appliance Testing
PIR
Periodic Inspection Report
RCD
Residual Current Device, a protective device on an electric circuit
Ring main
Power circuit for sockets
Riser
Vertical water pipe from the mains (or the upright part of a stair).
Room sealed
A combustion appliance using a balanced flue.
Room thermostat
A device which switches heating control equipment on and off according to the temperature which has been set into it by the user.
Second Fix
Items fitted following plastering.
Soil pipe
Vertical pipe to take water and sewage out of a building.
Split system
An air conditioning term used to describe comfort cooling where the room evaporator and the outside condenser are split and not within a combined unit.
Stack
Vertical pipe carrying waste from sinks and toilets.
Trap
A curved section of drain that holds water, providing a seal that prevents odours from escaping.
TRV
Thermostatic radiator valve. Non electric valves which regulate water flow through a radiator in accordance with the amount of heat required to maintain a pre set temperature in a room.
Unvented hot water system
A hot water and radiator system that has a sealed pressure vessel to deal with expansion and a safety valve to prevent damage. The advantage is that higher temperatures can be reached, a header tank does not limit the height of radiators and the system can be compact for flats.
Zoning
Providing separate space heating control for different parts of a building, i.e. ground floor or first floor usually achieved by the use of motorized valves.