Helping people kill each other, with Electrical advice

[HVMAN]

As i said before
the installer may do a great job of putting in the extra sockets or lights and maybe a better job than some professionals. but without varification of circuits and the main tests , the installer may be connecting to a circuit that is allready unsafe .

There's more to this electrics game than meets the eye, when it comes to testing.

 

[Odd Job]

The other sad point is there are so many cowboys that never seem to be shut down, and theres no governing bodies that care.

The workers add on unecessary items and faults and what work they do carry out is a mess.

Ive just got to the point now i don't trust anyone im paying

 

[bernardgreen]

but without varification of circuits and the main tests , the installer may be connecting to a circuit that is allready unsafe .

Your premise that a circuit that is allready unsafe may be used by an installer is valid but how does one determine that the circuit is unsafe.

Tests will NOT detect every dangerous installation. Only total visual inspection combined with insulation and resistance test can do that.

There's more to this electrics game than meets the eye, when it comes to testing.

I would say there is more than just testing when it comes to safety

By educating people how to do it properly in the areas where testing cannot find faults, errors or dangerous situations this forum can help prevent adverse outcomes. You can never prevent adverse outcomes. If this forum did not exist many DIY projects would have gone ahead without the necessary information and advice and some would have resulted in dangerous situations.

Teach people the risks and dangers of poor and un-informed work and it may reduce the number of defective DIY projects.


Together with my wife we built our house doing 95% of the work ourselves, a massive DIY project but with advice and guidance we had no problems and 26 years later we still have had no major problems.

DIY does work and it is improved by people prepared to give correct and proper advice to the DIYer.

 

[HVMAN]

I dont premise anything ,
Taking into account that your gas and water are all ready bonded

Its just nice to think that what your connecting on to, or extending has a good earth reading the right size mcb , the right type mcb and the measured Zs ( earth fault loop impeedance ) at the furthest point falls below bs7671 requirements.

Nothing wrong with being shure

 

[Maxxy]

look, not wishing to rock the boat im all for people doing a bit of diy ,looking out for peoples safety here.

Better not give gutter clearing advice, incase people fall off their ladder.

Plumbing advice is dodgy too incase people flood their house.

Advice for appliances is out aswell in case they drop a washing machine on their foot

Better not give gardening advice, incase someone slips on wet grass, or cuts themselves with hedge cutters.

Building advice is out of the question, with all those heavy bricks which could put someones back out

Windows aswell are a no no..someone could fall out of one while cleaning it, or adjusting a hinge.

The world today is becoming far to health and safety orientated, but thats a whole other topic!!

As far as forums like this are concerned, people should come to them with a sensible frame of mind. Dont assume the first person to reply is correct, and always do further research as deemed necessary to the task you are doing. Personally i would prefer to see people using forums like this, rather than messing around completely unaware of all the dangers involved.

Some of the time people on here - especially in the electrical forums, will refuse to give advice, due to the fact that the OP doesnt seem to have a clue, and would be putting themselves and their families in danger. So the advice given then is simple: Get an electrician in!

I understand your worry, and its shared by most of the people on here. But everyone these days wants something for nothing, or cant afford proffesional help, so they turn to sites like these.

 

[HVMAN]

I totally agree with what your saying we live in a world full of rules and regulations ( unless you live in spain ) no offence ment there pedro.
you only have to look as spanish and french electrics and think to yourself that we are all supposed to be under the same banner with regards to electrical installations . How wrong could we be

 

[stevesey]

Most people come here to improve their knowledge and probably do a better job as a result. If people show signs of lack of understanding they are often told that they don't seem competent and to leave the work to a spark.

HVMAN - If you are serious about stopping people killing themselves it's the people who don't ask for advice, or read apprpriate books, you whould be targetting.

 

[lookinn]

I don't why you spread scare stories of how dangerous it is. As long as it it off when you are working on it no problems. The problem is with this country it has labour rates that have no relation to the normal working wage. So I did C&G courses in TV repair at night school. So now I do everything from washing machines, plumbing. Compared with TV's home electrics is childs play. I don't why the skill level is so hyped up.

 

[plugwash]

As i said before
the installer may do a great job of putting in the extra sockets or lights and maybe a better job than some professionals. but without varification of circuits and the main tests , the installer may be connecting to a circuit that is allready unsafe .

and how is this any less safe than draping extention leads round the place and/or leaving the wiring as it is including obviously dangerous parts.

and btw i'm pretty sure there are a lot of people doing electrics for employment who don't do any testing either.

 

[PaulMac07]

Hey, have a read of my thread, entitled "A Complex problem". If I'm not mistaken, a fully qualified electrician fitted my mains meter and forgot to tighten any of the connections.

It's not just amatuers who make mistakes, and I'm sure 99% of the diy guys on here are very much like myself. trying to save a few quid here and there, but have the sense to ask questions and take the necessary precautions first. If they feel out of their depth at any point, they wil call the 'experts', and just hope they don't get a 'cowboy'.

The tone of your first post is derogatory an unhelpful. Do you seriously think we're all wandering around in the dark with nothing but a screwdriver?

 

[IJWS15]

And a fully qualified elecrician wired in my alarm- it could have killed me, or our plumber.

Do you blame us if we are wary of trusting professionals to do a safe job!

 

[Coniferman]

Sometimes I wish it was as easy as "getting a pro in". Depending on where you live you are sometimes lucky to get someone out even to quote, for a small job and even if they come out to measure up and they say they will drop a quote in the post, quite often they don't if its too small a job, not worth there while etc. Then there is the hassle/expense of time off work, waiting in when they are delayed on other jobs etc.

I have not bothered getting some jobs done because of this and I have done jobs myself because of this - where I am 100% sure I know what I am doing.

 

[ricicle]

I don't why you spread scare stories of how dangerous it is. As long as it it off when you are working on it no problems. The problem is with this country it has labour rates that have no relation to the normal working wage. So I did C&G courses in TV repair at night school. So now I do everything from washing machines, plumbing. Compared with TV's home electrics is childs play. I don't why the skill level is so hyped up.

Tosser

 

[securespark]

That is appalling.