What electrical work are you allowed to do in your own home?
2023 ж. 5 Ақп.
614 590 Рет қаралды
There is a lot of mis information and here-say on what your are allowed to do when it comes to working on your home electrical system. In this video I give a quick review on how it works and exactly what you are allowed, and not allowed to do.
Part P UK Building Regs: www.gov.uk/government/publica...
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From what I've observed and experienced in the trade here I'm happy to say when I do my own work in my own home I do it at an extremely high standard. I always use gorilla glue and always use original sellotape.
That’s a joke, right?
@@jameshansing5396 It's hard to tell with some of these people. I read a review on an extension cord where someone didn't like having to climb a ladder to reset the breaker, so they removed the breaker. This is like the old style fuse boxes in america where people would put bigger fuses in because they kept blowing a fuse. A lot of these people then wondered why their house burned down.
😂
This part P is something I am having major issues with. I am a fully qualified apprentice trained electrician ( recently retired) Over the years I have had multiple qualifications including 14th, 15th, 16th and 17th wiring regulations, been the authorised person for 11kV switching at 2 UK factories, hold multiple other qualifications. But.... when my stepson decided to move into property development he decided that a little electrical knowledge would be to his benefit So he paid (quite a lot) for a 3 week course that makes him not only entitled to carry out installations (I did install a new consumer unit and an armoured cable feed into the garage of his first project because he had little confidence in his ability), but to certify my work. I find it massively distressing that someone like me, fully trained, qualified and with 50 years of experience within the trade cannot add an additional ring main in my own home without getting it certified from someone who has done a 3 week course
This does make sense to a bureaucrap, who has a totally different line of thinking from normal human beings.
This is no longer true, to research a little more, have a look at the Electrotechnical Assessment Specification document, and the associated minimum qualifications. Since Sep 2021 you are required to hold: 1. A craft qualification (apprenticeship NVQ and the like) 2. 18th edition regulations 3. Inspection and testing Item 1 generally requires a 3/4 year apprenticeship. You also need to be competent, so knowledge and experience required which is assessed.
@@magneto9642 I think you can do a level 3 in more like 6-18 months if you do it on it's own as a full time course. Or you can do it in two years as part of an A level program for example at a technical college, though it is a double award so it takes twice the timetable slots of a single award eg an A level. Then again that makes sense an NVQ level 3 qualification is considerd equivalent to 2 A levels passed with a grade C or higher.
The entry requirement a for a level 3 electrical course is a level 2. They are generally carried out consecutively. An NVQ also requires a work based portfolio. Following this the NVQ will not be awarded until an end point assessment exam is carried out. The end point assessment is completed through a separate awarding body than the NVQ. As an NVQ is a work based qualification, this is carried out along side work. So while you think it can be carried out in 18 months, unless you are a mature student, this thinking is incorrect.
time to retire in Texas
I have just retired after 50 years in the electrical trade and any electrical work I require doing I will do myself and if I am not sure about anything I will look it up. I feel after all my years in the industry I am better equipped than somebody who has been working for 2 or 3 years
Good for you, and logical, or you could get a budding sparky and let them experiment on your property and why not do abit of Harry Enfield role character play, " you don't wanna do it like that " I'm sure the bud will love you for it 😏
Nothing stops you doing so, this video is incorrect in suggesting you can't. Any home owner can do the work themselves even to consumer units, but if they arent part P registered they will need to make an application to the local authority. The difference is that a part p electrician doesnt need to apply, they can just do the work and notify the local authority after via their professional body. The local Authority will want to be sure you are competent to do the work and will usually employ an electrician to double check your work for which you will likely be charged £200-300. As a retired electrician they may well seem you to be competent without someone to check your work but will want to see that you have done all the normal testing of circuits.
@mikebarry229 not sure how true this is that building control will get an electrician to check it. In my area certainly , building control will just expect YOU to get it certified by an electrician, which in turn makes it impossible for you to do the work, as electricians just don't do this any more (only EICRs, which are different)
When it comes to electricians qualified doesn't always mean competent, I have seen some shocking work by qualified electricians as well as DIY
‘Shocking work’ - hopefully not literally!
0:33 he's in reference to eu laws regarding electrical work, and thats 240 volts err I think its 230 volts 50 hz. No 110, 115,or 120 volts. But even in the usa you have to pull permits and get inspection in many places you cant even change a fixture without a permit and inspection
I agree, we had a new build and some stuff was horrible that the electrician did and the developer didn’t even check the home.
Totally agree I’ve been a electrician for 43 years and come across some really Bad workmanship also they have been registered
In my area, I've seen nothing else.
Man, your videos are just so good. I’m not a professional but a very competant DIYer (an engineer father started me young), but every video of yours that I watch I learn something new, and your script and editing make everything so clear.
Thanks 👍
It's competent DIYers who get frustrated. I've no formal training, but I'm an electronics hobbyist, so I'm quite capable of understanding cable current ratings and derating them properly, and using the appropriate connectors. And I know not to trust any MCB or RCD off Amazon until I've personally had it on my test-bench to verify correct operation, given the counterfeit situation. I know what I'm doing, but the law disagrees: The default assumption is that no-one should be trusted until they have completed an extensive training and certification process, which is so convoluted that even on this video there are people arguing about exactly what the requirements are. There's no way I can prove my knowledge without time and expense.
@@vylbird8014 Think of it this way, your abilities, though good, will not convince a insurance company, who by remit, look for ANY excuse not to pay up. As frustrating as it is, its better to cover yourself by using a Electrical Company (fully registered) to sign off any work you may do. I fully agree with your caution over products, unfortunately people's remit is cheapness and not safety. Any electrical equipment should always be A1 plus, so pick carefully. If its cheap, there's always a reason!
The vid was in the uk but here in the USA I can’t tell you how many installations I have seen done by licensed contractors that does not meet code. As a professional I am constantly updating my knowledge of the code and why it is the way it is. I am also a UL certified shop.
An excellent walk-through of domestic electrical installation and the limits for the DIYer.
I just moved to a new property and love learning to understand, how things work. I am absolutely in awe with this video! Thank you-thank you-thank you! 🥰🥰🥰
I've always done my own electrics, be it changing a socket or a switch to adding new circuits. Last one was putting a proper electric connection to the garage and adding sockets and lighting in the garage. Also from there I've put it through to our summerhouse (which is build of the side of the garage) each with it's own consumer unit and it has all been checked by a qualified electrician and 100% approved. And before anyone asks, no, I am not an electrician, in fact I only learned for two things and that was bricklaying and welding & construction.
same her, i do all major work, self taught, get it approved by qualified sparky via council, much cheaper and great satisfaction
After having RCDs keep cutting out, we had our board checked and the 'Qualified installer' hadn't fully tightened half the connections, at least we part funded his new car hey.
Another very informative - and potentially life-saving (or at least shock/fire-saving) - video.
Good informative video. Thank you. Having recently moved into a new house, i'm looking to do the odd bit of DIY so thanks for pointing out Part P of the Building Regs.
This was very informative and useful to know! I now have a clear mind of what I can and can't do. So thank you
Glad it was helpful!
@@ProperDIY only as long as you live in England because its different for Wales
I used to do a lot of major refurbishments and usually ran all the electrics myself but always called in a qualified sparky to check the circuits and connect to the board. This arrangement worked well for me for many years.
Don’t know any decent sparks who’d be ok with that
@jameshansing5396 - Any qualified electrical inspector would be pleased to do an inspection and certify the work if it meets the requirements of Part P. It’s what inspectors do (there’s a clue in the name, ”electrical inspector”.) Maybe you should have stopped after your first five words . . . ?
Ok, your ignorance is highlighted several times there. An EICR isnt the same as signing off someone else's work. Part P is an insanely tiny part of the process, I mean TINY..... Part P course is 3 days, I got 100% on mine. BS7671 is 3/4 days, I got 96% on mine. BUT the rest of knowing your stuff is YEARS. Oh and let's not forget the week long Test and inspect course, 2391. As a working Spark, with many Spark acquaintances (So personal experience) the VERY best ones dont want anything to do with signing off someone else's work as they are too thorough and anal (a good thing). it really isnt the same as an EICR where you can load the cert with LIMs. Ill put you onto my mate if you like, he teaches 2391 and BS7671 whilst still being a working Spark. Id trust him over anyone and he wouldn't want anything to do with it. The only ones I have ever known do it were Spaks who's knowledge had zero respect for. SO you can try and be condescending but I have highlighted your ignorance and given you real world examples. Look over the comments, plenty are saying how sh*t proper Sparks can be. And guess what.... they will be the ones signing off some clown's work....... Unless I can inspect every inch of cable, check EVERY termination then f*ck that and by that time, you may as well have done it yourself. ;) I am open to the fact that SOME decent Sparks may do it but I still stand by my view, as I am not a total egotist like you who thinks my own small experience is all encompassing. $50 says you arent even a Spark yourself.... (If you are then that's scary that you think Part P is so relevant. It really isnt in the grand scheme of things). @@quirkygreece
@@jameshansing5396 I wish I could see the rest of this thread that has clearly been removed.
Great information video and helpful tips for folks doing basic electrical DIY 👍
Kudos to Stuart for allowing an open comments section on a contentious issue. We may not all agree but constructive debate is healthy and people have an opportunity to expand their knowledge. Unlike another DIY guy's channel who blocks all the comments that offer constructive criticism. Can definitly see why this channel is so popular.
Correct me if I'm wrong but part p does say this.
As a Yankee I thank you for explaining the British system. It's fascinating to see how different it is and I don't mean wagos and wire nuts. Thx
No problem GS
Different, and considerably better.
@@vylbird8014 Cables buried in plaster, inaccessible junction boxes, and ring mains are far from "better". The main advantage is 240v instead of the 120v used in the US.
@@thelight3112 230V 😁
@@thelight3112 Cables shouldn't be buried in plaster, junction boxes should be obvious in location and accessible and ring mains require considerably less wire than the alternative.
Thanks for this Stuart, I've completed various bits of electrical maintenance and modifications over the years and think I know my limitations, but the rules change over time so it's reassuring to get a concise common sense update !
Useful summary for non-sparkies! Thank you.
Great knowledge shared and presented in an intelligent easy to understand fashion Stuart.
Thé général message is correct….. that electrical installations should be installed and modified only by a competent installer. However, to say that it is illegal to do this work as a DIYer is incorrect. In the IEE guidance, competency is not based on a professional status and can be exercised simply as someone who follows the IEE guidance and standard installation recommendations. This means that as long as notification is given to the local building authority, anyone who is competent can carry out the electrical works so that correct procedure and if necessary, building controls can be undertaken. If it was illegal to install or modify and electrical installation, the materials would be restricted to only professional and certified installers/professionals………… but of course, this is not the case.
So could I install an EV charger myself? AC EV chargers are just fancy extension cables. The actual charger is built into the car. Yet they cost about £500 to buy and £500 to install. It’s ridiculous. I’d like to think I’m fairly competent, I’ve experience with UPS systems, batteries and others.
Yes: if you consider yourself competent and follow IEE guidance. I would imagine that you would have to install some pretty hefty cables to a new circuit breaker in your consumer unit similar to a kitchen cooker - but I would beef up a bit and put in 10mm2 cables. Remember; your EV will be on charge for a long time, and you should also protect with a RCD. Best way would be to instal a local consumer unit with a feed direct to the main interruption switch after the principle intallation feed
Level 2 chargers incorporate their own RCD.@@glyntutt1586
Nice to know what I've done electrically has been within the rules. I've saved thousands of pounds on doing my own electrical work, changing sockets (they always go back better than they were found!), replacing ceiling roses, changing single sockets to double, and wiring in the odd spur, replacing the flex on appliances etc. I think my first electrical "work" was sorting out all the plugs at home when I was a kid, maybe 11 or 12. This was when appliances came without plugs, and many plugs in the house had the cores showing, so I sorted them all out. Some 40 years later and all the electrical work I've done, I've never once blown a fuse or caused a pop, but always flinch on turning the power back on expecting to, even though I know every thing is okay and it's never happened yet.
Are you a qualified electrician ?
@@williamspencer2899 obviously it otherwise why would he bother making his comment
@@callummiller5886 Doesn't mean he is an electrician, just someone who knows what he is doing and not messing about. Years ago I installed a power supply from my old 32A cooker supply, out to my garage for a welding machine. I've since had it checked over by two electricians (while having other work done) and they both (seperately) found it ok.
Back in the day, meaning decades ago, confidence was no substitute for competence and taking sound advice, so those able to do work did it. Most electrical work, and plumbing work, with modern systems, are DIY jobs. I’m sorry to say that sucking in air and shaking one’s head isn’t conducive to trusting qualified electricians, who, like double glazers, can be mere inspectors of work rather than the contractor, if you follow the regulations, and are confident and compliant. Rules were established to stop cowboys and incompetents, but have favoured the trade above those who take care and install competently as DIYers. Take care.
@@williamspencer2899 are you a primary school pupil ?
This video Haa been excellent in clearing up one or two questions I had about part P as is applies to DIY installations. 👍
I had an outdoor socket installed but it required a part-P person because I wanted it done via a new circuit to (a) allow higher current and (b) allow me to more easily isolate it if there was a problem.
Great teacher 👍 You explain things better than any college tutor I've encountered in the past.
My experience is that when it comes down to it, nobody really cares about the notification side of things. Even when selling a house, say you don't have an install cert etc for a new circuit, an EICR to check it's safe is almost always fine. Generally speaking, dodgy work looks dodgy even to a layman. The main thing is like anything: is the work done properly, and is it safe.
Really useful, thanks. Good to know that I haven't done anything illegal!
Just come across this while looking for DIY hints. What a great explanation. Well earned new subscriber!
This is one of the best educational videos I have ever seen. I am a qualified electrician, and the majority of our work is in domestic properties. The advice Given in this video is 100% accurate and delivered in a way that can be understand by all. When I attempt to explain these principles to my customers, I soon see that vacant look in their eyes as they just understand what I’m trying to explain. Thanks to Proper DIY, I’ll never have this problem again - I’ll just show them this video. I’m thinking this guy is a qualified electrician.?
I pity it is wrong on many points. Read my posts on this vid.
It worries me when I read prople are qualified tradesman in the comments. Yet they feel the need to come on here to watch -how to- videos. Scary.
@@grahamd5418Why? Its a video titled "What Home Electrics Can You Do Yourself". It's going to be of interest to many electricians purely to see what information is being put out there from a DIY perspective. On a wider level, there's a few professional electrical channels that are really good resources for increasing professional knowledge. Surely someone who is always looking to improve and increase their knowledge is going to make a better electrician than someone who thinks they know it all and don't need to bother
@William Tell Much of the skill sets is the same as other trades, such as: drilling walls, filling holes, fixing things secure and straight on walls, lifting floors, etc.
@rarmst75 > The advice Given in this video is 100% accurate No, it's 99% inaccurate.
The rules were put in place primarily to stop dodgy electricians I.e those operating as a business who’s work was very poor from doing work. At that time most (there are always a few exceptions) people that did DIY electrics, were people that took time to study what they needed to do and took care in doing it. The number of people killed due to electrocution from their own DIY per year minimal and I don’t believe that’s really changed since. The biggest problem with the rules is as many people who own a house but cannot afford for an electrician to re wire a house will not have that house rewired. The general dumbing down of diy, has created a whole generation who are too scared to even remove a socket. They also don’t realise that the terminal screws of sockets, can work themselves loose over time (depending on what’s plugged in) and should really be checked every few years.
Correct. It all comes under Health and Safety. They are the ultimate body. The are over GasSafe. If you see a badly installed gas installation by a DIYer, GasSafe are not interested, as he is not asking for money and not under their umbrella. When asked about allowing DIY gas work Health & Safety said that is not a problem overall, it is incompetent work by people asking for money, so called professionals. Hence GasSafe came about. They have the same view on electrics. But they cannot stop unscrupulous operators, so gradually making AFDDs mandatory (since June 2022) in some electrical installations and *recommended* in all, the safety level is greatly raised.
@ImARocketMan a rewire is only required when the insulation breaks down. There's a reason we go to college for years, and DIY Dave has no idea if that video on KZhead is good or not
Loctite!
I do the electric myself and yes I research by reading the regulations on what I am doing, artisan electric has said some DIY electric people are better than electricians as they do a neater and nicer job, in my view if know regulations you can do electric as long as make sure it off before working on it (I cut through a cable once I thought was off but as the plug was under a table) but either leave sockets maybe hanging off or let an electrician unscrew the sockets so they can check the wiring and mark it off if you done a good enough job
@@mlee6050 so you test it, make sure it has a adequate zs. Do a insulation test? Thought not
Those RCD are interesting as you have what we in Canada and US call a ground fault circuit interrupter protecting your whole house. We have GFCI breakers as required on individual circuits such as bathroom or hot tub feeds. I like to watch these kinds of videos from different countries as the differences are interesting.
RCD = GFCI RCBO = RCD plus an MCB (micro circuit Breaker). AFFD = RCBO plus arc fault. Now becoming common in the UK is RCBOs on all circuits. AFDDs are mandatory on socket circuits on some high rise blocks, etc. They are _recommended_ on all installations, which means fit them unless a good excuse not to.
Spot on. This information must have been looking for me. Just did some DIY lighting extensions. Thanks
Read the posts on this thread. DIY electrical work is fully legal.
Interesting although as an electronic s engineer trained in low voltage and high. I submitted to building control the electrical lay out plans detailing cable size and mcb, rcds ratings etc. This was installed by my self including armoured cable because my consumer unit was greater than 3m away from source. This was periodically over viewed by a qualified electrician and also carried out part p testing of the entire installation. Final installation signed off after I completed minor ommissions and submitted to the local BR department. So I believe that your presentation clear and concise was a general statement which overlooked the options available. Best Regards Peter
@@robfodder5575 I saved a fortune with regard to installation, despite the electrician I over compensated in parts and it was the neatest cabling he had seen. £300.0 for all the testing. I even convinced him the switch in bathroom was outside of zone two, which he reluctantly agreed. Perseverance and common sense prevailed 👍😎
@Peter Briggs I agree. The regs say you have to be competent. Yes some work is notifiable , but doesn't mean you can't do it your self
@@gs425 As a competent electronics engineer monitored by a qualified electrician this is within the regs as they would have been rejected from the day I submitted them on the original proposals. 👍😎
@@robfodder5575 you need to find an electrician that monitors your work. Remember earthing is important from switch plates to back plates if the are metal. If using armoured cable invest in earth locking nuts which earths the sheath only required at one end. Finally the metal cut outs need to be protected with plastic edging. Good Luck 😎👍
The Lewden box is a switch-fused isolator. it is there because your consumer unit is more than the maximum permitted distance of 3 meters for unprotected meter tails which is why it goes out in an armoured cable. You'll probably find that although the incoming fuse is rated at 100A, the switch fuse is down-rated to something like 60 or 80A.
Hi Henry , subscribe @mainly electrical 👍⚡️
Ok I understand that - thanks for telling me.
I wonder how this SWA its made off at the CU end ?
@@DerekHundik I'm guessing it isn't.
@@DerekHundik @mainly electrical 👍⚡️ get subscribed 👌
So perfectly timed this video. Thank you!
You're so welcome!
Useful information as always Stuart, thank you 👍
Absolutely brilliant video. A follow up on the art of cramming (I mean “dressing”) a pair of 2.5mm twin & earth cables into a standard 25mm back box, as well as whether or not you should twist cables together would be great 👍 😂 thank you!
If you don't know whether you can, finding out from a bloke on KZhead is not a good idea. Find a qualified electrician.
Twisting them together is bad for the cable and a pain in the arse when it comes to testing. Don't do it!
@@Savagetechie completely agree. Been a total pain in our house when changing out sockets / adding spurs. Maybe WAGO could make a special spiral connector so I don’t have to keep chopping them back 😣🤬😂
@@PrinceBarin77 you can get 6mm wago 221s that will probably take a twisted pair of 2.5, they will definitely take a doubled over 2.5
Never twist - lots of sparking points where they touch but don't bind together. Double over the wires, as in videos on YT videos by professionals for professionals, eg, eFIXX and John McGrath (who is an electrician by trade and a woodworker on YT). I've had to re-set socket and lighting wiring by professionals whose work reveals itself as loose and sloppy very quickly, sometimes within a day or two. Always check work by professional registered electricians unless you have seen them at work and checked their work, preferably in someone else's home!
So clear, answered everything I needed. Cheers!
Thank you, great clarity there for the DIY'er
Thank you
Went to move into new house 22 years ago. BIL was the contractor liason. He touched the dishwasher and got an electric shock. We noticed the lights were also dim. Sparkies who put in the electrics were contacted. After a 2 hour drive to get here, they spent 30 seconds, looked at the main switchboard, found nothing wrong and left. We refused to sign the handover till the problem was fixed. Builder called a local sparkie who found a dislocated neutral wire on the main box, and fixed the wire. Years later I remove a light switch assembly from the wall to paint, and a hot wire broke. Screw must have been tightened with a pile driver, and the movement of the switch from the wall caused the wire to break. When I wire a switch or plug, I test the wire by tugging on the wire a few times with a reasonable force to see if the wire screw is tight. Something our sparkies did not do, they just tightened the shit out of all the wires. SMH.
Found the same thing with a house I moved into, slowly been replacing the sockets for newer ones and the ceiling roses. Somethings may have been done by the previous owner of course, but a lot looked it hadn't been touched. For example removing one ceiling rose I found the cables had been stripped and the individual cores the insulation was cut and damaged exposing live copper, this could only have been done by the original electricians as no reason for anyone else to have cut and stripped those since. I found lots of sockets the cable stripped far too much so a lot of bare copper exposed hanging out the terminal. I'm not a qualified electrician, but have the knowledge to do it, so I feel happier I've gone around all the sockets now and replaced them knowing they are installed well. The trouble is with qualified electricians, is that anyone can get qualified, it doesn't mean you do the job well afterwards. It's like passing a driving test, you drive like an OAP on the test, but once you've passed....
Moved into a different house in 2004. My neighbour - since deceased - who was a lovely man, told me 'Brian was very good at DIY!' I decided to change the ceiling light at the bottom of the stairs since it was very old and not what you might describe as 'stylish'. Having switched off the relevant circuit I removed it from the ceiling and found the cable hole in the plasterboard ceiling was about 5 inches in diameter. Wow! I thought, that's a bit big! I disconnected the cable and removed the fitting. Then checked the security of the cable and found it was mixed with a large lump of brown mastic in the void. I pulled gingerly and after 5 minutes had removed all the cable from above the ceiling. It was still connected but the extra cable was long enough to literally reach the floor. Having shortened it to a sensible length and replaced the gaping hole in the ceiling I fitted a new light unit. The old cable went in the bin. Brian lives in Spain now and is undoubtedly causing havoc but in a different environment. His DIY was shocking. Brown mastic to point a brick wall anyone?
@@thetraveller869 Brown mastic reminds me that the previous owner to my house had stuck some loose capstones (on the low wall around the patio) back on with some sort of silicone adhesive, possibly bath sealant.
Qualification doesn't mean they take pride after the fact...! Sloppy is Sloppy, the rubber stamped version just costs more..!
The point on testing is really important, one I made on another video the other day. I'm a confident diyer with a dad who is a spark and I've done a few jobs with him including full rewires but while most diyers would be capable of changing sockets or lights etc, most, I would proffer, don't do any testing to confirm the safety and integrity of any new work and probably just go on the "it's working, it's fine" mantra.
Agreed - I picked up a Kewtech socket tester (the more expensive one) for any spurs I’ve added. Better than nothing I hope.
A Kewtech socket tester doesn't measure resistance. And any person doing electrical installation work, that has more than 1LB in weight of grey matter doesn't need a Kewtech socket tester. The wires are colour coded so you shouldn't be making the mistake of wiring them into the wrong terminals. It's the resistance measurements that tell you how good the connections and terminations are. The Kewtech doesn't give you that. And that is where the fire risk comes from, terminations which have too high a resistance. But if you happen to have a socket tester, then why not use it to detect obvious mistakes. So I don't think they are useless, but recognise that they are very limited in what they do.
@@PrinceBarin77 That's not how you test mate to see if a socket is safe mate.
All that is needed is a megger and a multimeter.
@@rogerphelps9939an mft is well beyond what your average diyer has on hand.
Great video. The amp rating on the rcd are the maximum rated current they can handle it isn't a breaking current rating like mcbs. Your rcds could possibly be overloaded. 63A shouldn't have that much on them. I see both of yours have well over that. I would recommend getting a little bus bar and changing at least one of the 32mcbs on each rcd for an rcbo.
Best fit double pole AFDDs on socket circuits and high current radials, like electric showers, cookers, etc. Cover all safety bases.
Excellent, very well explained. Thank you
Didn't realise that gardens/exterior weren't a 'special area' any more. Thanks for the info.
only for England, Wales it still is
@@codenamenel That's reasonable - it is wetter in Wales so higher risks. 😂
@@barrieshepherd7694 🤣 In wales the whole country counts as within 0.6m of a bath. 🤣
@@KX36 can confirm.
That really does depend of the earthing type from the dno, it's not as straight forward as that
I know 'someone' who afew years ago completely rewired a house from the main fuse and then got it certified by a qualified electrician. All passed to standards and a big improvement on the old wired fuse box..
All in order and still possible. However, it really should be approved and inspcted by he local authority building conrol department who will extract a fee - when I checked a few years ago it was around £500 for a complete rewire.
@@jeremybarker7577 I think the qualified electrician and his mate cost £200 ish for the half day it took. Very thorough.
Yep, there's also the NAPIT inspection/sign off
Dodgy spark 😂
Thank you. Brilliantly clear, and useful to me.
This is fantastic. totally love your vids, I have loads of DIY to do and no idea where to start, your sir are a god send, Excellent presentation, clear, concise excellent. =o)
It's wrong to say that you can't do work that is subject to Building Regs approval. It's just that if you do it yourself you will have to pay the local building control department the appropriate fees and have it approved and inspected by them (they may contract inspection out to an electrician). For some types of work the cost of the building control fees can outweight the savings of not paying an electrician to do the work.
Wow what a difference from my country. I have rewired my whole house and have no problem adding circuits. Recently I added a cable to my load centre for an emergency generator with the interlock of course. Works great. By the way, very useful video.
Some years back a MPs daughter tried to do her own electrical DIY (probably was dumbass enough to put metal against a livewire) and killed herself, then the law of doing DIY yoursef changed.
@@DavidJohnson-dc8lu Yeah, real "freedom" is the government protecting you from yourself. It's ironic that the country that is responsible for the political philosophy that birthed the US has strayed so far off their own path.
Aye some of us know how to get around the moronic rules here
@@Interdiction Oh, I get that, which just points the finger at how stupid the laws are. I'd do the same. On the surface at least, the law expresses a paternalism that is antithetical to freedom.Somehow though, I think it has a lot more to do with satisfying a self-interested lobby than it does with protecting people from themselves. It's more of an employment law than a public safety law. Credentials are often just a means of excluding competition.
@@Interdiction You can also just ignore them, to no consequence. It's not like the council is going door to door, inspecting all your sockets and switches.
Great informative video, thanks for sharing.
Certifications are all fine and dandy, as long as you have the skills to back them up...
One thing that I think you should have included is reference to the wiring regulations - that's not the same as Part P. This is important since, while homeowners can carry out the work you described, it still has to be in accordance with the wiring regulations. One minor correction is around a fused spur (you mentioned on the video an isolator) which isn't a new circuit and you can install a fused spur as a homeowner. You would need to do so if, for example, you were to install some lighting from the ring-main. The lights would have to be fused down to 3 or 5 amps. You're spot on about the consumer unit though and it's worth adding if you have a second panel in a garage, it applies to new circuits there too.
Unfortunately, the wiring regs are not available for free (at least, not the current ones). I have managed to find the 16th Ed online, but not more recent. I won't link here because I don't want to give the impression they are still valid.
A1 ring final
This is a good point. A while back I replaced a section of wiring over at my Nan's house, which ran out towards an outside light. The installer (I won't call them an electrician) apparently decided that because the cable run was partially protected by the building that ordinary PVC interior wiring would be acceptable. I replaced the bodge-job light and ran new pond cable (HOF7RN or something) to it. I found the old cabling had started to become brittle and wasn't adequately supported along it's length, which was also nice. Apparently the same guy may have been involved at one of her neighbour's houses as they had the same type of cable but running to a garage, and their landlord had to have it replaced as it kept shorting out when wet.
I take code to be a minmum. I almost always go a bit beyond, it doesn't usually cost much and gives just that much more confidence that the system cannot be over taxed.
@@awt Why would books be published for free? There's no "unfortunately" about it.
The actual voltage that comes into a UK home will normally be around 240V. The EU standard didn't actually change anything in the distribution system in the UK, the standard was just widened to include those countries with generally higher voltages (like the UK at around 240V) and a lot that used 220V in Europe. Really it is a specification of the manufacturers of electrical equipment. It's easy enough to check, and a lot of plug-in power meters will show what the actual voltage is at any point in time. nb. for anybody who is having their CU swapped out, I would recommend to them to spend the extra and have RCBOs fitted rather than those RCD split boards with MCBs. That way, you get fewer nuisance trips, much better fault isolation and diagnosis and if something does trip sue to excess residual current, then it doesn't knock out half the circuits in the house.
I've seen 245 volts on my system, and my solar panels are at maximum output (i.e. the volt drop in my mains supply cable means that my house runs at a higher voltage than the local substation).
@@roberthuntley1090 volt drop does not cause overvoltage . The opposite actually
Great video as usual. Thanks for the information about the regulations
I wired a fused spur from my main socket ringmain to plug in a dryer, it's nice to know I didn't to a booboo. I'm planning on rewiring after another year or two though
As a retired electrician I still think there needs to be an independent check for safety IF work is done by a DIYer. Case in point, in my previous house the garage the radial for sockets was a mix of 2.5 & 1.5 T&E behind drylining boards and mostly hidden in rockwool insulation. I took the easy option and put a 6A MCB on the circuit. there was also a lighting circuit taken from aj unction box on a 32A ringmain. That soon got a 6A fused connector as well. there was also a rat's nest of exposed wiring (which turned out to be misplaced Earthing) round a junction box in the loft. And the earth cable in the downstairs lighting circuit never found it's way back to the consumer unit. Just as well I did an EICR on the property.
My neighbour had an electric stove for years that usually blew a fuze when more than one 'ring' was used for cooking. He put up with it for years (at least his wife did) but when I helped fit a new electric cooker and checked the wire hiden behind the old cooker, we founf it was 1.5mm T&E, NOT 6mm cooker cable. Once the new 6mm cable was run to the mains, the new cooker gave no problems.
An electrician recently working on my brothers flat wired a 2kW electric room heater up using a spur taken from the lighting circuit. My brother quickly realised (once he had installed the fuse that for some reason the electrician had omitted to fit in the isolating switch fuse plate) that something was wrong when turning on the heater to test it was working tripped the breaker and turned off all the lights. The electrician denied all knowledge of any problem and refused to come back. So my brother told the main contractor who had employed the electrician that he could whistle for his money until it was fixed, and that he would be calling building control and everyone else that he could think of in the morning. The problem is not DIYers or electricians but idiots and both sides have them.
I would prefer the system some countries use where, if some sort of inspection is required, self-certification is never allowed.
For many years I have followed, read, spoken/read countless sources of information pertaining to electrical work, installations, the law, part P and so on. It is beyond me how something so potentially dangerous has SO MUCH ambiguity surrounding it! You could literally get 10 qualified sparks in a room and you could ask them the same question and get 10 different answers. The posts on here are proof of that. I had intended to ask a long standing question of my own but the fact that I can guarantee I will either not get a straight answer, a dozen different answers or the usual - "If you are not qualified don't touch anything" OR my favourite "Read part P"
Go on then, try me.
As an electrician with 50 years of experience that's true. The same as with plumbers, mechanics and a lot of other trades lots of things are open to personal interpretation of the regulations we work under. The wiring regulations in my trade have so many cross references in it that you can easily loose track of the original item you were looking for so no surprise there is confusion and different interpretations.
Superb video. Well done. Extremely clear, well presented, good video technique. Good voice.
Great video. 25 years ago, I was engineering high-power switch-mode telecom battery chargers and were already designing them for 230v nominal input which the UK was moving to. Unfortunately, even now in 2023, it seems that most of the network is still 240v. Indeed, my own supply has drifted from 235V to 248V over the last 24 hours and from talking to others this still seems broadly the norm across the network. Would be interested to know if this varies by region and whether any parts of the UK are actually delivering 230v nominal.
I suspect that new DNO circuits for new streets might well have the secondary windings of the residential neightbourhood transformer tapped for 230V. But for every other existing 240V DNO transformer, it costs time and equipment to alter the tappings on the transformer windings. Given that there's no commercial benefit to the DNO in dropping the voltage for it's own sake (indeed it'll take longer for the kettle to brew), and that 240Volts is still well within spec, then the existing transformer will likely remain untouched until it's deemed inadequate to cope with the number of new solar installations, heat pumps and EV chargers. My own voltage shows up a strong correlation between solar output and higher voltages, with 247Volts seen at lunchtime in the summer. 235Volts is seen when there's a high load at home, but no sunshine.
Our supply varies between about 235 and 250 volts, as monitored by Kasa Energy Monitoring Smart Plugs. It's currently 251 V. I imagine it's only a problem for simple resistive devices (ie no PSU) where they will draw proportionally more current and therefore a kettle will boil a little bit quicker. So much of modern life uses siwtiched-mode power supplies which mean the voltage can vary over a very wide range while maintaing a steady 5 V (mobile phones and other USB devices) or 20 V (laptop). My laptop charger is rated at 100-240 V which means that presumably a nominal 230 V supply could fall a *long* way out of spec and still give 5 V out. The maximum of 240 V is a bit worrying if our mains is 250 V: hopefully there is a lot of "headroom" in the SWPSU so the mark:space ratio of the high-frequency switching voltage can be reduced far enough to give an output of 5 V even at 250 V.
Even in EU with 230 V nominal, its common to have about 245 V at night when the power grid only has a small load.
No voltages have changed, only what they are called. The tolerances have been changed to fudge it so that everything can be called 230V across Europe. On paper everything is "harmonised", in reality nothing changed. All equipment has to work over 230V +/-10%, but you will find that a lot of Chinese products are made thinking that 230V is the actual supply voltage and will fail at 230V + 10%.
The nominal voltage is 230V but the allowable tolerance means that a 240V supply under the older tolerance that would have applied when it was installed will still be within spec. When I had some work done earlier this year the tester said the voltage was 245V.
Great vid, although they're not UK regulations - they only cover Eng & Wal, there are different documents for Sco & NI.
Theres a different doc for wales too, we still have to notify work in a kitchen and anything outside
Well done, excellent advice
You speak like a gentleman Great explanation thumbs up
I am happy that in Belgium you can carry out absolutely everything as a DIY, the regulations and requirements are openly available for everyone. But anything that gets added or changed from a existing installation needs a inspection carried out by a independent approved company, this also needs to happen when a professional electrician carries out the work. This will also require a single line drawing and situation sketch where all power points, lights, switches,… are indicated.
Sounds like a good model.
How much is inspection?
@@neilbennett9281 I had to look it up, there might be slight differences for apartment vs house, full renovation/new build/small alterations. For a renovation of a house I checked 1 company and price is 215€. Not sure if this includes solar panels and battery as I did see seperate pricing for that.
France also DIY possible.
Even better in the Netherlands: no inspection required. You can do absolutely everything yourself, downstream of the sealed meter / municipal fuse box. You are responsible for working to code, and covered by insurance... unless they find out after a fire that you did not follow code.
I noticed from news reports years ago in Australia that many factory fires the news stated that recent electrical works were done at the factory. By electrical contractors.
All electrical (and plumbing) work in Australia is more strictly policed and regulated than in the UK - but the parts (or most of them) are still available in DIY stores. That said some of the regulations are weak - e.g. no need for CPC to light switches if the switch is fully isolated (not metal, no chance of contact etc. - those silly screw caps must have originated there) The regulations (Industry driven) are so all-embracing that you cannot even install your own data cabling OR terminate patch leads..... and don't even think you can install a second phone socket. Technically your transformer powered doorbell requires a sparky and you need a plumber to change a tap washer.
@@barrieshepherd7694Very few people get plumbers to change tap washers. Myself included, l learnt plumbing from my father who was a plumber and sparkie.
digital meters take to long to measure voltage if trying to measure a rapid change as in moving a magnet past a coil in generator making, analogue reads much faster so are usable. nice video thanks
Really useful, well put together videos. So much better than 99% of the dross you find on KZhead. Keep going!
Meanwhile in the Netherlands, fuseboards are plastic, electric meters are indoor, DIY is completely legal. I did completely a complete overhaul of my consumer unit preparing it for 3 phase, I was even required to pull the main fuse to replace the main isolator switch. My colleague got solar panels last year and he had to replace his consumer unit, you can buy fully assembled ones online.
Same in the UK, except you cannot pull the main fuse. The vid is wrong.
@@johnburns4017 thank you for clearing that up.... I can imagine a 7-year-old child attempting electrics probably wouldn't be a great idea... kids are getting pretty smart at a young age.. just because somebody can do something doesn't mean it's ok
@@Jawst In the UK the law says you have to be *competent.* If a 7 year old is competent then they can do it.
But you also forget to mention that The Netherlands has one of the highest standards of electrical wiring in Europe. Not to mention one of the easiest to maintain (in my humble dutch opinion :) ) But you will also find that an electrical fire will result in detailed scrutiny from the insurance company if they find anything wrong.
@@patrickd9551 All the EU is high. The UK has the advantage that is has the superior fuse in plug. The French, German, Swiss, etc, have DP disconnectors at the main panel. This means twin L & N busbars are used. Much neater. The UK is moving to DP, but not mandatory yet. The UK has AFDDs on circuits with sockets mandatory in some installations, being _recommended_ in all. Also SPDs are near mandatory.
Regarding consumer boxes, RCBOs are better for a household. Although the installation cost is a bit more, the benefit is that each circuit has its own 'RCD' which means - unlike having only two RCDs - half the house does not lose power with RCBOs because one appliance or light has a problem. A properly qualified electrician can convert consumer boxes on request for a cost and personally would strongly recommend it.
I learned my electrics in the Army and industry. I rewired my house 27 years ago and it still functions. However, I had it inspected and certified but a qualified ‘domestic’ electrician without fear or favour once this was completed. What I have learned is that the RCD ages and needs replacing every few years. As I live in a rural area I can suffer from being at the end of a line which means that the 230v can dip. As a matter of interest from your personal experience how many older properties actually have any form of electrical certificate relative to their original installation?
It is still 240V in UK. They signed up to the EU standard but they didn't run around rewiring all the commutators on the generators. 240V is within tolerance. Same in Australia and NZ.
WTF are you talking about? There are no commutators on generators. Its AC, not DC.
@@mernokallat645 Possibly meant the transformer taps.
From June, 2022 AFDDs arc fault detection devices were *mandatory* in flats with 6 floors and higher, care homes, etc, on any circuit with one or more _sockets_ on it. This detects _arcs_ which can cause fires. An AFDD can replace a micro circuit breaker in the fuse box, in the same slot. It has four functions: *1)* Over-current protection; *2)* Fault detection; *4)* Earth leakage dectection (RCD); *5)* Arc fault detection. AFDDs are *recommended* on all new installations and circuits.
Over priced.
@@derekgoodwin6646 Not over priced, just expensive. Price is dropping. But four separate devices that does what the AFDD does in one package then it will be expensive.
Still only a C3 on inspection, unless of course there is enhanced risk which would be unlikely. HOWEVER: One could argue that you haven’t made anything worse (safety-wise) by not installing an AFDD with an addition but you technically may have by adding more points on which a cable could fail and thus leave it in a condition considered less safe. It’s all getting very political. I was surprised AFDDs were not mandated for terraced houses where fire could spread through the joined roofing.
Do they work - reliably - on low current lighting circuits though? I suspect that their 'need' stems from the days when we were drawing high currents and potentially causing significant arcs.
@@barrieshepherd7694you “suspect”? 😂
I was prevented by Part P from wiring my own kitchen so I had to get a so called Sparky to do it for me. 2 things: I told him to put the cable THROUGH the joists for the lighting circuit _- he put them under_ and secondarily I had to complain about him to get him to send me the paperwork to say he'd done it! And then, of course, I did the job myself the way it shoude have been done in the first place by drilling through the joists as I'd asked... Ah well yeah and I should have had it rechecked and there were reasons about..... No, the bloke just wanted my money because *I HAD TO USE A SPARKY* - this was on an extension.... If you clip wiring underneath the ceiling joists, although you can (with difficulty) pinch the cable between the underside of the joists and the plasterboard for the ceiling, you leave a shock hazard for the guy coming in 20 years' time putting up Christmas tree decorations for his children !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! £200 to do the job properly myself for a poxy piece of paper!!! - Part P?!?!?!? The easy way to deal with this is to say that when your house is sold, IT MUST HAVE an electrical safety certificate. If you want to do electrics *FOR SOMEONE ELSE* you should be qualified to do so - DON'T stop ME from doing something that I understand and am competent to do FOR ME
If you had specified cables through joists, and he didn't, don't pay him.
I’ve had a similar experience. I am a retired engineer with decades of experience installing equipment in hospitals, including operating theatres, to a much higher standard than domestic installation - but thanks to part P I have to get a qualified electrician in to my domestic wiring. I wouldn’t mind - I accept that it is important to be up to date with the latest regulations - but I am often disappointed with the quality of the work, I know I would have done a better job myself and I always have to chase them for certificates.
It's because the paperwork costs extra money. If he's unregistered, he's _supposed_ to send a notification to the council that they've done work and pay a fee for the privilege. For small jobs, this can be a significant cost. And yes, he should have drilled through to start with, ensuring the the cable was laid 5cm below the surface or else protected from a casual diyer drilling or nailing.
@@randeknight cables don't have to be 50mm below the surface though. Perfectly fine to lay cables touching the plasterboard. According to regs anyway.
That's what I assumed the law was and common sense suggest something like: Do whatever electrical work you want to your own house, but if it doesn't comply with building regulations, expect to have to spend a fortune fixing it all if/when you come to sell your house.
But well done for pointing out the removal of Outdoors and Kitchens as special locations.
Really good explanation
Excellent video and sound advice, but the basic problem with regulations (not just electric) are that the majority of people are oblivious to their existence, plus there are so many and they are so complex.
You are right there.
If people cannot understand the law, they will not obey the law.
RCBO's are the way to go, they trip individual circuits under fault only, instead of also tripping off all RCD's on a bank protected by a RCCB.
They are also significantly more expensive than MCBs
@@elminster8149 they're getting cheaper all the time and it also means you can spec the type of rcd that's in it for individual circuit requirements.
They do become significantly more expensive when they have an afdd built in but they'll soon come down as well as more people start using them.
I'm sure they are - I don't know what % of new builds are using them though.
@@ProperDIY my 4y old house still uses MCBs. Builder will use cheapest allowed system for as long as they are allowed to
Great information, thank you.
That was amazing. Thank you. I'm in Ireland and only ever see American vids on this kinda stuff.
Hello how are you doing, nice to meet you here.
I'm such a noob when it comes to electricity... I find this all very educational! If I may ask, if that first plastic cabinet is outside, anyone with a triangle key can open it and shut off the power, and all lights, alarm systems with it??
Yes - not good really
@@ProperDIY Hope the thieves and burglars aren't subscribers to your channel then
@@ProperDIY stick a lockout padlock on upside down. after all your rcds will still trip under fault the switch doesn't physically have to move. it's no diffenert to not having as isolator fitted.
Alarms have battery backups that keep the system alarmed in the event of an outage. Mine, when it has no power, activates and you have to input the code to disable it. Much to the dismay of my neighbours one night we were away for the weekend and there was a short interruption to the power 😬
@@rodgerq indeed - 'tis why so many of them are able to make a racket during a power cut!
Latest edition of electrical regulations (18th amendment 2) recommend fitting of Arc fault detection device AFDD's not MCB's or RCBO's. Although certain works are notifiable you can carry out the work yourself but it would have to be checked by an electrician who would report the work to building control. Everything your side of the electrical meter are your responsibility, including the isolator switch and the tails.
until the price of AFDDs drops significantly it can stay a recommendation other wise you'd end up with £1200+ consumer units.
Most AFDD's at the moment are AFDD/RCBO combined. They are only recommended on any socket circuit up to 32A, so probably 3 or 4 at the most on any average consumer unit change. The definition of recommended under BS7671 means that is the preferred option when installing new socket circuits. You cannot now do nothing when it comes to protection against arc faults. Given the absence of any suitable alternative for AFDDs, this effectively means that AFDD's should be installed. A lot of sparks are using the term "recommended" as a get out clause for not installing AFDD's. Recommended as classified in BS7671 means should.
@@davebadger100 yup at £150ish each there's £600, £60ish for a bare CU (yeah I know they get cheaper but lets say summit like crabtree) SPD £50, £120 for other RCBOs round it a bit and say £850 For a average size CU.... yes you can get cheaper but certain brands you'd be over the £1000 and thats just parts.
The new regs only require AFDDs in certain circumstances (HMOs, care homes etc.). For most domestic installs they are not required at present.
@@rivkahlevi6117 Have a look at the EFIXX video What Does 'Recommended' Mean In the Wiring Regulations? They say different.
I was an approved electrician for 50 years, covering a wide variety of disciplines, I am now retired and technically not allowed to carry out any work as I don't have a valid certificate. The range of voltage can fall further as I have had a volt drop down to as low as 147V but this was a substation fault and I only noticed it due to the fluorescent lights not working although all the rest were ok. 100A supplies have been the standard for many years although 60A was the original when you had one double socket in each room, now the kitchen usually has its own ring circuit as there are so many sockets in there. The ring circuit will supply 32A total, although each socket will only give 13A+/- depending on the cartridge fuse within. Cookers used to need a dedicated circuit as it would draw large amperages as it could have up to 9 elements and the load was based on everything being on at once so it could draw 27A. Now most ovens and hobs are efficient enough to be run from two 13A sockets. Nowadays to do work in your house you require a ‘Part P’ certificate, otherwise known as a Building Control certificate, I never had one, as, by the time I retired I was doing upto 400KV installations, well outside its parameters.
I only replace what’s there for example a cracked switch or a broken light fitting. Consumer unit tests EICR and circuit testing sparky job
My dad had a water leak in his upstairs shower tray 5 or 6 years ago which leaked downstairs running into a twin socket on a 32amp ring circuit. When the insurance inspector came out to look what damage had been caused they refused his insurance as he had put a spur onto a 32amp ring circuit. So be careful doing anything even if it isn’t mentioned in part P as your insurance company won’t pay out even if the cause wasn’t the work you did and my dad is a retired electrical engineer
"as he had put a spur onto a 32amp ring circuit" Surely that is allowed
Typical insurance......biggest scam going.
Sorry, but that is not correct. If the damage for which you are claiming was not caused by the work, insurance coys cannot now deny it. This was an EU regulation brought in after 2001. The damage you are referring to was obviously caused by the work he had done.
"So the question is: Are you gonna let the fear of insurance control your life? A real man never worries about mistakes until its too late!" - Mehdi Sadaghdar (ElectroBOOM, 2018).
No it was not. The damage was caused by the water leak.@@DavidMartin-ym2te
Hi my house was rewired in the late seventy's and has a old consumer unit, which would comply with the IEE regs at the time, but not with the new ones. The IEE regs were made by a committee made up of representatives from manufacturing company's, so don't you think that if they changed the regulations, so say you had to use more earth wire, would that not be in the manufacturers interest as that would increase there profits. and not for safety reasons. I worked in the back office of a installation company, this is what I heard.
They changed the regulations in 2008 to remove the need to "bond" every metallic item together as long as certain conditions were met, so either they fell out with the Earth cable manufacturer and changed the regs to P them off, or what you heard was just an uneducated opinion
With every change of the wiring regulations there is usually a need to upgrade a consumer unit to a different type for various reasons. Over the years the safety protection has increased greatly. If the installation company you worked for still exists let's hope they change their outlook.
@@codenamenel Part P is all pretty general and doesn't bother itself with that sort of detail.
Thanks for this video very helpful 👍
Great explanation, thank you.
At 9:02 you talk about not being able to carry out any work in a bathroom. However, P2.7 says "All other electrical installation work is not notifiable - namely additions and alterations to existing installations outside special locations, and replacements, repairs and maintenance anywhere." I read this to mean that you can carry out "replacements, repairs and maintenance anywhere", i.e. including in special locations. Am I reading it wrongly?
Kitchens, bathrooms, etc, are notifiable. I can only assume it's because of the greater risk around water
@@tonkatoy200 no, kitchens aren't special locations, as they are not mentioned in P2.5 (unless you have a bath, shower, swimming pool or sauna in your kitchen...). And your comment doesn't address whether "replacements, repairs and maintenance" are allowed in special locations without being notifiable.
@@awt Quote from a UK government site 'Very common examples of notifiable work are; rewiring a property, providing electricity to a garage or outhouse, the replacement of the main fuse box in a house or any electrical work in a kitchen, shower room or bathroom.'
@@tonkatoy200 can you provide a source link for that? Is it from www.buildingcontrolpartnershiphants.gov.uk/building_regulation_applications/domestic_electrical_works/intro.aspx#:~:text=Very%20common%20examples%20of%20notifiable,kitchen%2C%20shower%20room%20or%20bathroom. ? The fact that page still refers to CORGI suggests it's way, way out of date. My source is www.gov.uk/government/publications/electrical-safety-approved-document-p
The regs say within the 'special locations' even 'minor additions and alterations' are notifiable.
Doesn’t matter what you can or can’t do. Long as nobody knows do whatever you’re capable of.
Doesn't matter until you might want to sell your house...
And that's when you deny any knowledge of it whatsoever
@@thetraveller869Indemnity insurance solves that
How do you know if you’re capable?
Proper job mate. I always say if you can’t see it or smell it, don’t touch it. If in doubt doing nothing, call the experts that know.
American here, a good video. I'm a guy who is not very handy. But i just replaced a light switch. I'm kinda proud of that. Not burned down the house, yet, anyway. LOL, Having an electrician in to do it, would have been about $225.00. I'm sure it's about the same in the UK.
I've been an electrician for 20 years (apprentice/NVQ/AM2/2391/Regs etc) and from experience, houses with evidence of DIY are often at best a mess and at worst, a danger to occupants. There's a reason it takes 4 years in an apprenticeship plus dozens of practical & theory exams to be deemed qualified and competent.
especially d.i.y ers touching ring final circuits
@@rayalbion9637 With respect, I'm a DIYer who recently discovered that my downstairs ring final circuit was broken on all three conductors and managed to trace which cable run had the break. I then split the ring into two radials and isolated and labelled the dead leg in each socket. Measured R1+R2 in each leg to determine that replacing the 32A RCBO with two 20A RCBOs was appropriate. Technically the longer radial might have an issue with voltage drop if the full 20A was drawn from the furthest socket but I made a judgement that this was unlikely. We have a separate kitchen RFC so the loads on the downstairs RFC are minimal. My upstairs RFC was also broken in one conductor and I traced the fault and fixed it. It was just an over torqued earth screw which had crushed the conductor to the point where it broke off. I moved into this house 3 years ago and although it was in a reasonable state of repair, I have made several improvements to bring it up to 18th edition standard from 16th edition. I have no doubt that it is safer today than it was 3 years ago and I will continue to monitor and improve it over time. I have an Megger MFT and I know how to use it. I also have a torque screwdriver which I was dubious about buying but have been continually surprised at how tight 2.5NM actually is! I use intumescent sealant and grommets to contain potential fire inside the DB. That all said, I'm not an electrician. I am an electronics and electrical engineering graduate and I'm also an electronics hobbyist since childhood which helps greatly with understanding of the fundamentals. What I lack is experience as an electrician and I am very aware of that and try to compensate in other ways. However, in my case I only need to know enough to deal with my own house and not every possible type of domestic and commercial property like a qualified electrician would be expected to handle. There is also nobody more motivated than me to ensure that my house is safe and functional so I have a copy of the 18th edition regs and OSG and have watched dozens of hours worth of videos to ensure I understand the relevant issues before undertaking any work. Before anyone starts quoting Part P, I live in Scotland where we are allowed to work on our electrics as long as we do it in compliance with the regs. My intention is to do all the work I think needs done and then bring in a reputable electrician to do an EICR. That will provide a second pair of eyes to check my work. Most DIYers should probably steer clear of doing electrical work but if you have the educational background and are prepared to invest in the necessary equipment and other resources then you absolutely can do your own electrics on a DIY basis. Assuming you are legally allowed to of course.
Totally disagree. Most DIYers want to do a good job as its their own house. Most tradespeople want to rip you off and do a bad job
I wouldn’t do much electrically as I’m paranoid albeit whatever DIY I do I try doing it to the best standard as possible because it’s my house and I don’t want it affecting anyone else either!
@@craigchamberlain Your the exception not the rule , i can not count how many times I have encountered problems with DIY on rings (its the norm) as you are already aware with your experience a ring circuit will very often give power at sockets even when incorrect , I think its a method of wiring thats had its day , Iam sure its only the u.k that uses the ring method of wiring.
lots of how to do electric wiring work online, i have done lots myself and would not let anything stop me. Would love to go off grid and be energy independant. you can go on courses to learn how to do electric work.
Just to note the 2021 Bldg Regs are now in place, it may be that nothing has change over the 2010 version but worth checking
Very often when people buy properties, they ask electricians to lift floorboards and check if there is a new ring or spured of socket. Same thing with fensa windows - there have been piles of bodies caused by lack of fensa certificates.
It is a shame you did not mention a minor works certificate is usually required at the end of a very useful video. Reference to bs7671, is not even mentioned, but as long as common sense, best practice and engineering judgement are considered, that will possibly suffice as not everything comes from bs 7671 anyway......
Part P annoys the genuine f**k out of me. I should be allowed to work on my kitchen and bathroom. I understand people shouldn't go poking their fingers around in consumer units per say, but it's just stupid laws probably in a sad attempt to try and boost the electrician economy.
Another great video Stuart, nice & clear, lighting circuits are on a ring main as well? Going back to consumer unit?
I really like the info you are putting out… 👍
THE ONLY PERSON WHO GETS TO DECIDE WHAT IM ALLOWED IN MY LIFE IS ME.
And maybe the police
Also the healthcare system after you're unconscious
The worst electrical installations I have seen is on new house builds by qualified electricians