DIYers/Builders...when will it end

[J&M Electrical]

How much longer are Builder and DIY'ers going to carry on 'de-valuing' our trade. It seems the more i read on here and the more i see out on site DIY electrics are getting more and more common. It winds me up that we go to college for 3/4 Years to get a qualification that enables us to work safely yet every Tom Dick and Harry can go into B&Q/Screwfix etc buy some cable and sockets, have a quick look at a diagram B&Q have kindly put up for them and then go home and bodge their electrics. The Gas lads seem to be starting to get it sorted but we haven't. Personally the only way i think this will stop is to give every qualified electrician a card similar to the Gas Safe card and make it law that electrical items can only be sold to people who hold this card. Am i on my own or do others feel the same? Sorry to rant but it makes my blood boil.

 

[Dave 85]

Kinda makes me laugh all these people comparing wiring to surgery as if to be an electrician requires you to be as skilled educated and intellegent as a doctor is required to be. Stop flattering yourselves guys, its a fairly simple manual job that, as with many manual jobs, can in very rare circumstances, be potentially fatal.

 

[ipf]

Kinda makes me laugh all these people comparing wiring to surgery as if to be an electrician requires you to be as skilled educated and intellegent as a doctor is required to be. Stop flattering yourselves guys, its a fairly simple manual job that, as with many manual jobs, can in very rare circumstances, be potentially fatal.

Fatal - Rare, Potentially fatal - I would say quite common. Simple/manual ? Depends what field your in and how much thought is required.

 

[needasparks]

TBH changing a board is easy for a diy'er. No testing, no labeling and put the cover on quick before the spaggetti falls out.
see how quick they call for help though when the rcd won't stay in.

I had a great call few years back, someone changed the CU and said it will not stay live and trip straight away.
It was one that you cut the buss bar to split the ways you want, you guessed it. They left it joining both rcds together.

 

[kingeri]

I went to a DIY CU change fairly recently - they had actually done a reasonably tidy job - but obviously no pre-testing done on circuits. Guy called me out wondering why RCD won't stay on. After a few tests I found issues with 3 of the circuits. He said he had no idea of the implications or sensitivity of RCDs. He learned.

 

[Octopus]

TBH changing a board is easy for a diy'er. No testing, no labeling and put the cover on quick before the spaggetti falls out.
see how quick they call for help though when the rcd won't stay in.

I had a great call few years back, someone changed the CU and said it will not stay live and trip straight away.
It was one that you cut the buss bar to split the ways you want, you guessed it. They left it joining both rcds together.

From what I see around my patch there are registered sparkies installing boards, not labelling them, not doing certificates, not notifying them. The list goes on. Sometimes I wonder why I want to do it by the book.

 

[i=p/u]

go to fancy dress shop get moustache and wig and offer great deals for crap work....

From what I see around my patch there are registered sparkies installing boards, not labelling them, not doing certificates, not notifying them. The list goes on. Sometimes I wonder why I want to do it by the book.

- - - Updated - - -

it happens all over...

 

[Octopus]

go to fancy dress shop get moustache and wig and offer great deals for crap work....

- - - Updated - - -

it happens all over...

I'm sure it does, makes you wonder why some of us actually bother.

Actually I see more issues with electrics done as part of work done under planning permission here!

 

[needasparks]

From what I see around my patch there are registered sparkies installing boards, not labelling them, not doing certificates, not notifying them. The list goes on. Sometimes I wonder why I want to do it by the book.

Think most of us see that on a daily basis, after a while its hard to separate the diy stuff from billy sparks with the picture of a plug on the van.

 

[GLENNSPARK]

Kinda makes me laugh all these people comparing wiring to surgery as if to be an electrician requires you to be as skilled educated and intellegent as a doctor is required to be. Stop flattering yourselves guys, its a fairly simple manual job that, as with many manual jobs, can in very rare circumstances, be potentially fatal.

yet another piece of bull from Dave 85....listen ...your starting to get a reputation in here for being the author of complete and useless crap kid so do yourself a favour....look in books or hit the road...lol...lol...
P.S. send us a copy of a recent schedule of inspections of yours fella....thats if you want to gain any credibility with me Mr.....

 

[GLENNSPARK]

i dont think anyones flattering themselves as to the job they have chosen....much easier now we have RCDs.....what you think Dave?...

 

[telectrix]

yeah, what's so complicated about surgery. it's only glorified plumbing at the end of the day. cut this artery, join that one to it, can't wait till the medical profession get round to using speedfix joints.

 

[GLENNSPARK]

yeah, what's so complicated about surgery. it's only glorified plumbing at the end of the day. cut this artery, join that one to it, can't wait till the medical profession get round to using speedfix joints.

still sweating em on at the mo` tel...

 

[GLENNSPARK]

come on Dave 85...be a Man....you come in here trying to dazzle us with your knowledge....
still wet behind the ears kid.....

 

[GLENNSPARK]

just noticed his names not on the list....i guess that means he`s not coming in?

 

[ipf]

Someone's excluded methinks!

 

[GLENNSPARK]

Someone's excluded methinks!

well it happened to the best of us....i guess it can now happen to the worst....

 

[ipf]

well it happened to the best of us....i guess it can now happen to the worst....

True........and I don't mean you.lol.

 

[i=p/u]

electric between yous two. reduce your resistance by hugging

 

[mickys86]

Come on guys.. Its hardly rocket science? Look at some of the things you come accross on your travels, Installed by a supposed qualified spark! DIYers are just people like everyone else and with a short course can be a PRO !!
Changing a CU is a step by step process. Just think about it??

Anything can be a step by step process. But doesn't mean if your not trained you should be doing it. I'm sure it states somewhere in the electricity at work act that you have to be trained and competent.

That and the testing the bonding the upgrading of tails and not to mention the borrowed neutral.

 

[i=p/u]

well sai mickey in mentioning trained and competent which is they key words to this subject.