My father has 3 degrees, 1 language, 1 maths and a medical degree- he was a dental surgeon working in East Grinstead burns unit.
Electrically, he was a complete liability........
You could say that doing my own brakes on the car was dangerous to myself and others
Fortunately cars require MOT's- so although you can do such work, the quality of your work is subject to 3rd party investigation and check
Fair enough advise to do it in a legal way but leave it with the insincere over concerned manner
Fact- people die, houses get burnt down, insurance co investigates- illegal electrical work WILL invalidate home insurance policy for both material damage and also any 3rd party person damage such as death or injury.
Fact- I pay insurance each year to cover £5m of liability, I pay £450 a year for NICIEC registration which allows random audit of my work. Both are 'safety' mechanisms for my clients.
What safety, other than being good at reading do you employ before and during electrical works?
Fact I have £1000 of test tools and a further £80 a year calibration of those tools. How do you test your works for function and safety- because it works, doesn't mean there are not issues. Sincerely, how do you overcome this essential part of an electricians job?
I don't think that there would be significant issues other than minor inconvenience when selling the house and there certainly wasn't when I sold mine in January
The law will catch up, Part P and the HIP requirements are a marriage that will allow a potential new owner to insist that the required paperwork is in place for declared improvements.
Take the notifiable works of wet rooms (kitchen and bathrooms) and external works-
When you declare "I've land scaped the garden and provided flood and mood lighting", I've re-jigged the kitchen and provided a new final circuit for cooker and a general use radial or ring or when you've installed a electric shower, fan, shaver point and lighting to a bathroom" the purchaser can ask for certification.
When you don't have such, they will:-
* Ask for discounting
* Check with the LBC-who will chase you and take you to court
* Walk away
* Ask for a PIR at your cost
Such works could be considered in breech of sales conduct, if you sign the statutory declaration regarding the property condition of service.
Take an instance where you sell, leaving a design failure such as multiple taps off a spur. New resident plugs in the iron, the kettle and a electric heat source. Between the 3 devices weakness is created in your illegal and untested work.
They go to bed forgetting to turn the fire off and burn to death due to an electrical fire in the over stretched and failed wiring. So, you won't get your 4r5e sued because you dont live there anymore?? I don't think so.
electric work should be done by no other than an electrician then the prescence of this forum on a DIY site is a paradox and all electricians should boycott
Minor works, even when notifiable can be done by and competent person. Works beyond minor can be done and are always notifiable and as part of the LBC process will be inspected and tested by a 3rd party. The LBC direct or there chosen contractor. This provide a safety net for you as an amateur.
Advise is given to allow the poster knowledge regarding method, safety, legal and technical issues. This is a good thing to do.
You also mention having posted and having used this site as a resource for your own works, so explaining the benefit is not necessary- is it???
Paradox maybe- but please don't slate the guys that offer you advise when you ask.
Please also understand that most are qualified and have under gone training and work experience that allows them to make comment and offer advise that is sound. Most as professional have learnt to jump through the hoops of regulation, training, testing, qualification, certification at some expense.
You have none of this and you then come along slagging us off for having a high and mighty (legal and technical) stance. We are considering your safety, not protecting our jobs.
Good electricians have all the work they can ever do, get paid well and tend not to have to chase work- they get offered it, so it's not about me or anyone else wanting to do some rubbish bit of house bashing for you.
It's about safety, regulation, testing and certification end of.