Question about Who can do what and minor works certs

In all the examples you give it is repair or replace, not fresh installation. so there is no building regs/ part P to worry about. If however a brand new circuit was being run for a brand new shower, then it may be.


So no paperwork to local authority, and no need to belong to a trade body to notify it either.

However, the work still needs to be done properly, and here folk will start to argue about qualifications versus experience. And what level of the each makes someone a proper electrician.


"Watch  one do one teach one" monkey learning may be good enough for Medican Sans Frontier vaccination programmes, but for home wiring in the developed world is is probably not quite enough. !!


As a minimum there should be some understanding of ohms law, cable ratings ( and de-rating when in lagging or places where cooling is poor), so that the fitness of what is being connected to can be judged, and a meter of some kind just to test continuity of the earthing. But re-using the original cable after a quick look and feel to be sure it is not melted or otherways damaged and a quick buzz to see that the earth gets to the end, is going to be OK 99% of the time, and even if it does not work, it is not likely to be dangerous.

Other rules that get missed are things like not boxing in junction boxes and recognising unsuitable cable routes.

There should always be some sort of audit trail - if not a formal certificate, then 'replace heating pumps, and confirm existing cable and earthing arrangement satisfactory on date XXX' on the bill.

A certificate makes it much clearer what you  did, and may help with arguments like  the fact the lawnmower has stopped working the day after you moved a hand basin is nothing to do with you... that sort of customer.


Really  what is most needed is a keen awareness of personal confidence and limits, and how to make things safe and who to call when that limit is reached. But some installations once opened up are going to reveal a can of worms (*) that needs more knowledge. There will be cases where the pipes are live, or the cable is really damaged or the shower is not actually on an RCD or something, and for those occasions having advice and skilled hands on speed dial is very useful.


Mike

There will be conflicting opinions, so wait for other responses.

(* other more ah, shall we say colourful expressions may be used if the situation warrants it.)

In all the examples you give it is repair or replace, not fresh installation. so there is no building regs/ part P to worry about. If however a brand new circuit was being run for a brand new shower, then it may be.


So no paperwork to local authority, and no need to belong to a trade body to notify it either.

However, the work still needs to be done properly, and here folk will start to argue about qualifications versus experience. And what level of the each makes someone a proper electrician.


"Watch  one do one teach one" monkey learning may be good enough for Medican Sans Frontier vaccination programmes, but for home wiring in the developed world is is probably not quite enough. !!


As a minimum there should be some understanding of ohms law, cable ratings ( and de-rating when in lagging or places where cooling is poor), so that the fitness of what is being connected to can be judged, and a meter of some kind just to test continuity of the earthing. But re-using the original cable after a quick look and feel to be sure it is not melted or otherways damaged and a quick buzz to see that the earth gets to the end, is going to be OK 99% of the time, and even if it does not work, it is not likely to be dangerous.

Other rules that get missed are things like not boxing in junction boxes and recognising unsuitable cable routes.

There should always be some sort of audit trail - if not a formal certificate, then 'replace heating pumps, and confirm existing cable and earthing arrangement satisfactory on date XXX' on the bill.

A certificate makes it much clearer what you  did, and may help with arguments like  the fact the lawnmower has stopped working the day after you moved a hand basin is nothing to do with you... that sort of customer.


Really  what is most needed is a keen awareness of personal confidence and limits, and how to make things safe and who to call when that limit is reached. But some installations once opened up are going to reveal a can of worms (*) that needs more knowledge. There will be cases where the pipes are live, or the cable is really damaged or the shower is not actually on an RCD or something, and for those occasions having advice and skilled hands on speed dial is very useful.


Mike

There will be conflicting opinions, so wait for other responses.

(* other more ah, shall we say colourful expressions may be used if the situation warrants it.)