Re: [OT] DIY electrical work

MartinM said:

so something like a consumer unit is not exactly "minor work" is it?
does that mean you won't be able to buy one on Focutexbase?

I suspect that's one of the things that won't be available as easily.
The new Part P regs allow you to do lots of things, but not run new
circuits or rewire your house.

Having said that, the onus is on councils to enforce the rules and they
seem to be passing the buck to building society surveyors (who probably
won't give a toss).

Zog The Undeniable said:

MartinM said:

so something like a consumer unit is not exactly "minor work" is it?
does that mean you won't be able to buy one on Focutexbase?

I suspect that's one of the things that won't be available as easily.
The new Part P regs allow you to do lots of things, but not run new
circuits or rewire your house.

Having said that, the onus is on councils to enforce the rules and they
seem to be passing the buck to building society surveyors (who probably
won't give a toss).

The trick is that you can complete work already started before the end
of the year. So I have run a few cables into places I want to do work
in the future and will be able to finish it off later by connecting it
in and putting the various outlets on the other end.

Tony

On 7 Dec 2004 10:47:37 -0800, "MartinM" <[email hidden]> wrote
in message <[email hidden]>:

Quoted message said:

so something like a consumer unit is not exactly "minor work" is it?
does that mean you won't be able to buy one on Focutexbase?

I always found it cheaper to buy such things from an electrical factor
anyway.

Guy
--
"then came ye chavves, theyre cartes girded wyth candels
blue, and theyre beastes wyth straynge horn-lyke thyngs
onn theyre arses that theyre fartes be herde from myles
around." Chaucer, the Sheppey Tales

Zog The Undeniable [email hidden] opined the following...

Quoted message said:

The new Part P regs allow you to do lots of things, but not run new
circuits or rewire your house.

However, while reading them they seemed somewhat vague on the matter of
swapping consumer units. As long as you don't add new circuits, you're
probably in the clear.

Quoted message said:

Having said that, the onus is on councils to enforce the rules and they
seem to be passing the buck to building society surveyors (who probably
won't give a toss).

In theory I can see the value of it. In practice, it's unlikely to save
many lives, many result in more deaths and generally changes nothing
(I've seen some appalling work by supposedly qualified electricians).

Jon

Just zis Guy said:

On 7 Dec 2004 10:47:37 -0800, "MartinM" <[email hidden]> wrote
in message <[email hidden]>:

Quoted message said:

so something like a consumer unit is not exactly "minor work" is it?
does that mean you won't be able to buy one on Focutexbase?

I always found it cheaper to buy such things from an electrical

factor

Quoted message said:

anyway.

indeed, the best bargain I ever had from one such shop was 50m of coax
for; 50p.
only with the new regs it's going to be like trying to buy [censored] from
the corner shop after school ;-)

Jon Senior said:

In theory I can see the value of it. In practice, it's unlikely to save
many lives, many result in more deaths and generally changes nothing
(I've seen some appalling work by supposedly qualified electricians).

If I understand it right, it's like the regulation against anyone who is
not registered with CORGI doing domestic gas appliance fitting. In which
case, it does change something. It creates a clear course of action if
somebody is doing a lousy job: if they are registered, they get struck
off and possibly penalised for failing to meet standards they have
undertaken to meet; if they are not registered, they can be prosecuted
anyway. It's not so easy if, legally, anybody with a surfeit of
confidence can just get stuck in.

Did you report the "supposedly qualified" electricians?

--
Joe * If I cannot be free I'll be cheap

JLB said:

If I understand it right, it's like the regulation against anyone who is
not registered with CORGI doing domestic gas appliance fitting. In which
case, it does change something. It creates a clear course of action if
somebody is doing a lousy job: if they are registered, they get struck
off and possibly penalised for failing to meet standards they have
undertaken to meet; if they are not registered, they can be prosecuted
anyway. It's not so easy if, legally, anybody with a surfeit of
confidence can just get stuck in.

True. But most people who would get in an electrician probably wouldn't
be too sure of doing the work themselves anyway and may not recognise a
bad job. And the electrician (once certified) is self-certifying the work.

Quoted message said:

Did you report the "supposedly qualified" electricians?

Sadly not. It wasn't my flat, and the owner didn't think to. The
crowning achievement was by the guy who installed the shower. The shower
works brilliantly, but the hall light no longer works. I have a
suspicion as to which circuit the shower ended up on, but I haven't got
around to testing it yet!

Jon

JLB said:

If I understand it right, it's like the regulation against anyone who is
not registered with CORGI doing domestic gas appliance fitting.

I don't think there's any such regulation. There's law to say that
only a competent person may fit a gas appliance, but there's no
requirement that competence be demonstrated by CORGI. At least, that
was certainly the case some years ago. It's possible that they've
tightened up, but it's relatively rare for law to mandate what
actually constitutes competence.

regards, Ian SMith
--
|\ /| no .sig
|o o|
|/ \|

Ian Smith said:

JLB said:

If I understand it right, it's like the regulation against anyone who is
not registered with CORGI doing domestic gas appliance fitting.

I don't think there's any such regulation. There's law to say that
only a competent person may fit a gas appliance, but there's no
requirement that competence be demonstrated by CORGI. At least, that
was certainly the case some years ago. It's possible that they've
tightened up, but it's relatively rare for law to mandate what
actually constitutes competence.

The law typically takes a dim view of people who are not CORGI
registered, as they have to go to some lengths to prove their
competence. My boiler was fitted by my Father in Law who has never been
CORGI registered or trained. He was, however, a chartered gas engineer
and a professional combustion chemist, working for the research division
of British Gas...

...d

In message <[email hidden]>, Ian Smith
<[email hidden]> writes

Quoted message said:

JLB said:

If I understand it right, it's like the regulation against anyone who is
not registered with CORGI doing domestic gas appliance fitting.

I don't think there's any such regulation. There's law to say that
only a competent person may fit a gas appliance, but there's no
requirement that competence be demonstrated by CORGI. At least, that
was certainly the case some years ago. It's possible that they've
tightened up, but it's relatively rare for law to mandate what
actually constitutes competence.

This is much discussed over on uk.d-i-y

Effectively, it does mean Corgi registered - AIUI, you must be a member
of a body as recognised by HSE - which in this case is CORGI.

This however, only applies for doing work for reward etc. It doesn't
apply to DIY gas work - though the law on competency still applies.

--
Chris French, Leeds

"chris French" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

In message <[email hidden]>, Ian Smith
<[email hidden]> writes

Quoted message said:

JLB said:

If I understand it right, it's like the regulation against anyone who

is

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

not registered with CORGI doing domestic gas appliance fitting.

I don't think there's any such regulation. There's law to say that
only a competent person may fit a gas appliance, but there's no
requirement that competence be demonstrated by CORGI. At least, that
was certainly the case some years ago. It's possible that they've
tightened up, but it's relatively rare for law to mandate what
actually constitutes competence.

This is much discussed over on uk.d-i-y

Effectively, it does mean Corgi registered - AIUI, you must be a member
of a body as recognised by HSE - which in this case is CORGI.

Not necessarily - afaik British Gas people aren't corgi. But they're
probably big enough to do a proper self certification.

One of my ex-bosses tells of the time when he as a council house repairs
manager went to the CORGI stand at a show and watched them trying to
persuade him why his staff should be corgi registered - thing was, he knew
the rules and they didn't (or pretended not to), preferring instead to just
scare people into joining.

cheers,
clive

On Wed, 08 Dec 2004 13:35:33 +0000 someone who may be JLB
<[email hidden]> wrote this:-

Quoted message said:

If I understand it right, it's like the regulation against anyone who is
not registered with CORGI doing domestic gas appliance fitting. In which
case, it does change something. It creates a clear course of action if
somebody is doing a lousy job: if they are registered, they get struck
off

I take it you have never complained to CORGI about the activities of
people they have "registered".

--
David Hansen, Edinburgh | PGP email preferred-key number F566DA0E
I will always explain revoked keys, unless the UK government
prevents me by using the RIP Act 2000.