quick hi and advice.

[Dazz0i]

Hey guys.

There's probably a more appropriate section to put hello's, so i'll make this brief!

HI!...

Right, currently i work for a building company, we do everything ourselves in house from the ground up to completion.

My boss is a spark, and used to work for the electric board. (i think he's slightly out of date though as he wouldn't be 17th edition'd!)

I do most of the electrics, and have been taught the "basics" in house, ring circuits, lighting loop methods and installing CU's nice and neatly.

All work is checked/tested by LABC with no problems to date.

My boss has now decided to pack up and go back on the electric board meaning i'm kind of in limbo, a couple of us are carrying on and making it on our own. But, as i NEVER want to go back to plastering (my actual original trade) i decided that i should get some papers behind my name. So, it's the big 3 year hike to becoming qualified. "Back to school" i go (hopefully) in sept doing C&G2330.

(To be a spark is originally what i wanted to do when i left school, but fell into plastering, started makin' decent money and just never did it.... but now having a "taste" it's gotta be done!)

My question is (finally got there).... Is there anything i could start doing, reading, getting my head round, to give myself a head start?

 

[scarypants]

If your going to college.
I believe they use the publication;
Basic Electrical Installation Work Level 2 City and Guilds ,2330 Technical Certificate by Trevor Linsey, to run along side the course work for level 2 2330 and the level 3 version for you guessed it level 3.
If you have not already got The On Site Guide that's a must and also BS7671:2008 Requirements for Electrical Installation will also be needed along the way. Could also be handy to have The Electricians Guide to the building regulations These are published by The IEE and all these have been updated to the comply to the 17th eds.
Hope this is useful, If I think of anything else will get back to you but I've already spent about £125 pound of your money.
Buy a scientific calculator too!

 

[ericmark]

scarypants has good advice as a student you can become a student member of the IET and once a member you get discount on the books I realised it was cheaper to be a member than not.

 

[ColJack]

how extensive was the in-house "basics" training?
just what wires to put where and what breakers for what circuit? or did you go into any of the theory behind it?
any 3 phase work done?

will you be starting at level 1 or at level 2?

 

[Dazz0i]

cheers guys.

all work done is just purely domestic with only single phase.

as for theory, no loadings or cables to suit needs and voltage drop over distance etc. (if that was ever needed boss did it and just said "use this cable") just purely stuff like 2.5's for ring's 1.0mm for lighting loops or 1.5 for higher wattage lighting loops, 6mm for cooker's etc.(cost difference between 1.0 and 1.5 being so small, i don't know why he didn't just use 1.5mm everywhere!)

it will be done at college, as a night course, purely because i can't afford to not work to qualify. local college only seems to have 2330 level 2 year 1 and 2, then level 3.

as up till last week or 2 etc, boss was always about to query anything needed.

we used to do newbuilds, which were NHBC checked and installation of cables were never queried. i know this is only the "very basics", but anything is a better start than nothing.

Once again, cheers for your help guys.

 

[canduit]

Level 1 does not exist (I don't know why!) for the 2330. Level 2 is 2 years (part-time) 1 day a week, level 3 is 1 year. My gut feeling is that you seem quite knowledgable already, get the book mentioned before & you should be ok. I've just finished Lvl2 & the time flies by. Working 5 days a week (I don't work as a sparky) and college on one of my days off. Its not so hard, I think you only have about 36 lessons in a year! Get signed up now though, courses get over-subscribed. Good luck.

 

[Taylortwocities]

Level 1 does not exist (I don't know why!) for the 2330.

Thats because it is NVQ Level 1, 2, 3 etc and not a C&G level.
See this thread, can't be bothered to exlain it all again.

//www.diynot.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=1271827#1271827

 

[plugwash]

Level one is roughly eqivilent to poor GCSEs (D-F) level 2 is roughly equivilent to good GCSEs (A-C) and level 3 is roughly equivilent to A-levels. Given how low level 1 is it's hardly surprising that many things start at level 2.