Certificates for Electrical Work in Scotland

[peterinscotland]

An electrician recently recommended that I should ideally have my ancient fuse box replaced by by a box of trip switches - in fact if there had not been a spare fuse in the box he was going to make me have one in order to give me an extra power socket. So far as I can see, although he is listed on the Construction Licensing Executive site as a "Licensed Scottish Electrician" and is on the SELECT site, he is not listed on the NICEIC site.

Since then I had another electrician (a NICEIC member) in to replace a fluorescent tube fitting which had become faulty, and asked him how much he would charge to do the trip switch box. He said he wouldn't do it without rewiring the whole house because he had to produce a certificate as to what he was connecting the trip switch box to. I'm not entirely clear as to his reasons, he mentioned something about earthing but I said that he himself had done a load of earthing in the house 6 years ago. I'm not quite clear as to his response but I gathered he still wouldn't want to do it without doing the whole house.

In any case I was surprised, when he sent me his bill for replacing the light fitting and switch, that he also sent a Minor Electrical Installation Works certificate. The other electrician did similar work in my parents' house recently and produced no such certificate, though in talking with him about various things the issue of what should and should not legally be done was raised (I don't remember the exact context) so I didn't get the impression he was out to do a cowboy job.

So my question is, to what extent are the various certificates a legal requirement in Scotland, or are they just required by NICEIC if you're one of their members?

 

[baldelectrician]

certificates are good

You need them more than ever, the Single Survey Scheme is on the horizon. If you have had any work done you will be asked for paperwork. No paperwork = further investigation may be required (you may be asked to pay for a report)

I am in SELECT and enrolled with the NICIEC.

I don't agree with the second guy. When you change a consumer unit you test and inspect the installation (and fix the bonding if required).
If some is in poor condition then you advise, if dangerous you leave it safe.

hope this helps

www.baldelectrician.com

 

[peterinscotland]

The second electrician's reasoning was that the earthing in the house relied on metal conduits (this is an ex council house, approx 40 years old). He said that in order to make it comply with current standards one would have to run an earth wire through every conduit which would be just about impossible, and therefore one would need to rewire.

It may well be that the first guy intends to do a certificate, but in terms of your description regards the bonding as safe.

 

[baldelectrician]

no earth usually indicates a rewire. I must agree

Make sure paperwork is included in the price.