Part P newbie

[Daz66]

Oh dear, I will seem to be the most hated person around the electrical ‘circuit’ (pun intended) I am Part ‘P’ qualified as a competent person.

I have been a safe and competent electrical DIY’er for the last 15 yrs, or so I thought.

4 yrs ago I helped an electrician re-wire my mothers house, to help reduce costs, and he offered me a job working for him and said he would pay ½ my training costs (big mistake turning that one down but it would have meant a move from Surrey to Norfolk).

Recently I was made redundant and thought I would try and start a business doing household maintenance, fixing guttering, putting up shelves, tiling and decorating, replacing broken sealed units and the like. Someone said that doing electrical work would also be advantageous, things like adding lights outside and changing sockets etc.

Now I knew about Part ‘P’ through work and decided I would do the course, I contacted the local centre advertising this and asked if I needed any other qualifications. I was told NO and also told that on passing the course I could ‘trade’ as a competent person and carry out installation works.

Having done the course and passed, I now know my knowledge base is somewhat lacking, however that said I do understand more than I did when I started and know when to call in an ‘expert’.

My use for Part ‘P’ will be for small additions and alterations (where there is a requirement for electrical work in relation to other works being done)and not for complete re-wire and new CU’s and I will not do a job that I feel unqualified for.

At the moment I am working part time for a big corporation trying to save up for the testing equipment and waiting for jobs to start coming in. I am enjoying this forum very much and hope to be able to contribute more in the future, I will be asking lots of questions without a doubt…………

So what I really want to know is what the problem with Part 'P'?????

 

[sm1thson]

There are good an bads to part p, i have found that my friends extension (inc kitchen and bathroom) is on a spur off the downstairs ring! -part P means things like this shouldnt happen in future!, but it does make it a pain (/extra expense) to get it put right so at the moment its still on a spur!-not good!

thats all i can be bothered typing, if you do a search the pros and cons of part p have been discussed many a time on here.

 

[Daz66]

Thanks sm1thson for the reply, I have read a lot of the topics regarding Part 'p' and they tend to be down on anyone who has taken it.

It would be nice to have a balanced discussion about it and those who have done it and what it means to them.

Bad workmanship is bad workmanship and is done by qualified people too.

 

[pdcelec]

Having done the course and passed, I now know my knowledge base is somewhat lacking, however that said I do understand more than I did when I started and know when to call in an ‘expert’.



So what I really want to know is what the problem with Part 'P'?????

As you have highlighted the problem with Part P is that someone who is classed as competent needs to call in an 'expert' who could be classed as not competent. I fall into the latter case and would find it difficult to give advice to someone who was 'allowed' to do the work and get paid for it when I would not be allowed to do the work. Moan over. This is not a personal attack but a very big flaw in Part P as I see it

 

[Daz66]

I wont take anything posted here personally (well i will try not to).

For me, taking part p was to increase my knowledge base (which it has done) not necessarily for financial gain.

I am confused as to why a qualified and time served sparks cant pass their own work without part p. It does seem to be another layer of regulations and control that is aimed at the wrong person.

Most DIY'ers who don't adhere to it will have some excuse for not doing so and until the first law suit is brought no one will know how effective it has been.....

 

[Spark123]

Just to clear some things up, Part P is part of the building regulations, not a course or a qualification. In order to self certify compliance with part P of the building regs you need to be a member of a competent person scheme such as NAPIT, ELECSA, ECA, BSI, NICEIC etc. Each competent person scheme has different levels of qualifications for acceptance, it depends which one you go for.

 

[mst]

Iam doing my DIS course in febuary. I already have the latest megger and am well into my study already.

I did do my own electrics for many years prior to part P and absolutely loved it! (sad i know)

My view on Part P courses for qualified chaps is they learn more about testing and procedues etc but is a real shame they have to pay so much for it.

At the end of the day its all about money. There will be millions poring through taxes of haveing these training centres put up not to mention that college training is on its way out.

The things that bug me is what you can and cant do e.g you cant spur off the ring in ur kitchen for an FCU but you can extend the ring in your bedroom to put in 4 new sockets

You hit the nail on the head where some fully qualified chaps do some rough work. Changed a kitchen light today and the orgianal compatant person stuffed the pendent in the ceiling and then come out with 2 brown wires from it for the light which also there was no earth
So i dung it out and put it on choc blocks with the earth.


cheers

 

[EddieCurrent]

Hello all.
I have worked as a 'mate' for 20 yrs now, on major projects to bits and pieces.
I recently did a 'DIS' sit down talk, ( as the bloke I work with is doing domestic stuff now), 5 days
No disrespect to anyone , but the course was a common sense test, nothing to do with seeing if the individual was capable, (all of which came apparent when I got the cert, then failed on my inspection !!!! ( I'll admit to it ! )

It's just as well that I dont rely on it as a source of income !

 

[dingbat]

My view on Part P courses for qualified chaps is they learn more about testing and procedues etc but is a real shame they have to pay so much for it.

But, as we know, 'qualified' does not necessarily mean 'competent'.

An enormous proportion of the supposedly qualified sparks out there are clueless about the regulations and testing. If their shortcoming are exposed then so much the better. As for the cost - think of it as a slap on the wrist for all the years they were effectively trading under false pretences.

 

[pdcelec]

I am qualified and 20 years of experience and work as an electrical inspection and tester for a large council covering everything from public toilets to major civic buildings. I work with the Part P man from the council on a daily basis. When i go home I cannot fit a socket in my kitchen without paying the council. The amount of domestic work that i do for myself would not be sufficient to join one of the scams and therefore I cannot comply with Part P without paying out money. That is the only thing that is stopping me MONEY

 

[Spark123]

I'm only 8 years in, in that time I have only worked full time in the Industrial/Commercial sector. I can quite legally install a socket in a kitchen at work, or a light in the shower room at work, yet at home not without involving LABC!! Like you pdcelec, it is not worth the cost of me becoming a member of a competent person scheme.

 

[ebee]

The things that bug me is what you can and cant do e.g you cant spur off the ring in ur kitchen for an FCU but you can extend the ring in your bedroom to put in 4 new sockets

WHAT!

 

[Qedelec]

DOUBLE WHAT!!!
Since when??

 

[Spark123]

I think ebee means you can't add to the ring in a kitchen without notification but you can add sockets to your hearts content in a bedroom without notification. (except if theres a shower in there etc).

Long time no hear Qedelec??

 

[mst]

yes thats exactly what i meant.