It is most probably rare, if at all! But that does not mean that I shall not continue to advice that way.
I believe I did answer that question, but I will put it another way for you.
That's fair enough, but how far do you think that advice should go? Are you just going to advise them what testing should be done, or are you going to advise them that if they can't/won't undertake all the required testing, then they should not undertake the electrical work?
I must ask you to bear with me for being dim, but I would still like that translated into bottom-line 'words of one syllable' that even I can understand! In terms of the specific issue of testing, are you saying that if someone does not have the equipment and/or ability (and maybe not even the inclination) to undertake full testing, then your advice to them would be that they should not undertake any electrical work?
I'm a bit lost. What is this 'annual safety check on their equipment' to which you refer? It's at least 20 years, probably a fair bit more, since any DNO personnel were in my house.
It's just that I have never heard of DNOs undertaking routine 'safety checks' of domestic installations, mine or anyone else's - has anyone else heard of such routine checks? As BAS has pointed out, it would be extremely labour-intensive and costly.
I think I already adivise on testing and do so as I see appropriate and take each topic/post/question on it's own merits.
I think it is quiet clear what my view on this is, do I really need to translate it in to one syllable? If one is unable or incapable of proving the work one undertakes is safe, do not attempt to undertake the work.
Essentially the same here. I think the only visit from the DNO (and that was at my request, not a 'routine check' visit) was soon after we moved here, 30+ years ago, and we've had one meter change undertaken by an MOP since then. Nor am I aware of any family or friends ever had a 'routine check' visit by the DNO, ever.
... but you have agreed that we all know that an extremely high proportion of people who post questions here, particularly in relation to 'minor' works, are not going to do any significant testing, whether or not we tell them what testing should be done. If you (and I, and others) know that, if you believe that this means that they should not attempt to undertake the work, why do you (just as I, and others) so often give advice on details of how the work could/should be done?
Kind Regards, John
I generally advise that the work undertaken should be done safely.
And we could not still guarantee that it would, but I will repeat, that does not mean it should not be advised.
I'm not questioning the wisdom of giving of advice regarding testing. However, it's a dilemma that all of us are faced with, not just you. If we 'know', as essentially we do, that our advice (about testing) will be ignored by a very high proportion of people, and if we believe that work cannot be undertaken safely without such testing, then we really should be questioning whether it is appropriate to offer any specific advice about 'how to do the job', shouldn't we?
We should, and on more than one occasion there has been instances where the questions have not been answered, due to the way the OP has shown a lack of competence.
That's true, but it generally only happens if someone is clearly totally out of their depth, not just because they are not going to test.
True but, as I keep saying, in terms of testing the advice usually stops short of saying that if they can't/won't do the testing, then they should not (or, in BAS parlance, "must not") attempt the work. As above, that sort of advice is usually only given to people who clearly are not competent to do the work, let alone any testing.
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