Do I need to be a qualified electrician to make DIY extension lead?

[Sam0204]

Hi,
I am thinking to make some 20m long extension lead for my house and office. But, the question is, do i have to be a certified or qualified electrician for it. If yes, what sort of qualification i need or is there anywhere in 17th edition that it says so. (Any links please).
Thanks in advance.

 

[gutterball]

why not just go and buy one?

 

[Joshua]

Hi,
I am thinking to make some 20m long extension lead for my house and office. But, the question is, do i have to be a certified or qualified electrician for it. If yes, what sort of qualification i need or is there anywhere in 17th edition that it says so. (Any links please).
Thanks in advance.

it depends. . . is your house flammable and how much do you like everything in it?

jokes aside, you can pick up a decent extension lead online and at least you'll know it's been tested before you've used it.

 

[Pete999]

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[Sam0204]

Hi all,
thanks for the quick reply. But, i just wanted to know- do i have to be a certified or qualified electrician for it. If yes, what sort of qualification i need or is there anywhere in 17th edition that it says so. (Any links please).
Thanks in advance.

 

[telectrix]

think OP wants 20m lead, like the domestic 4 way, like this: , these don't come that long.

t

 

[telectrix]

17th edition relates to fixed wiring. anyrthing that plugs in is outside of that standard.

 

[DPG]

You need to be competent to do it safely. If you are unsure then don't do it - buy a pre-made one, ie. an extension reel with 2 or more sockets built into it.

 

[Sam0204]

ok, so do i need to be qulified or not, if yes is there regulation which says that...
thanks.

 

[DPG]

You do not need to be qualified. There is no qualification that qualifies you for fitting plugs to flex. However you DO need to be competent.

 

[Sam0204]

i know how to make it but i heard that it needs to be tested by certified or licensed electrician...
i am just wondering whether its true or not.. if yest then just want to know where does it say in which regulation..
thanks.

 

[Sam0204]

ok so competent means? i got 17th edition and i am a pat tester.. does it make me competent for the DIY extension lead as well...
thanks.

 

[telectrix]

onlything that applies is ISTIEE. or PAT testing to give it it's girly name.

 

[DPG]

ok so competent means? i got 17th edition and i am a pat tester.. does it make me competent for the DIY extension lead as well...
thanks.

Again, qualifications do not make you competent. Are you competent enough to do the job? If you are not then buy a pre-made one.
Regs do not come into this, but as Tel said above the ISTIEE (commonly known as PAT testing) are more relevant. If it is a job for your own home only AND YOU ARE COMPETENT then shouldn't be a problem. Any doubt in this though then buy a pre-made one.

 

[DPG]

If you are a PAT tester then I would have thought you should be aware of this.

 

[Davisonp]

Remember the PAT testing rule that the maximum length of an extension lead before it needs it’s own RCD is dependent on the cable size used Eg. 1mm cable cores can only be 10 meters long, 1.5mm can be a max of 15 meters and 2.5mm can be a max of 25 meters (core size times 10) and many longer leads purchased will fail the PAT test the moment they are purchased.

 

[Deleted member 9648]

Bloody hell chaps....the bloke just wants to make up a lead for his home, what's PAT testing got to do with it?

 

[Davisonp]

Bloody hell chaps....the bloke just wants to make up a lead for his home, what's PAT testing got to do with it?

The original post states “I am thinking to make some 20m long extension lead for my house and office” which means the electricity at work must be observed and the leads must be maintained as required by law.

 

[DPG]

Bloody hell chaps....the bloke just wants to make up a lead for his home, what's PAT testing got to do with it?

Because he seems obsessed with relevant qualifications and he mentioned being a pat tester.

 

[Rpa07]

Because he seems obsessed with relevant qualifications and he mentioned being a pat tester.

I got that! Loud and clear!!!

 

[HandySparks]

Remember the PAT testing rule that the maximum length of an extension lead before it needs it’s own RCD is dependent on the cable size used Eg. 1mm cable cores can only be 10 meters long, 1.5mm can be a max of 15 meters and 2.5mm can be a max of 25 meters (core size times 10) and many longer leads purchased will fail the PAT test the moment they are purchased.

Are you saying that extension leads longer than a particular length need to have a permanently connected RCD plug? Is this in the IET ISITEE Code of Practice Book?

 

[Davisonp]

Are you saying that extension leads longer than a particular length need to have a permanently connected RCD plug? Is this in the IET ISITEE Code of Practice Book?

The length of a site-manufactured extension lead should not exceed that given in the table on the right, unless it is protected by an RCD.

Maximum lengths of an extension lead

csa of the cores (mm2)
1.25 1.5 2.5
Maximum length (m)
12 15 25
(IET 140)

IET. Code of Practice for In-service Inspection and Testing of Electrical Equipment, 4th Edition. Institution of Engineering & Technology (IET), 11/2012. VitalBook file.

 

[Rpa07]

25 meters is a long lead - it could get up to all sorts of mischief unless RCD protected.

 

[HandySparks]

The length of a site-manufactured extension lead should not exceed that given in the table on the right, unless it is protected by an RCD.

Maximum lengths of an extension lead

csa of the cores (mm2)
1.25 1.5 2.5
Maximum length (m)
12 15 25
(IET 140)

IET. Code of Practice for In-service Inspection and Testing of Electrical Equipment, 4th Edition. Institution of Engineering & Technology (IET), 11/2012. VitalBook file.

OK, thanks, that's a bit of the book that I didn't remember.
However, it doesn't require the RCD protection to be integral with the cable assembly. So if a non-RCD extension lead is being used in a location where all socket outlets are RCD protected, I would say that it complies.

 

[paul291277]

I think this is outside of BS7671 as it is not part of the installation; as long as a suitable flex is protected by a 13a fuse, what's the issue?

 

[paul291277]

To original OP, you can manufacture whatever you want to plug into a socket without needing qualifications, be it a 20m extension lead, a metal fork or your tongue, but as long as a suitable flex is protected by a 13a fuse at the plug, you're okay

 

[Davisonp]

To original OP, you can manufacture whatever you want to plug into a socket without needing qualifications, be it a 20m extension lead, a metal fork or your tongue, but as long as a suitable flex is protected by a 13a fuse at the plug, you're okay

Except that in an office the Electricity at work act (the law) requires the portable appliances must be “Maintained”, usually PAT tested.

 

[PEG]

Unless...this is a cunning variation on the theme of "...how do i wire a supply to my office,it is 40 meters from the house..."

 

[Deleted member 9648]

Except that in an office the Electricity at work act (the law) requires the portable appliances must be “Maintained”, usually PAT tested.

I may stand corrected but I believe above legislation applies to employers. If the 'office' is a one man home office then would the EAW act apply?

 

[richy3333]

Is it just me or do the questions on this forum just get more weird? I thought every question possible had been asked, clearly not!

Is the OP a wet pants?!

 

[Deleted member 72666]

Maybe the op wants a reason to fail a customer's extension lead on the grounds that it's 'diy' and is looking for a specific reg to back it up, I could be wrong but that's how it looks to me.

 

[DPG]

The OP wants to make his own extension cable and wanted to know if he needed to be qualified. He doesn't. I think he's gone anyway.

 

[telectrix]

The OP wants to make his own extension cable and wanted to know if he needed to be qualified. He doesn't. I think he's gone anyway.

he's gone to buy 20m of bell wire.

 

[Taylortwocities]

@Sam0204 could you expand on the use for this lead?

Is this to provide power from the house to the office that is 20metres away down the garden, maybe?

 

[Dave OCD]

Having read all this I'm scared to use my 2.5mm /50m long extension lead now. Will I be arrested ?

 

[Rpa07]

"Spark arrested" I can see the headlines now!

Having read all this I'm scared to use my 2.5mm /50m long extension lead now. Will I be arrested ?

 

[Dave OCD]

And thinking about it the 2.5 flex is very neatly terminated in the 13a rubber plug - so it can be done !

 

[Des 56]

Having read all this I'm scared to use my 2.5mm /50m long extension lead now. Will I be arrested ?

Maybe just a caution if you take care to leave a couple of turns on the drum

 

[Dave OCD]

Can't do that, it'll get hot !

 

[D00DY_T00DY]

25 meters is a long lead - it could get up to all sorts of mischief unless RCD protected.

So I now have an image of a 25m extension loitering around shops and causing trouble.