This part P is something I am having major issues with. I am a fully qualified apprentice trained electrician ( recently retired) Over the years I have had multiple qualifications including 14th, 15th, 16th and 17th wiring regulations, been the authorised person for 11kV switching at 2 UK factories, hold multiple other qualifications. But.... when my stepson decided to move into property development he decided that a little electrical knowledge would be to his benefit So he paid (quite a lot) for a 3 week course that makes him not only entitled to carry out installations (I did install a new consumer unit and an armoured cable feed into the garage of his first project because he had little confidence in his ability), but to certify my work. I find it massively distressing that someone like me, fully trained, qualified and with 50 years of experience within the trade cannot add an additional ring main in my own home without getting it certified from someone who has done a 3 week course
@@Teslison I think you can do a level 3 in more like 6-18 months if you do it on it's own as a full time course. Or you can do it in two years as part of an A level program for example at a technical college, though it is a double award so it takes twice the timetable slots of a single award eg an A level. Then again that makes sense an NVQ level 3 qualification is considerd equivalent to 2 A levels passed with a grade C or higher.
certification makes money for regulators and their friends who do them, + good news you have to recertify every year. For me who have a university degree in electrical engineering it is quite ridicluous to call a electrician if I want any change to my circuit breaker consumer unit or anything incoming... I just hope me installing a battery for my solar wont be an issue...:) not going to pay £2000 premium for a certified company to plug in 4 cables, +,-,earth and data RJ45...
Part P is a joke just another tax .You can do the job just get it part P by someone else .Yes it's a legal requirement but building inspector never asked for it as long as you do a certificate and they see a nic number complete joke.
From what I've observed and experienced in the trade here I'm happy to say when I do my own work in my own home I do it at an extremely high standard. I always use gorilla glue and always use original sellotape.
@@jameshansing5396 It's hard to tell with some of these people. I read a review on an extension cord where someone didn't like having to climb a ladder to reset the breaker, so they removed the breaker. This is like the old style fuse boxes in america where people would put bigger fuses in because they kept blowing a fuse. A lot of these people then wondered why their house burned down.
I've always done my own electrics, be it changing a socket or a switch to adding new circuits. Last one was putting a proper electric connection to the garage and adding sockets and lighting in the garage. Also from there I've put it through to our summerhouse (which is build of the side of the garage) each with it's own consumer unit and it has all been checked by a qualified electrician and 100% approved. And before anyone asks, no, I am not an electrician, in fact I only learned for two things and that was bricklaying and welding & construction.
@@GarysDIY70 what we all need to do is what they do in Australia, to get round there government enforced system, this is because this is where Part P came from, you go and purchase as many extension lead as need which is not covered by there enforced system, run extension lead after extension lead after extension lead to where you need to get power to where you wont it to go. And by the way it used to be not allowed to put an electrical plug on an appliance.
I have just retired after 50 years in the electrical trade and any electrical work I require doing I will do myself and if I am not sure about anything I will look it up. I feel after all my years in the industry I am better equipped than somebody who has been working for 2 or 3 years
Good for you, and logical, or you could get a budding sparky and let them experiment on your property and why not do abit of Harry Enfield role character play, " you don't wanna do it like that " I'm sure the bud will love you for it 😏
Nothing stops you doing so, this video is incorrect in suggesting you can't. Any home owner can do the work themselves even to consumer units, but if they arent part P registered they will need to make an application to the local authority. The difference is that a part p electrician doesnt need to apply, they can just do the work and notify the local authority after via their professional body. The local Authority will want to be sure you are competent to do the work and will usually employ an electrician to double check your work for which you will likely be charged £200-300. As a retired electrician they may well seem you to be competent without someone to check your work but will want to see that you have done all the normal testing of circuits.
@mikebarry229 not sure how true this is that building control will get an electrician to check it. In my area certainly , building control will just expect YOU to get it certified by an electrician, which in turn makes it impossible for you to do the work, as electricians just don't do this any more (only EICRs, which are different)
Interesting although as an electronic s engineer trained in low voltage and high. I submitted to building control the electrical lay out plans detailing cable size and mcb, rcds ratings etc. This was installed by my self including armoured cable because my consumer unit was greater than 3m away from source. This was periodically over viewed by a qualified electrician and also carried out part p testing of the entire installation. Final installation signed off after I completed minor ommissions and submitted to the local BR department. So I believe that your presentation clear and concise was a general statement which overlooked the options available. Best Regards Peter
@@robfodder5575 I saved a fortune with regard to installation, despite the electrician I over compensated in parts and it was the neatest cabling he had seen. £300.0 for all the testing. I even convinced him the switch in bathroom was outside of zone two, which he reluctantly agreed. Perseverance and common sense prevailed 👍😎
@@gs425 As a competent electronics engineer monitored by a qualified electrician this is within the regs as they would have been rejected from the day I submitted them on the original proposals. 👍😎
@@robfodder5575 you need to find an electrician that monitors your work. Remember earthing is important from switch plates to back plates if the are metal. If using armoured cable invest in earth locking nuts which earths the sheath only required at one end. Finally the metal cut outs need to be protected with plastic edging. Good Luck 😎👍
Man, your videos are just so good. I’m not a professional but a very competant DIYer (an engineer father started me young), but every video of yours that I watch I learn something new, and your script and editing make everything so clear.
It's competent DIYers who get frustrated. I've no formal training, but I'm an electronics hobbyist, so I'm quite capable of understanding cable current ratings and derating them properly, and using the appropriate connectors. And I know not to trust any MCB or RCD off Amazon until I've personally had it on my test-bench to verify correct operation, given the counterfeit situation. I know what I'm doing, but the law disagrees: The default assumption is that no-one should be trusted until they have completed an extensive training and certification process, which is so convoluted that even on this video there are people arguing about exactly what the requirements are. There's no way I can prove my knowledge without time and expense.
@@vylbird8014 Think of it this way, your abilities, though good, will not convince a insurance company, who by remit, look for ANY excuse not to pay up. As frustrating as it is, its better to cover yourself by using a Electrical Company (fully registered) to sign off any work you may do. I fully agree with your caution over products, unfortunately people's remit is cheapness and not safety. Any electrical equipment should always be A1 plus, so pick carefully. If its cheap, there's always a reason!
0:33 he's in reference to eu laws regarding electrical work, and thats 240 volts err I think its 230 volts 50 hz. No 110, 115,or 120 volts. But even in the usa you have to pull permits and get inspection in many places you cant even change a fixture without a permit and inspection
My experience is that when it comes down to it, nobody really cares about the notification side of things. Even when selling a house, say you don't have an install cert etc for a new circuit, an EICR to check it's safe is almost always fine. Generally speaking, dodgy work looks dodgy even to a layman. The main thing is like anything: is the work done properly, and is it safe.
It's wrong to say that you can't do work that is subject to Building Regs approval. It's just that if you do it yourself you will have to pay the local building control department the appropriate fees and have it approved and inspected by them (they may contract inspection out to an electrician). For some types of work the cost of the building control fees can outweight the savings of not paying an electrician to do the work.
The actual voltage that comes into a UK home will normally be around 240V. The EU standard didn't actually change anything in the distribution system in the UK, the standard was just widened to include those countries with generally higher voltages (like the UK at around 240V) and a lot that used 220V in Europe. Really it is a specification of the manufacturers of electrical equipment. It's easy enough to check, and a lot of plug-in power meters will show what the actual voltage is at any point in time. nb. for anybody who is having their CU swapped out, I would recommend to them to spend the extra and have RCBOs fitted rather than those RCD split boards with MCBs. That way, you get fewer nuisance trips, much better fault isolation and diagnosis and if something does trip sue to excess residual current, then it doesn't knock out half the circuits in the house.
I've seen 245 volts on my system, and my solar panels are at maximum output (i.e. the volt drop in my mains supply cable means that my house runs at a higher voltage than the local substation).
After having RCDs keep cutting out, we had our board checked and the 'Qualified installer' hadn't fully tightened half the connections, at least we part funded his new car hey.
The vid was in the uk but here in the USA I can’t tell you how many installations I have seen done by licensed contractors that does not meet code. As a professional I am constantly updating my knowledge of the code and why it is the way it is. I am also a UL certified shop.
The Lewden box is a switch-fused isolator. it is there because your consumer unit is more than the maximum permitted distance of 3 meters for unprotected meter tails which is why it goes out in an armoured cable. You'll probably find that although the incoming fuse is rated at 100A, the switch fuse is down-rated to something like 60 or 80A.
I know 'someone' who afew years ago completely rewired a house from the main fuse and then got it certified by a qualified electrician. All passed to standards and a big improvement on the old wired fuse box..
All in order and still possible. However, it really should be approved and inspcted by he local authority building conrol department who will extract a fee - when I checked a few years ago it was around £500 for a complete rewire.
For many years I have followed, read, spoken/read countless sources of information pertaining to electrical work, installations, the law, part P and so on. It is beyond me how something so potentially dangerous has SO MUCH ambiguity surrounding it! You could literally get 10 qualified sparks in a room and you could ask them the same question and get 10 different answers. The posts on here are proof of that. I had intended to ask a long standing question of my own but the fact that I can guarantee I will either not get a straight answer, a dozen different answers or the usual - "If you are not qualified don't touch anything" OR my favourite "Read part P"
As an electrician with 50 years of experience that's true. The same as with plumbers, mechanics and a lot of other trades lots of things are open to personal interpretation of the regulations we work under. The wiring regulations in my trade have so many cross references in it that you can easily loose track of the original item you were looking for so no surprise there is confusion and different interpretations.
@@vylbird8014 Cables buried in plaster, inaccessible junction boxes, and ring mains are far from "better". The main advantage is 240v instead of the 120v used in the US.
@@thelight3112 Cables shouldn't be buried in plaster, junction boxes should be obvious in location and accessible and ring mains require considerably less wire than the alternative.
Went to move into new house 22 years ago. BIL was the contractor liason. He touched the dishwasher and got an electric shock. We noticed the lights were also dim. Sparkies who put in the electrics were contacted. After a 2 hour drive to get here, they spent 30 seconds, looked at the main switchboard, found nothing wrong and left. We refused to sign the handover till the problem was fixed. Builder called a local sparkie who found a dislocated neutral wire on the main box, and fixed the wire. Years later I remove a light switch assembly from the wall to paint, and a hot wire broke. Screw must have been tightened with a pile driver, and the movement of the switch from the wall caused the wire to break. When I wire a switch or plug, I test the wire by tugging on the wire a few times with a reasonable force to see if the wire screw is tight. Something our sparkies did not do, they just tightened the shit out of all the wires. SMH.
Moved into a different house in 2004. My neighbour - since deceased - who was a lovely man, told me 'Brian was very good at DIY!' I decided to change the ceiling light at the bottom of the stairs since it was very old and not what you might describe as 'stylish'. Having switched off the relevant circuit I removed it from the ceiling and found the cable hole in the plasterboard ceiling was about 5 inches in diameter. Wow! I thought, that's a bit big! I disconnected the cable and removed the fitting. Then checked the security of the cable and found it was mixed with a large lump of brown mastic in the void. I pulled gingerly and after 5 minutes had removed all the cable from above the ceiling. It was still connected but the extra cable was long enough to literally reach the floor. Having shortened it to a sensible length and replaced the gaping hole in the ceiling I fitted a new light unit. The old cable went in the bin. Brian lives in Spain now and is undoubtedly causing havoc but in a different environment. His DIY was shocking. Brown mastic to point a brick wall anyone?
@@thetraveller869 Brown mastic reminds me that the previous owner to my house had stuck some loose capstones (on the low wall around the patio) back on with some sort of silicone adhesive, possibly bath sealant.
*1)* You can replace an MCB/RCD/RCBO/AFDD *_inside_* a consumer unit as it is a part of an existing circuit. You just cannot replace the whole consumer unit - look at (b) below. It shows that in the document shown in the vid. *2)* You can install an isolator switch, such as a fused spur switch (FCU), if it is a part of an existing circuit. A spur from an existing circuit is not a new circuit. Most work is non-notifiable, which means you don't have to tell building control about it or have an electrician sign it off. The reg: *Notifiable Work:* *_Regulation 12. (6A)_* *_(a) the installation of a new circuit;_* *_(b) the replacement of a consumer unit;_* *_(c) or any addition or alteration to existing circuits in a special location._* _Any addition or alteration to existing circuits in special locations,_ are generally bathrooms, swimming pools and saunas. If it's NOT work described above in (a), (b) and (c), then it's *non notifiable.* All work still needs to be undertaken to electrical regulations. You need to be *_competent._* Competent means the *results* and *working safely.* Of course, you can do anything in your house from the meter onwards as long as you get it signed off by an approved electrician. EICR inspection comes to mind.
One thing that I think you should have included is reference to the wiring regulations - that's not the same as Part P. This is important since, while homeowners can carry out the work you described, it still has to be in accordance with the wiring regulations. One minor correction is around a fused spur (you mentioned on the video an isolator) which isn't a new circuit and you can install a fused spur as a homeowner. You would need to do so if, for example, you were to install some lighting from the ring-main. The lights would have to be fused down to 3 or 5 amps. You're spot on about the consumer unit though and it's worth adding if you have a second panel in a garage, it applies to new circuits there too.
Unfortunately, the wiring regs are not available for free (at least, not the current ones). I have managed to find the 16th Ed online, but not more recent. I won't link here because I don't want to give the impression they are still valid.
This is a good point. A while back I replaced a section of wiring over at my Nan's house, which ran out towards an outside light. The installer (I won't call them an electrician) apparently decided that because the cable run was partially protected by the building that ordinary PVC interior wiring would be acceptable. I replaced the bodge-job light and ran new pond cable (HOF7RN or something) to it. I found the old cabling had started to become brittle and wasn't adequately supported along it's length, which was also nice. Apparently the same guy may have been involved at one of her neighbour's houses as they had the same type of cable but running to a garage, and their landlord had to have it replaced as it kept shorting out when wet.
I take code to be a minmum. I almost always go a bit beyond, it doesn't usually cost much and gives just that much more confidence that the system cannot be over taxed.
I just moved to a new property and love learning to understand, how things work. I am absolutely in awe with this video! Thank you-thank you-thank you! 🥰🥰🥰
Oh dear - here we go - same old misdirections and mistakes. 6:32 "So what are we, as homeowners, allowed to do within the electrical systems of our own homes?" That's an easy one: A: Anything we like. If you disagree, then please find and quote here any law or regulation which actually prohibits some or all electrical work being done by a homeowner. Please note - a requirement to notify Building Control in advance is NOT a prohibition. A requirement to get the work tested by someone is NOT a prohibition. 6:37 "there's a document here ... and it's called Part P of the UK Building Regulations 2010". Well, no, it isn't called that, and it isn't that. It very clearly says that it is Approved Document P - it is NOT "Part P" This is Part P. (This is quoted from the actual Building Regulations which you can find here www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2010/2214/contents/made Part P is in Schedule 1 www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2010/2214/schedule/1/made ) P1 Reasonable provision shall be made in the design and installation of electrical installations in order to protect persons operating, maintaining or altering the installations from fire or injury. The requirements of this Part apply only to electrical installations that are intended to operate at low or extra-low voltage and are - (a) in or attached to a dwelling; (b) in the common parts of a building serving one or more dwellings, but excluding power supplies to lifts; (c) in a building that receives its electricity from a source located within or shared with a dwelling; or (d) in a garden or in or on land associated with a building where the electricity is from a source located within or shared with a dwelling. And that's it. 6:48 "This document describes what it covers, and what you can and can't do in your own home. Which page(s) list things which you _CAN'T_ do in your own home? Not have to notify, not get tested, actually _CAN'T_? 7:09 "Which essentially means a DIYer or non-qualified electrician can't legally carry out the work" Completely wrong. How on earth did you manage to read that document and decide it described a legal prohibition on certain classes of people carrying out certain electrical work when it says nothing of the sort? And BTW - the distinction with electricians when it comes to notification/self-certification is not qualified vs non-qualified, it is registered (with a competent person scheme) vs non-registered. Someone could be the most qualified electrician in the world but unless registered they would still be unable to self-certify and would still need to notify Building Control in advance. 7:17 "and if you do, you risk a fine of up to £5,000". Pretty small risk, though, isn't it, given how few people have been prosecuted so far for failing to notify work. 7:30 "and also when you come to sell the property you could find you're having a problem....". 1) You tell the truth on the questionnaire from your buyers' solicitors 2) You or the buyer pays for an EICR to be carried out 3) Buyer decides whether or not to carry on with the purchase Assuming that your non-notified work wasn't a dangerous pile of kack you're not going to have major problems - likeliest scenario is that in a buyers market they might use the lack of a completion certificate to get a price reduction. 7:46 "with a consumer unit you can't do anything you're not allowed to make any adjustments, changes, additions ... you're just not allowed to work in it ...". Again - complete nonsense. Again, if you think you're right, please present proof of a provision in law which forbids people from doing those things. [SPOILER ALERT] - you won't be able to. 8:31 "you're not allowed to install that isolator switch because that would also mean that you're installing a new circuit. Circuit. An assembly of electrical equipment supplied from the same origin and protected against overcurrent by the same protective device(s) How does installing an isolator mean you're creating a new circuit? 8:50 "any like-for-like repairs". Ah, that old chestnut. Where is the term "like-for-like" used in either the Building Regulations or the Approved Document? 8:53 "adding low-voltage lighting off of an existing 240V circuit". 240V IS "low voltage" 8:59 "another area where you're not allowed to carry out any work as a DIYer..." Again, flatly wrong. Again if you think you're right, bring forth some evidence of an _actual prohibition_. 9:40 - 10:27 All the stuff about testing, and being truly competent. At last something we agree on.
Seriously - apart from that final minute, I thought we'd left all this conflation of Part P & Approved Document P behind years ago. Ditto all the incorrect statements about some things now being illegal to do. And all the idiots who think Part P is just a tax.
Kudos to Stuart for allowing an open comments section on a contentious issue. We may not all agree but constructive debate is healthy and people have an opportunity to expand their knowledge. Unlike another DIY guy's channel who blocks all the comments that offer constructive criticism. Can definitly see why this channel is so popular.
The point on testing is really important, one I made on another video the other day. I'm a confident diyer with a dad who is a spark and I've done a few jobs with him including full rewires but while most diyers would be capable of changing sockets or lights etc, most, I would proffer, don't do any testing to confirm the safety and integrity of any new work and probably just go on the "it's working, it's fine" mantra.
A Kewtech socket tester doesn't measure resistance. And any person doing electrical installation work, that has more than 1LB in weight of grey matter doesn't need a Kewtech socket tester. The wires are colour coded so you shouldn't be making the mistake of wiring them into the wrong terminals. It's the resistance measurements that tell you how good the connections and terminations are. The Kewtech doesn't give you that. And that is where the fire risk comes from, terminations which have too high a resistance. But if you happen to have a socket tester, then why not use it to detect obvious mistakes. So I don't think they are useless, but recognise that they are very limited in what they do.
An excellent video that was presented well enough to make me think my new circuit was installed illegally. Only when I spoke to someone who I would genuinely class as a genius especially with Electrics, made me doubt the accuracy of this content. - only responding to the comments that are on your side with no argument towards your doubters now confirm as good a video as it seems - it's Horse Manure of the most potent variety.
I used to do a lot of major refurbishments and usually ran all the electrics myself but always called in a qualified sparky to check the circuits and connect to the board. This arrangement worked well for me for many years.
@jameshansing5396 - Any qualified electrical inspector would be pleased to do an inspection and certify the work if it meets the requirements of Part P. It’s what inspectors do (there’s a clue in the name, ”electrical inspector”.) Maybe you should have stopped after your first five words . . . ?
Ok, your ignorance is highlighted several times there. An EICR isnt the same as signing off someone else's work. Part P is an insanely tiny part of the process, I mean TINY..... Part P course is 3 days, I got 100% on mine. BS7671 is 3/4 days, I got 96% on mine. BUT the rest of knowing your stuff is YEARS. Oh and let's not forget the week long Test and inspect course, 2391. As a working Spark, with many Spark acquaintances (So personal experience) the VERY best ones dont want anything to do with signing off someone else's work as they are too thorough and anal (a good thing). it really isnt the same as an EICR where you can load the cert with LIMs. Ill put you onto my mate if you like, he teaches 2391 and BS7671 whilst still being a working Spark. Id trust him over anyone and he wouldn't want anything to do with it. The only ones I have ever known do it were Spaks who's knowledge had zero respect for. SO you can try and be condescending but I have highlighted your ignorance and given you real world examples. Look over the comments, plenty are saying how sh*t proper Sparks can be. And guess what.... they will be the ones signing off some clown's work....... Unless I can inspect every inch of cable, check EVERY termination then f*ck that and by that time, you may as well have done it yourself. ;) I am open to the fact that SOME decent Sparks may do it but I still stand by my view, as I am not a total egotist like you who thinks my own small experience is all encompassing. $50 says you arent even a Spark yourself.... (If you are then that's scary that you think Part P is so relevant. It really isnt in the grand scheme of things). @@quirkygreece
I rewired my house, years ago, and called in a qualified electrician to check it out. He could find nothing wrong, because I had spared no expense in making everything completely compliant, and exceeding the standard of the time by as much as was reasonably possible. About 30 years later, several newer Editions in place, I called in another electrician to do some rewiring, because I was no longer up to date, and he was happy with the older wiring, because it was still completely safe, although it would have to be done differently if rewired again. All impedances are well within specifications, etc. The only significant change he had to make was to replace the plastic consumer unit with a metal one, and to upgrade the RCCD's. The daft thing is that, when I first rewired the place, I had to replace a 'unsafe' metal unit with the 'safer' plastic one.
I have seen some appalling work carried out by so called NIC EIC electricians. Thats why I wouldn't let another near my place. I am fully qualified and carry out my own work, and stuff the local authority, they don't have the labour to control the cumbersome and over bureaucratic system. I enquired 10 years ago and was told that to change my C/U I have to pay them (I think it was then) £135 even though I hold all the relevant electrical qualifications. I paid grudgingly and was told to contact the L/A once starting, I did twice, no reply, emailed twice. Then once completed I emailed them to that effect, still no reply. I did all the testing, used a copy from the wiring regs test sheet just in case somebody actually turned up but nothing. In the last 7 years to now I have done 2 extensions to my house, own electrics and the building inspector who knows my trade doesn't seem worried. If I sell I'll just get a test and inspection done as part of the sale. I wish I had saved my £135 years ago.
Wow what a difference from my country. I have rewired my whole house and have no problem adding circuits. Recently I added a cable to my load centre for an emergency generator with the interlock of course. Works great. By the way, very useful video.
Some years back a MPs daughter tried to do her own electrical DIY (probably was dumbass enough to put metal against a livewire) and killed herself, then the law of doing DIY yoursef changed.
@@DavidJohnson-dc8lu Yeah, real "freedom" is the government protecting you from yourself. It's ironic that the country that is responsible for the political philosophy that birthed the US has strayed so far off their own path.
@@Interdiction Oh, I get that, which just points the finger at how stupid the laws are. I'd do the same. On the surface at least, the law expresses a paternalism that is antithetical to freedom.Somehow though, I think it has a lot more to do with satisfying a self-interested lobby than it does with protecting people from themselves. It's more of an employment law than a public safety law. Credentials are often just a means of excluding competition.
@@Interdiction You can also just ignore them, to no consequence. It's not like the council is going door to door, inspecting all your sockets and switches.
I had an outdoor socket installed but it required a part-P person because I wanted it done via a new circuit to (a) allow higher current and (b) allow me to more easily isolate it if there was a problem.
I noticed from news reports years ago in Australia that many factory fires the news stated that recent electrical works were done at the factory. By electrical contractors.
All electrical (and plumbing) work in Australia is more strictly policed and regulated than in the UK - but the parts (or most of them) are still available in DIY stores. That said some of the regulations are weak - e.g. no need for CPC to light switches if the switch is fully isolated (not metal, no chance of contact etc. - those silly screw caps must have originated there) The regulations (Industry driven) are so all-embracing that you cannot even install your own data cabling OR terminate patch leads..... and don't even think you can install a second phone socket. Technically your transformer powered doorbell requires a sparky and you need a plumber to change a tap washer.
@@barrieshepherd7694Very few people get plumbers to change tap washers. Myself included, l learnt plumbing from my father who was a plumber and sparkie.
This is one of the best educational videos I have ever seen. I am a qualified electrician, and the majority of our work is in domestic properties. The advice Given in this video is 100% accurate and delivered in a way that can be understand by all. When I attempt to explain these principles to my customers, I soon see that vacant look in their eyes as they just understand what I’m trying to explain. Thanks to Proper DIY, I’ll never have this problem again - I’ll just show them this video. I’m thinking this guy is a qualified electrician.?
@@grahamd5418Why? Its a video titled "What Home Electrics Can You Do Yourself". It's going to be of interest to many electricians purely to see what information is being put out there from a DIY perspective. On a wider level, there's a few professional electrical channels that are really good resources for increasing professional knowledge. Surely someone who is always looking to improve and increase their knowledge is going to make a better electrician than someone who thinks they know it all and don't need to bother
@William Tell Much of the skill sets is the same as other trades, such as: drilling walls, filling holes, fixing things secure and straight on walls, lifting floors, etc.
The rules were put in place primarily to stop dodgy electricians I.e those operating as a business who’s work was very poor from doing work. At that time most (there are always a few exceptions) people that did DIY electrics, were people that took time to study what they needed to do and took care in doing it. The number of people killed due to electrocution from their own DIY per year minimal and I don’t believe that’s really changed since. The biggest problem with the rules is as many people who own a house but cannot afford for an electrician to re wire a house will not have that house rewired. The general dumbing down of diy, has created a whole generation who are too scared to even remove a socket. They also don’t realise that the terminal screws of sockets, can work themselves loose over time (depending on what’s plugged in) and should really be checked every few years.
Correct. It all comes under Health and Safety. They are the ultimate body. The are over GasSafe. If you see a badly installed gas installation by a DIYer, GasSafe are not interested, as he is not asking for money and not under their umbrella. When asked about allowing DIY gas work Health & Safety said that is not a problem overall, it is incompetent work by people asking for money, so called professionals. Hence GasSafe came about. They have the same view on electrics. But they cannot stop unscrupulous operators, so gradually making AFDDs mandatory (since June 2022) in some electrical installations and *recommended* in all, the safety level is greatly raised.
@ImARocketMan a rewire is only required when the insulation breaks down. There's a reason we go to college for years, and DIY Dave has no idea if that video on RUclips is good or not
I do the electric myself and yes I research by reading the regulations on what I am doing, artisan electric has said some DIY electric people are better than electricians as they do a neater and nicer job, in my view if know regulations you can do electric as long as make sure it off before working on it (I cut through a cable once I thought was off but as the plug was under a table) but either leave sockets maybe hanging off or let an electrician unscrew the sockets so they can check the wiring and mark it off if you done a good enough job
You and me fella. I've been a Factory Spark for 27 years, and my Mum had her Consumer Unit Changed 3 Years ago. From the Old Bakelite to a New Schneider Board- Great- the Guy had Tickets and everything. 1st- He Put the Dist Board Up against the ceiling- 2.3 Meters Height- Where as he Should have put a Junction Box and Located the Board at 1,350mm to 1,500mm as per Regs and Part P. But Most Worrying He Put 32 Amp Breakers on 4 single 2.5mm cables... Legs not a Ring!!!! FFS!!! Lucky I Looked to check his work out and know what I'm doing or my Mums house would have burnt down before the Breakers Tripped- as you know. Experience is Priceless. I feel Your Pain my Friend!
Very good video, especially the last third. Not hearsay, but showing the actual regulations which apply. There's a lot of misunderstanding generally, e.g. you must have double glazing, no, the windows being installed must have certain characteristics.
I'm such a noob when it comes to electricity... I find this all very educational! If I may ask, if that first plastic cabinet is outside, anyone with a triangle key can open it and shut off the power, and all lights, alarm systems with it??
@@ProperDIY stick a lockout padlock on upside down. after all your rcds will still trip under fault the switch doesn't physically have to move. it's no diffenert to not having as isolator fitted.
Alarms have battery backups that keep the system alarmed in the event of an outage. Mine, when it has no power, activates and you have to input the code to disable it. Much to the dismay of my neighbours one night we were away for the weekend and there was a short interruption to the power 😬
I am happy that in Belgium you can carry out absolutely everything as a DIY, the regulations and requirements are openly available for everyone. But anything that gets added or changed from a existing installation needs a inspection carried out by a independent approved company, this also needs to happen when a professional electrician carries out the work. This will also require a single line drawing and situation sketch where all power points, lights, switches,… are indicated.
@@neilbennett9281 I had to look it up, there might be slight differences for apartment vs house, full renovation/new build/small alterations. For a renovation of a house I checked 1 company and price is 215€. Not sure if this includes solar panels and battery as I did see seperate pricing for that.
Even better in the Netherlands: no inspection required. You can do absolutely everything yourself, downstream of the sealed meter / municipal fuse box. You are responsible for working to code, and covered by insurance... unless they find out after a fire that you did not follow code.
I got advice from an electrician.... Our house was sold(new) with ZERO capacity to add anything on the consumer unit- there should have been 25% mcb capacity spare? I wanted a 9.5kw instant shower fitted so did it myself, including adding Henly blocks, a new CU, RCD and 45A MCB with 10mm sq twin and earth with the cable not passing through insulation anywhere and only a short run (8m?)...works perfect..... I discovered the "professional electrician" installed Honeywell valve that should shut off hot water from our multifuel stove to the thermal store diverting to a gravity fed radiator in the event of a power failure had no neutral connection.... I've seen many a screw on sockets and switches finger tight also. I'd rather do the work myself and if I sell the house I'll simply disconnect that shower CU from the Henly blocks and therefore there technically is no DIY circuit in operation....the shower is used as backup to the mains one that is heated from the thermal store but is rarely hot enough (total sh*t design!!)....
Those RCD are interesting as you have what we in Canada and US call a ground fault circuit interrupter protecting your whole house. We have GFCI breakers as required on individual circuits such as bathroom or hot tub feeds. I like to watch these kinds of videos from different countries as the differences are interesting.
RCD = GFCI RCBO = RCD plus an MCB (micro circuit Breaker). AFFD = RCBO plus arc fault. Now becoming common in the UK is RCBOs on all circuits. AFDDs are mandatory on socket circuits on some high rise blocks, etc. They are _recommended_ on all installations, which means fit them unless a good excuse not to.
I would be really interested in seeing how the electrian has terminated the 25mm swa submain cable from your fused isolation switch into your fuse board
Great video. 25 years ago, I was engineering high-power switch-mode telecom battery chargers and were already designing them for 230v nominal input which the UK was moving to. Unfortunately, even now in 2023, it seems that most of the network is still 240v. Indeed, my own supply has drifted from 235V to 248V over the last 24 hours and from talking to others this still seems broadly the norm across the network. Would be interested to know if this varies by region and whether any parts of the UK are actually delivering 230v nominal.
I suspect that new DNO circuits for new streets might well have the secondary windings of the residential neightbourhood transformer tapped for 230V. But for every other existing 240V DNO transformer, it costs time and equipment to alter the tappings on the transformer windings. Given that there's no commercial benefit to the DNO in dropping the voltage for it's own sake (indeed it'll take longer for the kettle to brew), and that 240Volts is still well within spec, then the existing transformer will likely remain untouched until it's deemed inadequate to cope with the number of new solar installations, heat pumps and EV chargers. My own voltage shows up a strong correlation between solar output and higher voltages, with 247Volts seen at lunchtime in the summer. 235Volts is seen when there's a high load at home, but no sunshine.
Our supply varies between about 235 and 250 volts, as monitored by Kasa Energy Monitoring Smart Plugs. It's currently 251 V. I imagine it's only a problem for simple resistive devices (ie no PSU) where they will draw proportionally more current and therefore a kettle will boil a little bit quicker. So much of modern life uses siwtiched-mode power supplies which mean the voltage can vary over a very wide range while maintaing a steady 5 V (mobile phones and other USB devices) or 20 V (laptop). My laptop charger is rated at 100-240 V which means that presumably a nominal 230 V supply could fall a *long* way out of spec and still give 5 V out. The maximum of 240 V is a bit worrying if our mains is 250 V: hopefully there is a lot of "headroom" in the SWPSU so the mark:space ratio of the high-frequency switching voltage can be reduced far enough to give an output of 5 V even at 250 V.
No voltages have changed, only what they are called. The tolerances have been changed to fudge it so that everything can be called 230V across Europe. On paper everything is "harmonised", in reality nothing changed. All equipment has to work over 230V +/-10%, but you will find that a lot of Chinese products are made thinking that 230V is the actual supply voltage and will fail at 230V + 10%.
The nominal voltage is 230V but the allowable tolerance means that a 240V supply under the older tolerance that would have applied when it was installed will still be within spec. When I had some work done earlier this year the tester said the voltage was 245V.
Very good video on what you can and can’t do legally but in Wales we are on a different set of regs to England. Any work in Kitchens and outdoor power and lighting are still notifiable in Wales.
Thé général message is correct….. that electrical installations should be installed and modified only by a competent installer. However, to say that it is illegal to do this work as a DIYer is incorrect. In the IEE guidance, competency is not based on a professional status and can be exercised simply as someone who follows the IEE guidance and standard installation recommendations. This means that as long as notification is given to the local building authority, anyone who is competent can carry out the electrical works so that correct procedure and if necessary, building controls can be undertaken. If it was illegal to install or modify and electrical installation, the materials would be restricted to only professional and certified installers/professionals………… but of course, this is not the case.
So could I install an EV charger myself? AC EV chargers are just fancy extension cables. The actual charger is built into the car. Yet they cost about £500 to buy and £500 to install. It’s ridiculous. I’d like to think I’m fairly competent, I’ve experience with UPS systems, batteries and others.
Yes: if you consider yourself competent and follow IEE guidance. I would imagine that you would have to install some pretty hefty cables to a new circuit breaker in your consumer unit similar to a kitchen cooker - but I would beef up a bit and put in 10mm2 cables. Remember; your EV will be on charge for a long time, and you should also protect with a RCD. Best way would be to instal a local consumer unit with a feed direct to the main interruption switch after the principle intallation feed
@@iambenmitchell Creful. It sounds easy but there are earthing issues that need to be taken into account depending on what unit you are installing. The question is, how do you consider that you are competent?
Excellent video and sound advice, but the basic problem with regulations (not just electric) are that the majority of people are oblivious to their existence, plus there are so many and they are so complex.
Thanks for this Stuart, I've completed various bits of electrical maintenance and modifications over the years and think I know my limitations, but the rules change over time so it's reassuring to get a concise common sense update !
I'm thinking of replacing my old electric cooker with a decent gas range one. Obviously, if I did, I'd be left with the old cooker circuit. Could I 'repurpose' that circuit myself to provide power to an outbuilding in order to save having a spark out to wire into the consumer unit? Obviously that circuit is already there so I'm not touching the consumer unit in the house. It has a 45a rcd and the wiring in place, currently supplying the cooker, is all 10mm.... Which is all more than adequate given I only need 6 (but would probably up size to 10, both to satisfy my own ocd for continuity and to future proof) mm armoured cable for the short underground run I need. I'm confident in my ability to do the work but worried about the paperwork when I come to sell the house and whether building control would class this as notifiable or not. The outbuilding is not a swimming pool or sauna - currently storage/home gym but (what I want to be, hence the need for power) office space/workshop. For what the spark wanted to charge me just to put a supply in to the outbuilding, I can pretty much buy the range cooker..... there's a gas supply there already and the wife's been nagging for a gas range so it seems a bit of a no brainier to me to kill the 2 birds with one stone if you like. If it's just a case that "you can't piddle about inside the consumer unit" then re purposing an existing circuit that's already wired in, rather than paying him to install a new feed for the outbuilding, and then either leaving the one for the cooker redundant or paying him again to remove the one for the cooker.
I have been doing work in all our properties(32yrs now)if i think a job is to much i will call in the experts.NOBODY WILL STOP ME,I and my family have no worries about me doing anything.
As an American who does wiring, this is interesting. Here, you can wire anything past the main break including sub panels. Still need to follow code however.
Meanwhile in the Netherlands, fuseboards are plastic, electric meters are indoor, DIY is completely legal. I did completely a complete overhaul of my consumer unit preparing it for 3 phase, I was even required to pull the main fuse to replace the main isolator switch. My colleague got solar panels last year and he had to replace his consumer unit, you can buy fully assembled ones online.
@@johnburns4017 thank you for clearing that up.... I can imagine a 7-year-old child attempting electrics probably wouldn't be a great idea... kids are getting pretty smart at a young age.. just because somebody can do something doesn't mean it's ok
But you also forget to mention that The Netherlands has one of the highest standards of electrical wiring in Europe. Not to mention one of the easiest to maintain (in my humble dutch opinion :) ) But you will also find that an electrical fire will result in detailed scrutiny from the insurance company if they find anything wrong.
@@patrickd9551 All the EU is high. The UK has the advantage that is has the superior fuse in plug. The French, German, Swiss, etc, have DP disconnectors at the main panel. This means twin L & N busbars are used. Much neater. The UK is moving to DP, but not mandatory yet. The UK has AFDDs on circuits with sockets mandatory in some installations, being _recommended_ in all. Also SPDs are near mandatory.
Recently built a new house and was shocked by the quality of the installation particularly the drilling of huge holes through the timber frame and no thought for the follow on trades like the dry liners having to avoid large bunches of cables this was a so called professional electrician I then got another electrician to test the work because I wasn’t comfortable with the work being safe as the first guy had problems with testing the earth
At 9:02 you talk about not being able to carry out any work in a bathroom. However, P2.7 says "All other electrical installation work is not notifiable - namely additions and alterations to existing installations outside special locations, and replacements, repairs and maintenance anywhere." I read this to mean that you can carry out "replacements, repairs and maintenance anywhere", i.e. including in special locations. Am I reading it wrongly?
@@tonkatoy200 no, kitchens aren't special locations, as they are not mentioned in P2.5 (unless you have a bath, shower, swimming pool or sauna in your kitchen...). And your comment doesn't address whether "replacements, repairs and maintenance" are allowed in special locations without being notifiable.
@@awt Quote from a UK government site 'Very common examples of notifiable work are; rewiring a property, providing electricity to a garage or outhouse, the replacement of the main fuse box in a house or any electrical work in a kitchen, shower room or bathroom.'
@@tonkatoy200 can you provide a source link for that? Is it from www.buildingcontrolpartnershiphants.gov.uk/building_regulation_applications/domestic_electrical_works/intro.aspx#:~:text=Very%20common%20examples%20of%20notifiable,kitchen%2C%20shower%20room%20or%20bathroom. ? The fact that page still refers to CORGI suggests it's way, way out of date. My source is www.gov.uk/government/publications/electrical-safety-approved-document-p
Thank you for the video! From this video, I understand one can now add an outdoor electrical socket spurred off the final ring or radial. What about fixed outdoor electrical installations, for example, powering a home's outdoor condenser (air conditioning)? This would be from the final ring through an outdoor rated fused spur. Thank you
From June, 2022 AFDDs arc fault detection devices were *mandatory* in flats with 6 floors and higher, care homes, etc, on any circuit with one or more _sockets_ on it. This detects _arcs_ which can cause fires. An AFDD can replace a micro circuit breaker in the fuse box, in the same slot. It has four functions: *1)* Over-current protection; *2)* Fault detection; *4)* Earth leakage dectection (RCD); *5)* Arc fault detection. AFDDs are *recommended* on all new installations and circuits.
@@derekgoodwin6646 Not over priced, just expensive. Price is dropping. But four separate devices that does what the AFDD does in one package then it will be expensive.
Still only a C3 on inspection, unless of course there is enhanced risk which would be unlikely. HOWEVER: One could argue that you haven’t made anything worse (safety-wise) by not installing an AFDD with an addition but you technically may have by adding more points on which a cable could fail and thus leave it in a condition considered less safe. It’s all getting very political. I was surprised AFDDs were not mandated for terraced houses where fire could spread through the joined roofing.
Do they work - reliably - on low current lighting circuits though? I suspect that their 'need' stems from the days when we were drawing high currents and potentially causing significant arcs.
In England does the red and black go from the breaker box through all of the outlets and then back into the breaker box see if two red wires on the breaker and two black wires on the neutral bar for that one loop plus they yellow green on the ground bar I hear they call it a ring and what gauge wire do they use for lights outlets
Mains electrical wiring in England changed colours in 2005, red & black became brown and blue. A final ring circuit is literally a loop of 3* core 2.5mm2 cable that comes out of the circuit board called a consumer unit), and literally return back to the circuit board. These ring mains are allowed on 32A power circuits only. Lighting circuits are rated at 6A and are not a ring but a radial, i.e. a single 3* core cable of 1 or 1.5mm2 that loops in and out of all the light outlets (switch cables are then added to each outlet), but does not return to the circuit board . *Cable is known as twin & Earth, only the live & neutral wires are wrapped in their coloured PVC, the neutral is bare but protected with green and yellow sleeving at site. Note all 3 cores have another outer wrapping of PVC - usually grey. I think in the USA they call it Romex?
As a retired electrician I still think there needs to be an independent check for safety IF work is done by a DIYer. Case in point, in my previous house the garage the radial for sockets was a mix of 2.5 & 1.5 T&E behind drylining boards and mostly hidden in rockwool insulation. I took the easy option and put a 6A MCB on the circuit. there was also a lighting circuit taken from aj unction box on a 32A ringmain. That soon got a 6A fused connector as well. there was also a rat's nest of exposed wiring (which turned out to be misplaced Earthing) round a junction box in the loft. And the earth cable in the downstairs lighting circuit never found it's way back to the consumer unit. Just as well I did an EICR on the property.
My neighbour had an electric stove for years that usually blew a fuze when more than one 'ring' was used for cooking. He put up with it for years (at least his wife did) but when I helped fit a new electric cooker and checked the wire hiden behind the old cooker, we founf it was 1.5mm T&E, NOT 6mm cooker cable. Once the new 6mm cable was run to the mains, the new cooker gave no problems.
An electrician recently working on my brothers flat wired a 2kW electric room heater up using a spur taken from the lighting circuit. My brother quickly realised (once he had installed the fuse that for some reason the electrician had omitted to fit in the isolating switch fuse plate) that something was wrong when turning on the heater to test it was working tripped the breaker and turned off all the lights. The electrician denied all knowledge of any problem and refused to come back. So my brother told the main contractor who had employed the electrician that he could whistle for his money until it was fixed, and that he would be calling building control and everyone else that he could think of in the morning. The problem is not DIYers or electricians but idiots and both sides have them.
American here, a good video. I'm a guy who is not very handy. But i just replaced a light switch. I'm kinda proud of that. Not burned down the house, yet, anyway. LOL, Having an electrician in to do it, would have been about $225.00. I'm sure it's about the same in the UK.
Hi my house was rewired in the late seventy's and has a old consumer unit, which would comply with the IEE regs at the time, but not with the new ones. The IEE regs were made by a committee made up of representatives from manufacturing company's, so don't you think that if they changed the regulations, so say you had to use more earth wire, would that not be in the manufacturers interest as that would increase there profits. and not for safety reasons. I worked in the back office of a installation company, this is what I heard.
They changed the regulations in 2008 to remove the need to "bond" every metallic item together as long as certain conditions were met, so either they fell out with the Earth cable manufacturer and changed the regs to P them off, or what you heard was just an uneducated opinion
With every change of the wiring regulations there is usually a need to upgrade a consumer unit to a different type for various reasons. Over the years the safety protection has increased greatly. If the installation company you worked for still exists let's hope they change their outlook.
I must admit I did all my electrics soon after I got married back in the seventies. A 1950’s built bungalow which had the old rubber cables. At the same time replaced all plumbing in the very hot summer of 76 at one stage all we had working was a single water tap by the stop cock. I installed all plumbing including central heating fitted kitchen and all electrics. I divided the power supply into multiple ring circuits more than needed for a small bungalow each on its own mcb. One thing I would not use till tested was the gas. The final gas connection and testing was made by the gas board who also inspected the whole of the central heating system so it could go on their service contract. The engineer actually commend my installation. In later years I had an electrician install a rcd in the tails not the best idea but it gave me some extra protection. All has worked perfectly over the years inc new kitchens etc. Of course my install was before all these regs came in but it was a case of needs must no way could I have afforded to have the work done for me. Just recently I had an eicr carried out which passed with flying colours apart from a loose connection in one socket. I wanted the consumer unit changed but was advised not to go ahead due to space restrictions etc.
Absolutely brilliant video. A follow up on the art of cramming (I mean “dressing”) a pair of 2.5mm twin & earth cables into a standard 25mm back box, as well as whether or not you should twist cables together would be great 👍 😂 thank you!
@@Savagetechie completely agree. Been a total pain in our house when changing out sockets / adding spurs. Maybe WAGO could make a special spiral connector so I don’t have to keep chopping them back 😣🤬😂
Never twist - lots of sparking points where they touch but don't bind together. Double over the wires, as in videos on YT videos by professionals for professionals, eg, eFIXX and John McGrath (who is an electrician by trade and a woodworker on YT). I've had to re-set socket and lighting wiring by professionals whose work reveals itself as loose and sloppy very quickly, sometimes within a day or two. Always check work by professional registered electricians unless you have seen them at work and checked their work, preferably in someone else's home!
It is a shame you did not mention a minor works certificate is usually required at the end of a very useful video. Reference to bs7671, is not even mentioned, but as long as common sense, best practice and engineering judgement are considered, that will possibly suffice as not everything comes from bs 7671 anyway......
In 1983 I came to England from New Zealand. In New Zealand, only a qualified Electrician can touch any part of the fixed wiring. It is illegal to even replace a light switch. I was amazed to find that in England (at that time) it was lawful to completely rewire your own home. Anything at all on your side of the consumer unit. I bought an old house, eventually. All of the wiring was in steel conduit. Rewiring it was easy. Just join the new cable to one end of the old rubber cable and pull it through the conduit. The surprising thing was that the old rubber insulated cable was in absolutely perfect condition, although it was over seventy years old. It would probably have been safe to have left it for another seventy years! Then, in 2006 (I think) the law changed. Suddenly touching any part of the fixed wiring was illegal. The colour coding changed as well. No longer red, black and green, but brown blue and yellow/green. Very clever - any wiring in an old house which is not the old colour coding must have been fitted after the Regulations changed, so a buyer’s Surveyor would want to see evidence of that wiring having been installed by a qualified Electrician.
My dad had a water leak in his upstairs shower tray 5 or 6 years ago which leaked downstairs running into a twin socket on a 32amp ring circuit. When the insurance inspector came out to look what damage had been caused they refused his insurance as he had put a spur onto a 32amp ring circuit. So be careful doing anything even if it isn’t mentioned in part P as your insurance company won’t pay out even if the cause wasn’t the work you did and my dad is a retired electrical engineer
Sorry, but that is not correct. If the damage for which you are claiming was not caused by the work, insurance coys cannot now deny it. This was an EU regulation brought in after 2001. The damage you are referring to was obviously caused by the work he had done.
"So the question is: Are you gonna let the fear of insurance control your life? A real man never worries about mistakes until its too late!" - Mehdi Sadaghdar (ElectroBOOM, 2018).
digital meters take to long to measure voltage if trying to measure a rapid change as in moving a magnet past a coil in generator making, analogue reads much faster so are usable. nice video thanks
I've been an electrician for 20 years (apprentice/NVQ/AM2/2391/Regs etc) and from experience, houses with evidence of DIY are often at best a mess and at worst, a danger to occupants. There's a reason it takes 4 years in an apprenticeship plus dozens of practical & theory exams to be deemed qualified and competent.
@@rayalbion9637 With respect, I'm a DIYer who recently discovered that my downstairs ring final circuit was broken on all three conductors and managed to trace which cable run had the break. I then split the ring into two radials and isolated and labelled the dead leg in each socket. Measured R1+R2 in each leg to determine that replacing the 32A RCBO with two 20A RCBOs was appropriate. Technically the longer radial might have an issue with voltage drop if the full 20A was drawn from the furthest socket but I made a judgement that this was unlikely. We have a separate kitchen RFC so the loads on the downstairs RFC are minimal. My upstairs RFC was also broken in one conductor and I traced the fault and fixed it. It was just an over torqued earth screw which had crushed the conductor to the point where it broke off. I moved into this house 3 years ago and although it was in a reasonable state of repair, I have made several improvements to bring it up to 18th edition standard from 16th edition. I have no doubt that it is safer today than it was 3 years ago and I will continue to monitor and improve it over time. I have an Megger MFT and I know how to use it. I also have a torque screwdriver which I was dubious about buying but have been continually surprised at how tight 2.5NM actually is! I use intumescent sealant and grommets to contain potential fire inside the DB. That all said, I'm not an electrician. I am an electronics and electrical engineering graduate and I'm also an electronics hobbyist since childhood which helps greatly with understanding of the fundamentals. What I lack is experience as an electrician and I am very aware of that and try to compensate in other ways. However, in my case I only need to know enough to deal with my own house and not every possible type of domestic and commercial property like a qualified electrician would be expected to handle. There is also nobody more motivated than me to ensure that my house is safe and functional so I have a copy of the 18th edition regs and OSG and have watched dozens of hours worth of videos to ensure I understand the relevant issues before undertaking any work. Before anyone starts quoting Part P, I live in Scotland where we are allowed to work on our electrics as long as we do it in compliance with the regs. My intention is to do all the work I think needs done and then bring in a reputable electrician to do an EICR. That will provide a second pair of eyes to check my work. Most DIYers should probably steer clear of doing electrical work but if you have the educational background and are prepared to invest in the necessary equipment and other resources then you absolutely can do your own electrics on a DIY basis. Assuming you are legally allowed to of course.
I wouldn’t do much electrically as I’m paranoid albeit whatever DIY I do I try doing it to the best standard as possible because it’s my house and I don’t want it affecting anyone else either!
@@craigchamberlain Your the exception not the rule , i can not count how many times I have encountered problems with DIY on rings (its the norm) as you are already aware with your experience a ring circuit will very often give power at sockets even when incorrect , I think its a method of wiring thats had its day , Iam sure its only the u.k that uses the ring method of wiring.
Its different for England as Wales, in Wales you still have to notify work in a Kitchen and external work such as adding an external socket or light even to an existing circuit
I was prevented by Part P from wiring my own kitchen so I had to get a so called Sparky to do it for me. 2 things: I told him to put the cable THROUGH the joists for the lighting circuit _- he put them under_ and secondarily I had to complain about him to get him to send me the paperwork to say he'd done it! And then, of course, I did the job myself the way it shoude have been done in the first place by drilling through the joists as I'd asked... Ah well yeah and I should have had it rechecked and there were reasons about..... No, the bloke just wanted my money because *I HAD TO USE A SPARKY* - this was on an extension.... If you clip wiring underneath the ceiling joists, although you can (with difficulty) pinch the cable between the underside of the joists and the plasterboard for the ceiling, you leave a shock hazard for the guy coming in 20 years' time putting up Christmas tree decorations for his children !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! £200 to do the job properly myself for a poxy piece of paper!!! - Part P?!?!?!? The easy way to deal with this is to say that when your house is sold, IT MUST HAVE an electrical safety certificate. If you want to do electrics *FOR SOMEONE ELSE* you should be qualified to do so - DON'T stop ME from doing something that I understand and am competent to do FOR ME
I’ve had a similar experience. I am a retired engineer with decades of experience installing equipment in hospitals, including operating theatres, to a much higher standard than domestic installation - but thanks to part P I have to get a qualified electrician in to my domestic wiring. I wouldn’t mind - I accept that it is important to be up to date with the latest regulations - but I am often disappointed with the quality of the work, I know I would have done a better job myself and I always have to chase them for certificates.
It's because the paperwork costs extra money. If he's unregistered, he's _supposed_ to send a notification to the council that they've done work and pay a fee for the privilege. For small jobs, this can be a significant cost. And yes, he should have drilled through to start with, ensuring the the cable was laid 5cm below the surface or else protected from a casual diyer drilling or nailing.
That's what I assumed the law was and common sense suggest something like: Do whatever electrical work you want to your own house, but if it doesn't comply with building regulations, expect to have to spend a fortune fixing it all if/when you come to sell your house.
lots of how to do electric wiring work online, i have done lots myself and would not let anything stop me. Would love to go off grid and be energy independant. you can go on courses to learn how to do electric work.
I was an approved electrician for 50 years, covering a wide variety of disciplines, I am now retired and technically not allowed to carry out any work as I don't have a valid certificate. The range of voltage can fall further as I have had a volt drop down to as low as 147V but this was a substation fault and I only noticed it due to the fluorescent lights not working although all the rest were ok. 100A supplies have been the standard for many years although 60A was the original when you had one double socket in each room, now the kitchen usually has its own ring circuit as there are so many sockets in there. The ring circuit will supply 32A total, although each socket will only give 13A+/- depending on the cartridge fuse within. Cookers used to need a dedicated circuit as it would draw large amperages as it could have up to 9 elements and the load was based on everything being on at once so it could draw 27A. Now most ovens and hobs are efficient enough to be run from two 13A sockets. Nowadays to do work in your house you require a ‘Part P’ certificate, otherwise known as a Building Control certificate, I never had one, as, by the time I retired I was doing upto 400KV installations, well outside its parameters.
Part P annoys the genuine f**k out of me. I should be allowed to work on my kitchen and bathroom. I understand people shouldn't go poking their fingers around in consumer units per say, but it's just stupid laws probably in a sad attempt to try and boost the electrician economy.
People often say extension cables are bad. I agree, over 1KW. For led floor lamps, TV, just a trip hazard. Extension cables aren't anything to do with regulations? Apparently they are for fixed installs."Installing fixed electrical equipment is within the scope of Part P, even if the final connection is by a standard 13A plug and socket, but is notifiable only if it involves work set out in regulation 12(6A)." So using a TV bracket needs BS 7671?
Not really. Part P came about in part because of someone being electrocuted in a bathroom, when a bathroom fitter had screwed up an install and metal within the bathroom shorted out and became live. Same as the gas regs, so many people suffering from carbon monoxide poisoning because of cowboys not knowing what their doing.
@@RobJowett I can never understand the rule makers, they think if they make it illegal to do the job (and more expensive) that people will not do it. Not allowed to do work in a bathroom because electricity is so dangerous but you can have sockets near the kitchen sink. Can not (officially) put a socket in the bathroom (loads in Spain) but they can trail an extension lead across the landing to power the fan heater. As for the gas regs, why not have a motorised valve on the gas supply that cuts off if the detector detects carbon monoxide or even a gas leak. Education is the way to go rather than regulation in respect to electrical safety,
@@johnlightfoot9967 your comment regarding not being able to put a socket in a bathroom highlights why certain things can’t be left to DIYers. You can put sockets (and other electrical figments) in bathrooms, just not within certain zones. I don’t know what the electrical regs are in Spain, so can’t comment on what is or isn’t allowed. Having said that, I’ve stayed in enough iffy hotels in Spain to know that the safety of their electrical installations isn’t always ‘tip top’. Re Gas, carbon monoxide is just one risk, but there have been countless examples of it, and gas explosions taking out neighbouring properties after a DIY bodge job.
@@RobJowett Yes I know all about the zones in bathrooms but I still think that because it is a small bathroom it should still be able to have a mains socket as far away from the bath/shower as possible rather than people putting an extension lead across the landing (trip hazard) into the bathroom to put their fan heater on. Also, just because you have qualifications coming out of your ears does not stop you making a crap job of it, shown at a house I attended where the "qualified electrician" had put the ring main onto different breakers at each end of the ring.
wow you guys are soooo regulated. I installed every single bit of wiring - the inspector stated that I went overboard, I had gone way beyond required code. I wired everything as though it were industrial with full ground loops from every termination back to the busbars
I am allowed to do whatever I want with the electrics in my own house. But I no longer live in the UK nanny state, I left for a much better life in Europe where people do not dictate to me.
My son and I recently extended the upstairs ring to the loft. The difficulty we had was getting someone to check it. Most of the electricians we contacted said they would not test and certify because they could not guarantee wiring they had no seen installed.
@@KX36 Agreed....... I put up drywall, coving, fitted my kitchen, double oven, hob, extended the ring, new sockets, under cabinet lights etc and had central heating installed. Finally called in an electrician who did an EICR before installing a new consumer unit. No faults found and no £5,000 fine either..........
Great video. The amp rating on the rcd are the maximum rated current they can handle it isn't a breaking current rating like mcbs. Your rcds could possibly be overloaded. 63A shouldn't have that much on them. I see both of yours have well over that. I would recommend getting a little bus bar and changing at least one of the 32mcbs on each rcd for an rcbo.
My perspective from France (NF C 15-100 regulation), where anybody "qualified" (title 6 #610.1.5) or with the appropriate "knowledge" (title 1 #117) can pretty much do everything themselves, because it will be inspected before electricity is even connected to your house: 1) Our electric panels have 1 to 4 rows of DIN rails, 1 being like for a 1-room studio, and they are usually 13 "modules" wide, because you can't really have "lots" with a limited "split the incoming supply into _lots_ of different individual circuits" with just one row already taken up with a main switch and RCDs (called "differential switches" over here) that are 2 or 3 "modules" wide each; 2) Each row starts with a RCD on the left and the circuit breakers right next to them, so you can easily link all RCCBs with a vertical metallic "comb", and the RCCB with its dependent circuit breakers with an horizontal comb, no wiring involved except for the first RCCB; 3) Your electric panel is full to the brim, we must leave 20% free space minimum per regulation for future expansions; 4) Each RCD can protect only up to 8 circuit breakers and circuits, so 16 on a 2-row panel, compared to your 10 RCD-protected circuits (and 1 unprotected?); 5) This fancy 6 A circuit breaker does not exist here, we have 10, 16, 20 and 32 A for all wiring, and also 2 A for internal electric panel modules or relays, such as the night/day "contacter"; 6) Your example of 12 outlets on the same circuit would be the maximum allowed, and with a 20 A circuit breaker and 2.5 mm² wire to boot; 7) Both outlet and lighting circuits should be split over 2 different RCDs so that we still have power and light if one goes wrong. I elected to have 1 lighting circuit for all ceilings, and 1 for all walls, and as for outlets, 1 circuit for the north and east walls, and 1 for the south and west walls, plus 2 separate circuits for outside lighting and outlets; 8) We need to bring the ground wire to all outlets, including lighting sockets, these new ones are called DCL (Light Connection Device). Not the brightest idea, since we now have lighting outlets to which are plugged E27 sockets in which the light bulb needs to be screwed as we are, because we also need to screw them back regularly in vibration--prone environments where they tend to unscrew themselves with time; 9) The symbols and tiny text printed below your circuit breakers are not as helpful as they should, larger printed text above may be more effective in case of an emergency with poor lighting. This is the most critical information to have in your electric panel, it should figure prominently. I would also stick a plan of your whole house's electric installation to the back of your electric panel cover. The electric plan fits nicely on higher multiple-row, and you can easily print it out on A4 non-flammable paper. The electric panel is also a good place to put information such as "all spots and light bulbs are 12V DC LED bulbs" and where the spare circuit breakers and light bulb are located; 10) You seem to have a lot of 32 A circuits (5!) for such a small electric panel. That would be like having all 5 of electric radiators, electric heating floor, induction hob, car charger and heat pump, meaning you are left with only 5 circuits for everything else, which is impossible to manage within French regulations. I like that your electric panel is metallic, not just fire-retardant plastic. I made mine out of cement in order to insert it into an internal wall, as I didn't want a protruding electric panel. I fitted 3 x 30 cm DIN rails (€6 total on Amazon) and 3 live/neutral/ground bus bars for 15 wires each (€17 total on EM Distribution). These are all the electric components that make up an electric panel. In the U.S., i could have saved $5.5 on the ground bus bar, as they apparently bond neutral and ground in the electric panel! I would avoid large ring circuits, a fault could disable the whole ring and make debugging trickier. Splitter boxes with separate wiring for each power or lighting outlet are more resilient and don't cost much more in wires either: A 100 meter roll at €18 or €27 in 1.5 or 2.5 mm² sections allows to split these 5 outlets 6-7 meters away from the splitter box.
Very often when people buy properties, they ask electricians to lift floorboards and check if there is a new ring or spured of socket. Same thing with fensa windows - there have been piles of bodies caused by lack of fensa certificates.
I wired a fused spur from my main socket ringmain to plug in a dryer, it's nice to know I didn't to a booboo. I'm planning on rewiring after another year or two though
![Felix "Unfair" | [Stray Kids : SKZ-PLAYER]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/Oswujxm2Ag0/mqdefault.jpg)
This part P is something I am having major issues with.
I am a fully qualified apprentice trained electrician ( recently retired)
Over the years I have had multiple qualifications including 14th, 15th, 16th and 17th wiring regulations, been the authorised person for 11kV switching at 2 UK factories, hold multiple other qualifications.
But....
when my stepson decided to move into property development he decided that a little electrical knowledge would be to his benefit
So he paid (quite a lot) for a 3 week course that makes him not only entitled to carry out installations (I did install a new consumer unit and an armoured cable feed into the garage of his first project because he had little confidence in his ability), but to certify my work.
I find it massively distressing that someone like me, fully trained, qualified and with 50 years of experience within the trade cannot add an additional ring main in my own home without getting it certified from someone who has done a 3 week course
This does make sense to a bureaucrap, who has a totally different line of thinking from normal human beings.
@@Teslison I think you can do a level 3 in more like 6-18 months if you do it on it's own as a full time course. Or you can do it in two years as part of an A level program for example at a technical college, though it is a double award so it takes twice the timetable slots of a single award eg an A level. Then again that makes sense an NVQ level 3 qualification is considerd equivalent to 2 A levels passed with a grade C or higher.
time to retire in Texas
certification makes money for regulators and their friends who do them, + good news you have to recertify every year. For me who have a university degree in electrical engineering it is quite ridicluous to call a electrician if I want any change to my circuit breaker consumer unit or anything incoming... I just hope me installing a battery for my solar wont be an issue...:) not going to pay £2000 premium for a certified company to plug in 4 cables, +,-,earth and data RJ45...
Part P is a joke just another tax .You can do the job just get it part P by someone else .Yes it's a legal requirement but building inspector never asked for it as long as you do a certificate and they see a nic number complete joke.
From what I've observed and experienced in the trade here I'm happy to say when I do my own work in my own home I do it at an extremely high standard. I always use gorilla glue and always use original sellotape.
That’s a joke, right?
@@jameshansing5396 It's hard to tell with some of these people. I read a review on an extension cord where someone didn't like having to climb a ladder to reset the breaker, so they removed the breaker. This is like the old style fuse boxes in america where people would put bigger fuses in because they kept blowing a fuse. A lot of these people then wondered why their house burned down.
😂
Elastoplast fabric plasters make a good alternative if you run out of gorilla tape
I take it you are a "Sparky" and you are taking the oppertunity to downplay any electrical DIY in domestic electrical work.
Im not a qualified electrician when i got my house build i did all the electrical work my self and it got approved with no errors
I've always done my own electrics, be it changing a socket or a switch to adding new circuits.
Last one was putting a proper electric connection to the garage and adding sockets and lighting in the garage.
Also from there I've put it through to our summerhouse (which is build of the side of the garage) each with it's own consumer unit and it has all been checked by a qualified electrician and 100% approved.
And before anyone asks, no, I am not an electrician, in fact I only learned for two things and that was bricklaying and welding & construction.
same her, i do all major work, self taught, get it approved by qualified sparky via council, much cheaper and great satisfaction
@@GarysDIY70 what we all need to do is what they do in Australia, to get round there government enforced system, this is because this is where Part P came from, you go and purchase as many extension lead as need which is not covered by there enforced system, run extension lead after extension lead after extension lead to where you need to get power to where you wont it to go. And by the way it used to be not allowed to put an electrical plug on an appliance.
Electrics are easy until it goes wrong and then it fucking hurts or kills!
I rewired a house that had bare wires running through the baseboards. These "trained" certified probably have no idea how to work on them.
@@tomredaintdead9575 Pain is a fantastic teacher, you don't do it twice.
I have just retired after 50 years in the electrical trade and any electrical work I require doing I will do myself and if I am not sure about anything I will look it up. I feel after all my years in the industry I am better equipped than somebody who has been working for 2 or 3 years
Good for you, and logical, or you could get a budding sparky and let them experiment on your property and why not do abit of Harry Enfield role character play, " you don't wanna do it like that " I'm sure the bud will love you for it 😏
Nothing stops you doing so, this video is incorrect in suggesting you can't. Any home owner can do the work themselves even to consumer units, but if they arent part P registered they will need to make an application to the local authority. The difference is that a part p electrician doesnt need to apply, they can just do the work and notify the local authority after via their professional body. The local Authority will want to be sure you are competent to do the work and will usually employ an electrician to double check your work for which you will likely be charged £200-300. As a retired electrician they may well seem you to be competent without someone to check your work but will want to see that you have done all the normal testing of circuits.
@mikebarry229 not sure how true this is that building control will get an electrician to check it. In my area certainly , building control will just expect YOU to get it certified by an electrician, which in turn makes it impossible for you to do the work, as electricians just don't do this any more (only EICRs, which are different)
that what the wiring regs are for.
@@DrPepper22222 I use to do checks for people and charge them for an electrical check and if was wrong tell them why and make them fix it.
Interesting although as an electronic s engineer trained in low voltage and high. I submitted to building control the electrical lay out plans detailing cable size and mcb, rcds ratings etc. This was installed by my self including armoured cable because my consumer unit was greater than 3m away from source. This was periodically over viewed by a qualified electrician and also carried out part p testing of the entire installation. Final installation signed off after I completed minor ommissions and submitted to the local BR department. So I believe that your presentation clear and concise was a general statement which overlooked the options available. Best Regards Peter
@@robfodder5575 I saved a fortune with regard to installation, despite the electrician I over compensated in parts and it was the neatest cabling he had seen. £300.0 for all the testing. I even convinced him the switch in bathroom was outside of zone two, which he reluctantly agreed. Perseverance and common sense prevailed 👍😎
@Peter Briggs I agree. The regs say you have to be competent. Yes some work is notifiable , but doesn't mean you can't do it your self
@@gs425 As a competent electronics engineer monitored by a qualified electrician this is within the regs as they would have been rejected from the day I submitted them on the original proposals. 👍😎
@@robfodder5575 you need to find an electrician that monitors your work. Remember earthing is important from switch plates to back plates if the are metal. If using armoured cable invest in earth locking nuts which earths the sheath only required at one end. Finally the metal cut outs need to be protected with plastic edging. Good Luck 😎👍
Man, your videos are just so good. I’m not a professional but a very competant DIYer (an engineer father started me young), but every video of yours that I watch I learn something new, and your script and editing make everything so clear.
Thanks 👍
It's competent DIYers who get frustrated. I've no formal training, but I'm an electronics hobbyist, so I'm quite capable of understanding cable current ratings and derating them properly, and using the appropriate connectors. And I know not to trust any MCB or RCD off Amazon until I've personally had it on my test-bench to verify correct operation, given the counterfeit situation. I know what I'm doing, but the law disagrees: The default assumption is that no-one should be trusted until they have completed an extensive training and certification process, which is so convoluted that even on this video there are people arguing about exactly what the requirements are. There's no way I can prove my knowledge without time and expense.
@@vylbird8014 Think of it this way, your abilities, though good, will not convince a insurance company, who by remit, look for ANY excuse not to pay up. As frustrating as it is, its better to cover yourself by using a Electrical Company (fully registered) to sign off any work you may do. I fully agree with your caution over products, unfortunately people's remit is cheapness and not safety. Any electrical equipment should always be A1 plus, so pick carefully. If its cheap, there's always a reason!
When it comes to electricians qualified doesn't always mean competent, I have seen some shocking work by qualified electricians as well as DIY
‘Shocking work’ - hopefully not literally!
0:33 he's in reference to eu laws regarding electrical work, and thats 240 volts err I think its 230 volts 50 hz. No 110, 115,or 120 volts.
But even in the usa you have to pull permits and get inspection in many places you cant even change a fixture without a permit and inspection
I agree, we had a new build and some stuff was horrible that the electrician did and the developer didn’t even check the home.
Totally agree I’ve been a electrician for 43 years and come across some really Bad workmanship also they have been registered
In my area, I've seen nothing else.
My experience is that when it comes down to it, nobody really cares about the notification side of things. Even when selling a house, say you don't have an install cert etc for a new circuit, an EICR to check it's safe is almost always fine. Generally speaking, dodgy work looks dodgy even to a layman.
The main thing is like anything: is the work done properly, and is it safe.
It's wrong to say that you can't do work that is subject to Building Regs approval. It's just that if you do it yourself you will have to pay the local building control department the appropriate fees and have it approved and inspected by them (they may contract inspection out to an electrician).
For some types of work the cost of the building control fees can outweight the savings of not paying an electrician to do the work.
The actual voltage that comes into a UK home will normally be around 240V. The EU standard didn't actually change anything in the distribution system in the UK, the standard was just widened to include those countries with generally higher voltages (like the UK at around 240V) and a lot that used 220V in Europe. Really it is a specification of the manufacturers of electrical equipment.
It's easy enough to check, and a lot of plug-in power meters will show what the actual voltage is at any point in time.
nb. for anybody who is having their CU swapped out, I would recommend to them to spend the extra and have RCBOs fitted rather than those RCD split boards with MCBs. That way, you get fewer nuisance trips, much better fault isolation and diagnosis and if something does trip sue to excess residual current, then it doesn't knock out half the circuits in the house.
I've seen 245 volts on my system, and my solar panels are at maximum output (i.e. the volt drop in my mains supply cable means that my house runs at a higher voltage than the local substation).
@@roberthuntley1090 volt drop does not cause overvoltage . The opposite actually
the incoming voltage is 240 rms . peak voltage is around 336v
@@davidmarriott7372 Yes, but I'm not sure how relevant that is. Peak voltage on a sinusoidal waveform scales linearly with RMS voltage.
After having RCDs keep cutting out, we had our board checked and the 'Qualified installer' hadn't fully tightened half the connections, at least we part funded his new car hey.
The vid was in the uk but here in the USA I can’t tell you how many installations I have seen done by licensed contractors that does not meet code. As a professional I am constantly updating my knowledge of the code and why it is the way it is. I am also a UL certified shop.
The Lewden box is a switch-fused isolator. it is there because your consumer unit is more than the maximum permitted distance of 3 meters for unprotected meter tails which is why it goes out in an armoured cable. You'll probably find that although the incoming fuse is rated at 100A, the switch fuse is down-rated to something like 60 or 80A.
Hi Henry , subscribe @mainly electrical 👍⚡️
Ok I understand that - thanks for telling me.
I wonder how this SWA its made off at the CU end ?
@@DerekHundik I'm guessing it isn't.
@@DerekHundik @mainly electrical 👍⚡️ get subscribed 👌
I know 'someone' who afew years ago completely rewired a house from the main fuse and then got it certified by a qualified electrician. All passed to standards and a big improvement on the old wired fuse box..
All in order and still possible. However, it really should be approved and inspcted by he local authority building conrol department who will extract a fee - when I checked a few years ago it was around £500 for a complete rewire.
@@jeremybarker7577 I think the qualified electrician and his mate cost £200 ish for the half day it took. Very thorough.
Yep, there's also the NAPIT inspection/sign off
Dodgy spark 😂
For many years I have followed, read, spoken/read countless sources of information pertaining to electrical work, installations, the law, part P and so on.
It is beyond me how something so potentially dangerous has SO MUCH ambiguity surrounding it!
You could literally get 10 qualified sparks in a room and you could ask them the same question and get 10 different answers.
The posts on here are proof of that.
I had intended to ask a long standing question of my own but the fact that I can guarantee I will either not get a straight answer, a dozen different answers or the usual - "If you are not qualified don't touch anything" OR my favourite "Read part P"
Go on then, try me.
As an electrician with 50 years of experience that's true. The same as with plumbers, mechanics and a lot of other trades lots of things are open to personal interpretation of the regulations we work under. The wiring regulations in my trade have so many cross references in it that you can easily loose track of the original item you were looking for so no surprise there is confusion and different interpretations.
As a Yankee I thank you for explaining the British system. It's fascinating to see how different it is and I don't mean wagos and wire nuts. Thx
No problem GS
Different, and considerably better.
@@vylbird8014 Cables buried in plaster, inaccessible junction boxes, and ring mains are far from "better". The main advantage is 240v instead of the 120v used in the US.
@@thelight3112 230V 😁
@@thelight3112 Cables shouldn't be buried in plaster, junction boxes should be obvious in location and accessible and ring mains require considerably less wire than the alternative.
Went to move into new house 22 years ago. BIL was the contractor liason. He touched the dishwasher and got an electric shock. We noticed the lights were also dim. Sparkies who put in the electrics were contacted. After a 2 hour drive to get here, they spent 30 seconds, looked at the main switchboard, found nothing wrong and left. We refused to sign the handover till the problem was fixed. Builder called a local sparkie who found a dislocated neutral wire on the main box, and fixed the wire. Years later I remove a light switch assembly from the wall to paint, and a hot wire broke. Screw must have been tightened with a pile driver, and the movement of the switch from the wall caused the wire to break. When I wire a switch or plug, I test the wire by tugging on the wire a few times with a reasonable force to see if the wire screw is tight. Something our sparkies did not do, they just tightened the shit out of all the wires. SMH.
Moved into a different house in 2004. My neighbour - since deceased - who was a lovely man, told me 'Brian was very good at DIY!'
I decided to change the ceiling light at the bottom of the stairs since it was very old and not what you might describe as 'stylish'. Having switched off the relevant circuit I removed it from the ceiling and found the cable hole in the plasterboard ceiling was about 5 inches in diameter. Wow! I thought, that's a bit big! I disconnected the cable and removed the fitting. Then checked the security of the cable and found it was mixed with a large lump of brown mastic in the void. I pulled gingerly and after 5 minutes had removed all the cable from above the ceiling. It was still connected but the extra cable was long enough to literally reach the floor. Having shortened it to a sensible length and replaced the gaping hole in the ceiling I fitted a new light unit. The old cable went in the bin. Brian lives in Spain now and is undoubtedly causing havoc but in a different environment. His DIY was shocking. Brown mastic to point a brick wall anyone?
@@thetraveller869 Brown mastic reminds me that the previous owner to my house had stuck some loose capstones (on the low wall around the patio) back on with some sort of silicone adhesive, possibly bath sealant.
Qualification doesn't mean they take pride after the fact...! Sloppy is Sloppy, the rubber stamped version just costs more..!
*1)* You can replace an MCB/RCD/RCBO/AFDD *_inside_* a consumer unit as it is a part of an existing circuit. You just cannot replace the whole consumer unit - look at (b) below. It shows that in the document shown in the vid.
*2)* You can install an isolator switch, such as a fused spur switch (FCU), if it is a part of an existing circuit. A spur from an existing circuit is not a new circuit.
Most work is non-notifiable, which means you don't have to tell building control about it or have an electrician sign it off. The reg:
*Notifiable Work:*
*_Regulation 12. (6A)_*
*_(a) the installation of a new circuit;_*
*_(b) the replacement of a consumer unit;_*
*_(c) or any addition or alteration to existing circuits in a special location._*
_Any addition or alteration to existing circuits in special locations,_ are generally bathrooms, swimming pools and saunas.
If it's NOT work described above in (a), (b) and (c), then it's *non notifiable.*
All work still needs to be undertaken to electrical regulations. You need to be *_competent._* Competent means the *results* and *working safely.*
Of course, you can do anything in your house from the meter onwards as long as you get it signed off by an approved electrician. EICR inspection comes to mind.
One thing that I think you should have included is reference to the wiring regulations - that's not the same as Part P. This is important since, while homeowners can carry out the work you described, it still has to be in accordance with the wiring regulations. One minor correction is around a fused spur (you mentioned on the video an isolator) which isn't a new circuit and you can install a fused spur as a homeowner. You would need to do so if, for example, you were to install some lighting from the ring-main. The lights would have to be fused down to 3 or 5 amps. You're spot on about the consumer unit though and it's worth adding if you have a second panel in a garage, it applies to new circuits there too.
Unfortunately, the wiring regs are not available for free (at least, not the current ones). I have managed to find the 16th Ed online, but not more recent. I won't link here because I don't want to give the impression they are still valid.
A1 ring final
This is a good point.
A while back I replaced a section of wiring over at my Nan's house, which ran out towards an outside light. The installer (I won't call them an electrician) apparently decided that because the cable run was partially protected by the building that ordinary PVC interior wiring would be acceptable.
I replaced the bodge-job light and ran new pond cable (HOF7RN or something) to it. I found the old cabling had started to become brittle and wasn't adequately supported along it's length, which was also nice.
Apparently the same guy may have been involved at one of her neighbour's houses as they had the same type of cable but running to a garage, and their landlord had to have it replaced as it kept shorting out when wet.
I take code to be a minmum. I almost always go a bit beyond, it doesn't usually cost much and gives just that much more confidence that the system cannot be over taxed.
@@awt Why would books be published for free?
There's no "unfortunately" about it.
I just moved to a new property and love learning to understand, how things work. I am absolutely in awe with this video! Thank you-thank you-thank you! 🥰🥰🥰
Oh dear - here we go - same old misdirections and mistakes.
6:32 "So what are we, as homeowners, allowed to do within the electrical systems of our own homes?"
That's an easy one:
A: Anything we like.
If you disagree, then please find and quote here any law or regulation which actually prohibits some or all electrical work being done by a homeowner.
Please note - a requirement to notify Building Control in advance is NOT a prohibition. A requirement to get the work tested by someone is NOT a prohibition.
6:37 "there's a document here ... and it's called Part P of the UK Building Regulations 2010".
Well, no, it isn't called that, and it isn't that. It very clearly says that it is Approved Document P - it is NOT "Part P"
This is Part P. (This is quoted from the actual Building Regulations which you can find here www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2010/2214/contents/made
Part P is in Schedule 1 www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2010/2214/schedule/1/made )
P1 Reasonable provision shall be made in the design and installation of electrical installations in order to protect persons operating, maintaining or altering the installations from fire or injury.
The requirements of this Part apply only to electrical installations that are intended to operate at low or extra-low voltage and are -
(a) in or attached to a dwelling;
(b) in the common parts of a building serving one or more dwellings, but excluding power supplies to lifts;
(c) in a building that receives its electricity from a source located within or shared with a dwelling; or
(d) in a garden or in or on land associated with a building where the electricity is from a source located within or shared with a dwelling.
And that's it.
6:48 "This document describes what it covers, and what you can and can't do in your own home.
Which page(s) list things which you _CAN'T_ do in your own home? Not have to notify, not get tested, actually _CAN'T_?
7:09 "Which essentially means a DIYer or non-qualified electrician can't legally carry out the work"
Completely wrong. How on earth did you manage to read that document and decide it described a legal prohibition on certain classes of people carrying out certain electrical work when it says nothing of the sort?
And BTW - the distinction with electricians when it comes to notification/self-certification is not qualified vs non-qualified, it is registered (with a competent person scheme) vs non-registered. Someone could be the most qualified electrician in the world but unless registered they would still be unable to self-certify and would still need to notify Building Control in advance.
7:17 "and if you do, you risk a fine of up to £5,000". Pretty small risk, though, isn't it, given how few people have been prosecuted so far for failing to notify work.
7:30 "and also when you come to sell the property you could find you're having a problem....".
1) You tell the truth on the questionnaire from your buyers' solicitors
2) You or the buyer pays for an EICR to be carried out
3) Buyer decides whether or not to carry on with the purchase
Assuming that your non-notified work wasn't a dangerous pile of kack you're not going to have major problems - likeliest scenario is that in a buyers market they might use the lack of a completion certificate to get a price reduction.
7:46 "with a consumer unit you can't do anything you're not allowed to make any adjustments, changes, additions ... you're just not allowed to work in it ...".
Again - complete nonsense. Again, if you think you're right, please present proof of a provision in law which forbids people from doing those things. [SPOILER ALERT] - you won't be able to.
8:31 "you're not allowed to install that isolator switch because that would also mean that you're installing a new circuit.
Circuit. An assembly of electrical equipment supplied from the same origin and protected against overcurrent by
the same protective device(s)
How does installing an isolator mean you're creating a new circuit?
8:50 "any like-for-like repairs". Ah, that old chestnut. Where is the term "like-for-like" used in either the Building Regulations or the Approved Document?
8:53 "adding low-voltage lighting off of an existing 240V circuit". 240V IS "low voltage"
8:59 "another area where you're not allowed to carry out any work as a DIYer..."
Again, flatly wrong. Again if you think you're right, bring forth some evidence of an _actual prohibition_.
9:40 - 10:27 All the stuff about testing, and being truly competent. At last something we agree on.
Seriously - apart from that final minute, I thought we'd left all this conflation of Part P & Approved Document P behind years ago. Ditto all the incorrect statements about some things now being illegal to do. And all the idiots who think Part P is just a tax.
Excellent post!
Kudos to Stuart for allowing an open comments section on a contentious issue. We may not all agree but constructive debate is healthy and people have an opportunity to expand their knowledge.
Unlike another DIY guy's channel who blocks all the comments that offer constructive criticism.
Can definitly see why this channel is so popular.
Correct me if I'm wrong but part p does say this.
Didn't realise that gardens/exterior weren't a 'special area' any more. Thanks for the info.
only for England, Wales it still is
@@codenamenel That's reasonable - it is wetter in Wales so higher risks. 😂
@@barrieshepherd7694 🤣 In wales the whole country counts as within 0.6m of a bath. 🤣
@@KX36 can confirm.
That really does depend of the earthing type from the dno, it's not as straight forward as that
The point on testing is really important, one I made on another video the other day. I'm a confident diyer with a dad who is a spark and I've done a few jobs with him including full rewires but while most diyers would be capable of changing sockets or lights etc, most, I would proffer, don't do any testing to confirm the safety and integrity of any new work and probably just go on the "it's working, it's fine" mantra.
Agreed - I picked up a Kewtech socket tester (the more expensive one) for any spurs I’ve added. Better than nothing I hope.
A Kewtech socket tester doesn't measure resistance.
And any person doing electrical installation work, that has more than 1LB in weight of grey matter doesn't need a Kewtech socket tester. The wires are colour coded so you shouldn't be making the mistake of wiring them into the wrong terminals.
It's the resistance measurements that tell you how good the connections and terminations are. The Kewtech doesn't give you that. And that is where the fire risk comes from, terminations which have too high a resistance.
But if you happen to have a socket tester, then why not use it to detect obvious mistakes. So I don't think they are useless, but recognise that they are very limited in what they do.
@@PrinceBarin77 That's not how you test mate to see if a socket is safe mate.
All that is needed is a megger and a multimeter.
@@rogerphelps9939an mft is well beyond what your average diyer has on hand.
Great vid, although they're not UK regulations - they only cover Eng & Wal, there are different documents for Sco & NI.
Theres a different doc for wales too, we still have to notify work in a kitchen and anything outside
An excellent video that was presented well enough to make me think my new circuit was installed illegally. Only when I spoke to someone who I would genuinely class as a genius especially with Electrics, made me doubt the accuracy of this content. - only responding to the comments that are on your side with no argument towards your doubters now confirm as good a video as it seems - it's Horse Manure of the most potent variety.
I used to do a lot of major refurbishments and usually ran all the electrics myself but always called in a qualified sparky to check the circuits and connect to the board. This arrangement worked well for me for many years.
Don’t know any decent sparks who’d be ok with that
@jameshansing5396 - Any qualified electrical inspector would be pleased to do an inspection and certify the work if it meets the requirements of Part P. It’s what inspectors do (there’s a clue in the name, ”electrical inspector”.)
Maybe you should have stopped after your first five words . . . ?
Ok, your ignorance is highlighted several times there. An EICR isnt the same as signing off someone else's work. Part P is an insanely tiny part of the process, I mean TINY..... Part P course is 3 days, I got 100% on mine. BS7671 is 3/4 days, I got 96% on mine. BUT the rest of knowing your stuff is YEARS. Oh and let's not forget the week long Test and inspect course, 2391.
As a working Spark, with many Spark acquaintances (So personal experience) the VERY best ones dont want anything to do with signing off someone else's work as they are too thorough and anal (a good thing). it really isnt the same as an EICR where you can load the cert with LIMs. Ill put you onto my mate if you like, he teaches 2391 and BS7671 whilst still being a working Spark. Id trust him over anyone and he wouldn't want anything to do with it. The only ones I have ever known do it were Spaks who's knowledge had zero respect for.
SO you can try and be condescending but I have highlighted your ignorance and given you real world examples.
Look over the comments, plenty are saying how sh*t proper Sparks can be. And guess what.... they will be the ones signing off some clown's work....... Unless I can inspect every inch of cable, check EVERY termination then f*ck that and by that time, you may as well have done it yourself. ;)
I am open to the fact that SOME decent Sparks may do it but I still stand by my view, as I am not a total egotist like you who thinks my own small experience is all encompassing.
$50 says you arent even a Spark yourself.... (If you are then that's scary that you think Part P is so relevant. It really isnt in the grand scheme of things). @@quirkygreece
@@jameshansing5396 I wish I could see the rest of this thread that has clearly been removed.
I rewired my house, years ago, and called in a qualified electrician to check it out. He could find nothing wrong, because I had spared no expense in making everything completely compliant, and exceeding the standard of the time by as much as was reasonably possible. About 30 years later, several newer Editions in place, I called in another electrician to do some rewiring, because I was no longer up to date, and he was happy with the older wiring, because it was still completely safe, although it would have to be done differently if rewired again. All impedances are well within specifications, etc. The only significant change he had to make was to replace the plastic consumer unit with a metal one, and to upgrade the RCCD's. The daft thing is that, when I first rewired the place, I had to replace a 'unsafe' metal unit with the 'safer' plastic one.
I have seen some appalling work carried out by so called NIC EIC electricians. Thats why I wouldn't let another near my place. I am fully qualified and carry out my own work, and stuff the local authority, they don't have the labour to control the cumbersome and over bureaucratic system. I enquired 10 years ago and was told that to change my C/U I have to pay them (I think it was then) £135 even though I hold all the relevant electrical qualifications. I paid grudgingly and was told to contact the L/A once starting, I did twice, no reply, emailed twice. Then once completed I emailed them to that effect, still no reply. I did all the testing, used a copy from the wiring regs test sheet just in case somebody actually turned up but nothing.
In the last 7 years to now I have done 2 extensions to my house, own electrics and the building inspector who knows my trade doesn't seem worried.
If I sell I'll just get a test and inspection done as part of the sale.
I wish I had saved my £135 years ago.
Wow what a difference from my country. I have rewired my whole house and have no problem adding circuits. Recently I added a cable to my load centre for an emergency generator with the interlock of course. Works great. By the way, very useful video.
Some years back a MPs daughter tried to do her own electrical DIY (probably was dumbass enough to put metal against a livewire) and killed herself, then the law of doing DIY yoursef changed.
@@DavidJohnson-dc8lu Yeah, real "freedom" is the government protecting you from yourself. It's ironic that the country that is responsible for the political philosophy that birthed the US has strayed so far off their own path.
Aye some of us know how to get around the moronic rules here
@@Interdiction Oh, I get that, which just points the finger at how stupid the laws are. I'd do the same. On the surface at least, the law expresses a paternalism that is antithetical to freedom.Somehow though, I think it has a lot more to do with satisfying a self-interested lobby than it does with protecting people from themselves. It's more of an employment law than a public safety law. Credentials are often just a means of excluding competition.
@@Interdiction You can also just ignore them, to no consequence. It's not like the council is going door to door, inspecting all your sockets and switches.
I had an outdoor socket installed but it required a part-P person because I wanted it done via a new circuit to (a) allow higher current and (b) allow me to more easily isolate it if there was a problem.
I noticed from news reports years ago in Australia that many factory fires the news stated that recent electrical works were done at the factory. By electrical contractors.
All electrical (and plumbing) work in Australia is more strictly policed and regulated than in the UK - but the parts (or most of them) are still available in DIY stores.
That said some of the regulations are weak - e.g. no need for CPC to light switches if the switch is fully isolated (not metal, no chance of contact etc. - those silly screw caps must have originated there)
The regulations (Industry driven) are so all-embracing that you cannot even install your own data cabling OR terminate patch leads..... and don't even think you can install a second phone socket. Technically your transformer powered doorbell requires a sparky and you need a plumber to change a tap washer.
@@barrieshepherd7694Very few people get plumbers to change tap washers. Myself included, l learnt plumbing from my father who was a plumber and sparkie.
This is one of the best educational videos I have ever seen. I am a qualified electrician, and the majority of our work is in domestic properties. The advice Given in this video is 100% accurate and delivered in a way that can be understand by all. When I attempt to explain these principles to my customers, I soon see that vacant look in their eyes as they just understand what I’m trying to explain. Thanks to Proper DIY, I’ll never have this problem again - I’ll just show them this video. I’m thinking this guy is a qualified electrician.?
I pity it is wrong on many points. Read my posts on this vid.
It worries me when I read prople are qualified tradesman in the comments. Yet they feel the need to come on here to watch -how to- videos. Scary.
@@grahamd5418Why? Its a video titled "What Home Electrics Can You Do Yourself". It's going to be of interest to many electricians purely to see what information is being put out there from a DIY perspective.
On a wider level, there's a few professional electrical channels that are really good resources for increasing professional knowledge.
Surely someone who is always looking to improve and increase their knowledge is going to make a better electrician than someone who thinks they know it all and don't need to bother
@William Tell
Much of the skill sets is the same as other trades, such as: drilling walls, filling holes, fixing things secure and straight on walls, lifting floors, etc.
@rarmst75
> The advice Given in this video is 100% accurate
No, it's 99% inaccurate.
The rules were put in place primarily to stop dodgy electricians I.e those operating as a business who’s work was very poor from doing work. At that time most (there are always a few exceptions) people that did DIY electrics, were people that took time to study what they needed to do and took care in doing it. The number of people killed due to electrocution from their own DIY per year minimal and I don’t believe that’s really changed since. The biggest problem with the rules is as many people who own a house but cannot afford for an electrician to re wire a house will not have that house rewired. The general dumbing down of diy, has created a whole generation who are too scared to even remove a socket. They also don’t realise that the terminal screws of sockets, can work themselves loose over time (depending on what’s plugged in) and should really be checked every few years.
Correct. It all comes under Health and Safety. They are the ultimate body. The are over GasSafe. If you see a badly installed gas installation by a DIYer, GasSafe are not interested, as he is not asking for money and not under their umbrella. When asked about allowing DIY gas work Health & Safety said that is not a problem overall, it is incompetent work by people asking for money, so called professionals. Hence GasSafe came about.
They have the same view on electrics. But they cannot stop unscrupulous operators, so gradually making AFDDs mandatory (since June 2022) in some electrical installations and *recommended* in all, the safety level is greatly raised.
@ImARocketMan a rewire is only required when the insulation breaks down. There's a reason we go to college for years, and DIY Dave has no idea if that video on RUclips is good or not
Loctite!
I do the electric myself and yes I research by reading the regulations on what I am doing, artisan electric has said some DIY electric people are better than electricians as they do a neater and nicer job, in my view if know regulations you can do electric as long as make sure it off before working on it (I cut through a cable once I thought was off but as the plug was under a table) but either leave sockets maybe hanging off or let an electrician unscrew the sockets so they can check the wiring and mark it off if you done a good enough job
@@mlee6050 so you test it, make sure it has a adequate zs. Do a insulation test?
Thought not
You and me fella. I've been a Factory Spark for 27 years, and my Mum had her Consumer Unit Changed 3 Years ago. From the Old Bakelite to a New Schneider Board- Great- the Guy had Tickets and everything.
1st- He Put the Dist Board Up against the ceiling- 2.3 Meters Height- Where as he Should have put a Junction Box and Located the Board at 1,350mm to 1,500mm as per Regs and Part P. But Most Worrying He Put 32 Amp Breakers on 4 single 2.5mm cables... Legs not a Ring!!!! FFS!!! Lucky I Looked to check his work out and know what I'm doing or my Mums house would have burnt down before the Breakers Tripped- as you know. Experience is Priceless. I feel Your Pain my Friend!
Very good video, especially the last third. Not hearsay, but showing the actual regulations which apply. There's a lot of misunderstanding generally, e.g. you must have double glazing, no, the windows being installed must have certain characteristics.
I'm such a noob when it comes to electricity... I find this all very educational!
If I may ask, if that first plastic cabinet is outside, anyone with a triangle key can open it and shut off the power, and all lights, alarm systems with it??
Yes - not good really
@@ProperDIY Hope the thieves and burglars aren't subscribers to your channel then
@@ProperDIY stick a lockout padlock on upside down. after all your rcds will still trip under fault the switch doesn't physically have to move. it's no diffenert to not having as isolator fitted.
Alarms have battery backups that keep the system alarmed in the event of an outage. Mine, when it has no power, activates and you have to input the code to disable it. Much to the dismay of my neighbours one night we were away for the weekend and there was a short interruption to the power 😬
@@rodgerq indeed - 'tis why so many of them are able to make a racket during a power cut!
Really useful, well put together videos. So much better than 99% of the dross you find on RUclips. Keep going!
I am happy that in Belgium you can carry out absolutely everything as a DIY, the regulations and requirements are openly available for everyone.
But anything that gets added or changed from a existing installation needs a inspection carried out by a independent approved company, this also needs to happen when a professional electrician carries out the work. This will also require a single line drawing and situation sketch where all power points, lights, switches,… are indicated.
Sounds like a good model.
How much is inspection?
@@neilbennett9281
I had to look it up, there might be slight differences for apartment vs house, full renovation/new build/small alterations. For a renovation of a house I checked 1 company and price is 215€.
Not sure if this includes solar panels and battery as I did see seperate pricing for that.
France also DIY possible.
Even better in the Netherlands: no inspection required. You can do absolutely everything yourself, downstream of the sealed meter / municipal fuse box. You are responsible for working to code, and covered by insurance... unless they find out after a fire that you did not follow code.
9:50 Good start to have one of the plugs that checks for earth connection etc? Not expensize from ScrewFix.
I got advice from an electrician.... Our house was sold(new) with ZERO capacity to add anything on the consumer unit- there should have been 25% mcb capacity spare? I wanted a 9.5kw instant shower fitted so did it myself, including adding Henly blocks, a new CU, RCD and 45A MCB with 10mm sq twin and earth with the cable not passing through insulation anywhere and only a short run (8m?)...works perfect..... I discovered the "professional electrician" installed Honeywell valve that should shut off hot water from our multifuel stove to the thermal store diverting to a gravity fed radiator in the event of a power failure had no neutral connection.... I've seen many a screw on sockets and switches finger tight also. I'd rather do the work myself and if I sell the house I'll simply disconnect that shower CU from the Henly blocks and therefore there technically is no DIY circuit in operation....the shower is used as backup to the mains one that is heated from the thermal store but is rarely hot enough (total sh*t design!!)....
This was very informative and useful to know! I now have a clear mind of what I can and can't do. So thank you
Glad it was helpful!
@@ProperDIY only as long as you live in England because its different for Wales
Those RCD are interesting as you have what we in Canada and US call a ground fault circuit interrupter protecting your whole house. We have GFCI breakers as required on individual circuits such as bathroom or hot tub feeds. I like to watch these kinds of videos from different countries as the differences are interesting.
RCD = GFCI
RCBO = RCD plus an MCB (micro circuit Breaker).
AFFD = RCBO plus arc fault.
Now becoming common in the UK is RCBOs on all circuits.
AFDDs are mandatory on socket circuits on some high rise blocks, etc. They are _recommended_ on all installations, which means fit them unless a good excuse not to.
I do all my own, 10 years of watching Blue Peter is paying off :)
7:00 - the rules are also different for Northern Ireland (yes we are part of the UK too!)
RCBO's are the way to go, they trip individual circuits under fault only, instead of also tripping off all RCD's on a bank protected by a RCCB.
They are also significantly more expensive than MCBs
@@elminster8149 they're getting cheaper all the time and it also means you can spec the type of rcd that's in it for individual circuit requirements.
They do become significantly more expensive when they have an afdd built in but they'll soon come down as well as more people start using them.
I'm sure they are - I don't know what % of new builds are using them though.
@@ProperDIY my 4y old house still uses MCBs. Builder will use cheapest allowed system for as long as they are allowed to
I would be really interested in seeing how the electrian has terminated the 25mm swa submain cable from your fused isolation switch into your fuse board
Great video. 25 years ago, I was engineering high-power switch-mode telecom battery chargers and were already designing them for 230v nominal input which the UK was moving to. Unfortunately, even now in 2023, it seems that most of the network is still 240v. Indeed, my own supply has drifted from 235V to 248V over the last 24 hours and from talking to others this still seems broadly the norm across the network. Would be interested to know if this varies by region and whether any parts of the UK are actually delivering 230v nominal.
I suspect that new DNO circuits for new streets might well have the secondary windings of the residential neightbourhood transformer tapped for 230V. But for every other existing 240V DNO transformer, it costs time and equipment to alter the tappings on the transformer windings. Given that there's no commercial benefit to the DNO in dropping the voltage for it's own sake (indeed it'll take longer for the kettle to brew), and that 240Volts is still well within spec, then the existing transformer will likely remain untouched until it's deemed inadequate to cope with the number of new solar installations, heat pumps and EV chargers.
My own voltage shows up a strong correlation between solar output and higher voltages, with 247Volts seen at lunchtime in the summer. 235Volts is seen when there's a high load at home, but no sunshine.
Our supply varies between about 235 and 250 volts, as monitored by Kasa Energy Monitoring Smart Plugs. It's currently 251 V. I imagine it's only a problem for simple resistive devices (ie no PSU) where they will draw proportionally more current and therefore a kettle will boil a little bit quicker. So much of modern life uses siwtiched-mode power supplies which mean the voltage can vary over a very wide range while maintaing a steady 5 V (mobile phones and other USB devices) or 20 V (laptop). My laptop charger is rated at 100-240 V which means that presumably a nominal 230 V supply could fall a *long* way out of spec and still give 5 V out. The maximum of 240 V is a bit worrying if our mains is 250 V: hopefully there is a lot of "headroom" in the SWPSU so the mark:space ratio of the high-frequency switching voltage can be reduced far enough to give an output of 5 V even at 250 V.
Even in EU with 230 V nominal, its common to have about 245 V at night when the power grid only has a small load.
No voltages have changed, only what they are called. The tolerances have been changed to fudge it so that everything can be called 230V across Europe. On paper everything is "harmonised", in reality nothing changed. All equipment has to work over 230V +/-10%, but you will find that a lot of Chinese products are made thinking that 230V is the actual supply voltage and will fail at 230V + 10%.
The nominal voltage is 230V but the allowable tolerance means that a 240V supply under the older tolerance that would have applied when it was installed will still be within spec. When I had some work done earlier this year the tester said the voltage was 245V.
Very good video on what you can and can’t do legally but in Wales we are on a different set of regs to England. Any work in Kitchens and outdoor power and lighting are still notifiable in Wales.
That is just devolution gone mad. Presumably there are Welsh jobsworths trying to justify their existence.
That's Labour for you. The ultimate nanny state party.
Thé général message is correct….. that electrical installations should be installed and modified only by a competent installer.
However, to say that it is illegal to do this work as a DIYer is incorrect. In the IEE guidance, competency is not based on a professional status and can be exercised simply as someone who follows the IEE guidance and standard installation recommendations.
This means that as long as notification is given to the local building authority, anyone who is competent can carry out the electrical works so that correct procedure and if necessary, building controls can be undertaken.
If it was illegal to install or modify and electrical installation, the materials would be restricted to only professional and certified installers/professionals………… but of course, this is not the case.
So could I install an EV charger myself? AC EV chargers are just fancy extension cables. The actual charger is built into the car. Yet they cost about £500 to buy and £500 to install. It’s ridiculous. I’d like to think I’m fairly competent, I’ve experience with UPS systems, batteries and others.
Yes: if you consider yourself competent and follow IEE guidance. I would imagine that you would have to install some pretty hefty cables to a new circuit breaker in your consumer unit similar to a kitchen cooker - but I would beef up a bit and put in 10mm2 cables.
Remember; your EV will be on charge for a long time, and you should also protect with a RCD. Best way would be to instal a local consumer unit with a feed direct to the main interruption switch after the principle intallation feed
Level 2 chargers incorporate their own RCD.@@glyntutt1586
@@iambenmitchell Creful. It sounds easy but there are earthing issues that need to be taken into account depending on what unit you are installing. The question is, how do you consider that you are competent?
@@ColinDH12345 you mean PEN fault issues?
Great video, summed up everything very clearly and well communicated. Top lad.
Excellent video and sound advice, but the basic problem with regulations (not just electric) are that the majority of people are oblivious to their existence, plus there are so many and they are so complex.
You are right there.
If people cannot understand the law, they will not obey the law.
I only replace what’s there for example a cracked switch or a broken light fitting. Consumer unit tests EICR and circuit testing sparky job
Thanks for this Stuart, I've completed various bits of electrical maintenance and modifications over the years and think I know my limitations, but the rules change over time so it's reassuring to get a concise common sense update !
I'm thinking of replacing my old electric cooker with a decent gas range one. Obviously, if I did, I'd be left with the old cooker circuit.
Could I 'repurpose' that circuit myself to provide power to an outbuilding in order to save having a spark out to wire into the consumer unit? Obviously that circuit is already there so I'm not touching the consumer unit in the house. It has a 45a rcd and the wiring in place, currently supplying the cooker, is all 10mm.... Which is all more than adequate given I only need 6 (but would probably up size to 10, both to satisfy my own ocd for continuity and to future proof) mm armoured cable for the short underground run I need.
I'm confident in my ability to do the work but worried about the paperwork when I come to sell the house and whether building control would class this as notifiable or not. The outbuilding is not a swimming pool or sauna - currently storage/home gym but (what I want to be, hence the need for power) office space/workshop.
For what the spark wanted to charge me just to put a supply in to the outbuilding, I can pretty much buy the range cooker..... there's a gas supply there already and the wife's been nagging for a gas range so it seems a bit of a no brainier to me to kill the 2 birds with one stone if you like. If it's just a case that "you can't piddle about inside the consumer unit" then re purposing an existing circuit that's already wired in, rather than paying him to install a new feed for the outbuilding, and then either leaving the one for the cooker redundant or paying him again to remove the one for the cooker.
I have been doing work in all our properties(32yrs now)if i think a job is to much i will call in the experts.NOBODY WILL STOP ME,I and my family have no worries about me doing anything.
Ok Darth Vader 😂😂😂😂
As an American who does wiring, this is interesting. Here, you can wire anything past the main break including sub panels. Still need to follow code however.
Meanwhile in the Netherlands, fuseboards are plastic, electric meters are indoor, DIY is completely legal.
I did completely a complete overhaul of my consumer unit preparing it for 3 phase, I was even required to pull the main fuse to replace the main isolator switch.
My colleague got solar panels last year and he had to replace his consumer unit, you can buy fully assembled ones online.
Same in the UK, except you cannot pull the main fuse. The vid is wrong.
@@johnburns4017 thank you for clearing that up.... I can imagine a 7-year-old child attempting electrics probably wouldn't be a great idea... kids are getting pretty smart at a young age.. just because somebody can do something doesn't mean it's ok
@@Jawst
In the UK the law says you have to be *competent.* If a 7 year old is competent then they can do it.
But you also forget to mention that The Netherlands has one of the highest standards of electrical wiring in Europe. Not to mention one of the easiest to maintain (in my humble dutch opinion :) ) But you will also find that an electrical fire will result in detailed scrutiny from the insurance company if they find anything wrong.
@@patrickd9551
All the EU is high. The UK has the advantage that is has the superior fuse in plug. The French, German, Swiss, etc, have DP disconnectors at the main panel. This means twin L & N busbars are used. Much neater. The UK is moving to DP, but not mandatory yet.
The UK has AFDDs on circuits with sockets mandatory in some installations, being _recommended_ in all. Also SPDs are near mandatory.
Recently built a new house and was shocked by the quality of the installation particularly the drilling of huge holes through the timber frame and no thought for the follow on trades like the dry liners having to avoid large bunches of cables this was a so called professional electrician I then got another electrician to test the work because I wasn’t comfortable with the work being safe as the first guy had problems with testing the earth
Great teacher 👍 You explain things better than any college tutor I've encountered in the past.
In Germany the mains voltage was changed from 220V to 230V,
in England from 240V to 230V.
the nominal voltage was changed to 230v . the actual voltage stayed the same . only difference is in calculations for cable sizes
Certifications are all fine and dandy, as long as you have the skills to back them up...
Interesting location for the Lewden Main Switch and SPD device on the DNO's supply board ...
At 9:02 you talk about not being able to carry out any work in a bathroom. However, P2.7 says "All other electrical installation work is not notifiable - namely additions and alterations to existing installations outside special locations, and replacements, repairs and maintenance anywhere." I read this to mean that you can carry out "replacements, repairs and maintenance anywhere", i.e. including in special locations. Am I reading it wrongly?
Kitchens, bathrooms, etc, are notifiable. I can only assume it's because of the greater risk around water
@@tonkatoy200 no, kitchens aren't special locations, as they are not mentioned in P2.5 (unless you have a bath, shower, swimming pool or sauna in your kitchen...). And your comment doesn't address whether "replacements, repairs and maintenance" are allowed in special locations without being notifiable.
@@awt Quote from a UK government site
'Very common examples of notifiable work are; rewiring a property, providing electricity to a garage or outhouse, the replacement of the main fuse box in a house or any electrical work in a kitchen, shower room or bathroom.'
@@tonkatoy200 can you provide a source link for that? Is it from www.buildingcontrolpartnershiphants.gov.uk/building_regulation_applications/domestic_electrical_works/intro.aspx#:~:text=Very%20common%20examples%20of%20notifiable,kitchen%2C%20shower%20room%20or%20bathroom. ? The fact that page still refers to CORGI suggests it's way, way out of date.
My source is www.gov.uk/government/publications/electrical-safety-approved-document-p
The regs say within the 'special locations' even 'minor additions and alterations' are notifiable.
Thank you for the video! From this video, I understand one can now add an outdoor electrical socket spurred off the final ring or radial. What about fixed outdoor electrical installations, for example, powering a home's outdoor condenser (air conditioning)? This would be from the final ring through an outdoor rated fused spur. Thank you
From June, 2022 AFDDs arc fault detection devices were *mandatory* in flats with 6 floors and higher, care homes, etc, on any circuit with one or more _sockets_ on it. This detects _arcs_ which can cause fires. An AFDD can replace a micro circuit breaker in the fuse box, in the same slot. It has four functions:
*1)* Over-current protection;
*2)* Fault detection;
*4)* Earth leakage dectection (RCD);
*5)* Arc fault detection.
AFDDs are *recommended* on all new installations and circuits.
Over priced.
@@derekgoodwin6646
Not over priced, just expensive. Price is dropping. But four separate devices that does what the AFDD does in one package then it will be expensive.
Still only a C3 on inspection, unless of course there is enhanced risk which would be unlikely. HOWEVER: One could argue that you haven’t made anything worse (safety-wise) by not installing an AFDD with an addition but you technically may have by adding more points on which a cable could fail and thus leave it in a condition considered less safe. It’s all getting very political. I was surprised AFDDs were not mandated for terraced houses where fire could spread through the joined roofing.
Do they work - reliably - on low current lighting circuits though?
I suspect that their 'need' stems from the days when we were drawing high currents and potentially causing significant arcs.
@@barrieshepherd7694you “suspect”? 😂
In England does the red and black go from the breaker box through all of the outlets and then back into the breaker box see if two red wires on the breaker and two black wires on the neutral bar for that one loop plus they yellow green on the ground bar I hear they call it a ring and what gauge wire do they use for lights outlets
Mains electrical wiring in England changed colours in 2005, red & black became brown and blue. A final ring circuit is literally a loop of 3* core 2.5mm2 cable that comes out of the circuit board called a consumer unit), and literally return back to the circuit board. These ring mains are allowed on 32A power circuits only. Lighting circuits are rated at 6A and are not a ring but a radial, i.e. a single 3* core cable of 1 or 1.5mm2 that loops in and out of all the light outlets (switch cables are then added to each outlet), but does not return to the circuit board . *Cable is known as twin & Earth, only the live & neutral wires are wrapped in their coloured PVC, the neutral is bare but protected with green and yellow sleeving at site. Note all 3 cores have another outer wrapping of PVC - usually grey. I think in the USA they call it Romex?
As a retired electrician I still think there needs to be an independent check for safety IF work is done by a DIYer. Case in point, in my previous house the garage the radial for sockets was a mix of 2.5 & 1.5 T&E behind drylining boards and mostly hidden in rockwool insulation. I took the easy option and put a 6A MCB on the circuit. there was also a lighting circuit taken from aj unction box on a 32A ringmain. That soon got a 6A fused connector as well. there was also a rat's nest of exposed wiring (which turned out to be misplaced Earthing) round a junction box in the loft. And the earth cable in the downstairs lighting circuit never found it's way back to the consumer unit. Just as well I did an EICR on the property.
My neighbour had an electric stove for years that usually blew a fuze when more than one 'ring' was used for cooking. He put up with it for years (at least his wife did) but when I helped fit a new electric cooker and checked the wire hiden behind the old cooker, we founf it was 1.5mm T&E, NOT 6mm cooker cable. Once the new 6mm cable was run to the mains, the new cooker gave no problems.
An electrician recently working on my brothers flat wired a 2kW electric room heater up using a spur taken from the lighting circuit. My brother quickly realised (once he had installed the fuse that for some reason the electrician had omitted to fit in the isolating switch fuse plate) that something was wrong when turning on the heater to test it was working tripped the breaker and turned off all the lights.
The electrician denied all knowledge of any problem and refused to come back. So my brother told the main contractor who had employed the electrician that he could whistle for his money until it was fixed, and that he would be calling building control and everyone else that he could think of in the morning.
The problem is not DIYers or electricians but idiots and both sides have them.
I would prefer the system some countries use where, if some sort of inspection is required, self-certification is never allowed.
American here, a good video. I'm a guy who is not very handy. But i just replaced a light switch. I'm kinda proud of that. Not burned down the house, yet, anyway. LOL, Having an electrician in to do it, would have been about $225.00. I'm sure it's about the same in the UK.
Hi my house was rewired in the late seventy's and has a old consumer unit, which would comply with the IEE regs at the time, but not with the new ones. The IEE regs were made by a committee made up of representatives from manufacturing company's, so don't you think that if they changed the regulations, so say you had to use more earth wire, would that not be in the manufacturers interest as that would increase there profits. and not for safety reasons. I worked in the back office of a installation company, this is what I heard.
They changed the regulations in 2008 to remove the need to "bond" every metallic item together as long as certain conditions were met, so either they fell out with the Earth cable manufacturer and changed the regs to P them off, or what you heard was just an uneducated opinion
With every change of the wiring regulations there is usually a need to upgrade a consumer unit to a different type for various reasons. Over the years the safety protection has increased greatly. If the installation company you worked for still exists let's hope they change their outlook.
@@codenamenel Part P is all pretty general and doesn't bother itself with that sort of detail.
I must admit I did all my electrics soon after I got married back in the seventies. A 1950’s built bungalow which had the old rubber cables. At the same time replaced all plumbing in the very hot summer of 76 at one stage all we had working was a single water tap by the stop cock. I installed all plumbing including central heating fitted kitchen and all electrics. I divided the power supply into multiple ring circuits more than needed for a small bungalow each on its own mcb. One thing I would not use till tested was the gas. The final gas connection and testing was made by the gas board who also inspected the whole of the central heating system so it could go on their service contract. The engineer actually commend my installation. In later years I had an electrician install a rcd in the tails not the best idea but it gave me some extra protection. All has worked perfectly over the years inc new kitchens etc. Of course my install was before all these regs came in but it was a case of needs must no way could I have afforded to have the work done for me. Just recently I had an eicr carried out which passed with flying colours apart from a loose connection in one socket. I wanted the consumer unit changed but was advised not to go ahead due to space restrictions etc.
Absolutely brilliant video. A follow up on the art of cramming (I mean “dressing”) a pair of 2.5mm twin & earth cables into a standard 25mm back box, as well as whether or not you should twist cables together would be great 👍 😂 thank you!
If you don't know whether you can, finding out from a bloke on RUclips is not a good idea. Find a qualified electrician.
Twisting them together is bad for the cable and a pain in the arse when it comes to testing. Don't do it!
@@Savagetechie completely agree. Been a total pain in our house when changing out sockets / adding spurs. Maybe WAGO could make a special spiral connector so I don’t have to keep chopping them back 😣🤬😂
@@PrinceBarin77 you can get 6mm wago 221s that will probably take a twisted pair of 2.5, they will definitely take a doubled over 2.5
Never twist - lots of sparking points where they touch but don't bind together. Double over the wires, as in videos on YT videos by professionals for professionals, eg, eFIXX and John McGrath (who is an electrician by trade and a woodworker on YT). I've had to re-set socket and lighting wiring by professionals whose work reveals itself as loose and sloppy very quickly, sometimes within a day or two. Always check work by professional registered electricians unless you have seen them at work and checked their work, preferably in someone else's home!
An excellent walk-through of domestic electrical installation and the limits for the DIYer.
It is a shame you did not mention a minor works certificate is usually required at the end of a very useful video.
Reference to bs7671, is not even mentioned, but as long as common sense, best practice and engineering judgement are considered, that will possibly suffice as not everything comes from bs 7671 anyway......
In 1983 I came to England from New Zealand. In New Zealand, only a qualified Electrician can touch any part of the fixed wiring. It is illegal to even replace a light switch. I was amazed to find that in England (at that time) it was lawful to completely rewire your own home. Anything at all on your side of the consumer unit. I bought an old house, eventually. All of the wiring was in steel conduit. Rewiring it was easy. Just join the new cable to one end of the old rubber cable and pull it through the conduit. The surprising thing was that the old rubber insulated cable was in absolutely perfect condition, although it was over seventy years old. It would probably have been safe to have left it for another seventy years! Then, in 2006 (I think) the law changed. Suddenly touching any part of the fixed wiring was illegal. The colour coding changed as well. No longer red, black and green, but brown blue and yellow/green. Very clever - any wiring in an old house which is not the old colour coding must have been fitted after the Regulations changed, so a buyer’s Surveyor would want to see evidence of that wiring having been installed by a qualified Electrician.
Never seen someone actually check.
My dad had a water leak in his upstairs shower tray 5 or 6 years ago which leaked downstairs running into a twin socket on a 32amp ring circuit. When the insurance inspector came out to look what damage had been caused they refused his insurance as he had put a spur onto a 32amp ring circuit. So be careful doing anything even if it isn’t mentioned in part P as your insurance company won’t pay out even if the cause wasn’t the work you did and my dad is a retired electrical engineer
"as he had put a spur onto a 32amp ring circuit"
Surely that is allowed
Typical insurance......biggest scam going.
Sorry, but that is not correct. If the damage for which you are claiming was not caused by the work, insurance coys cannot now deny it. This was an EU regulation brought in after 2001. The damage you are referring to was obviously caused by the work he had done.
"So the question is: Are you gonna let the fear of insurance control your life? A real man never worries about mistakes until its too late!" - Mehdi Sadaghdar (ElectroBOOM, 2018).
No it was not. The damage was caused by the water leak.@@DavidMartin-ym2te
digital meters take to long to measure voltage if trying to measure a rapid change as in moving a magnet past a coil in generator making, analogue reads much faster so are usable. nice video thanks
I've been an electrician for 20 years (apprentice/NVQ/AM2/2391/Regs etc) and from experience, houses with evidence of DIY are often at best a mess and at worst, a danger to occupants. There's a reason it takes 4 years in an apprenticeship plus dozens of practical & theory exams to be deemed qualified and competent.
especially d.i.y ers touching ring final circuits
@@rayalbion9637 With respect, I'm a DIYer who recently discovered that my downstairs ring final circuit was broken on all three conductors and managed to trace which cable run had the break. I then split the ring into two radials and isolated and labelled the dead leg in each socket. Measured R1+R2 in each leg to determine that replacing the 32A RCBO with two 20A RCBOs was appropriate. Technically the longer radial might have an issue with voltage drop if the full 20A was drawn from the furthest socket but I made a judgement that this was unlikely. We have a separate kitchen RFC so the loads on the downstairs RFC are minimal.
My upstairs RFC was also broken in one conductor and I traced the fault and fixed it. It was just an over torqued earth screw which had crushed the conductor to the point where it broke off.
I moved into this house 3 years ago and although it was in a reasonable state of repair, I have made several improvements to bring it up to 18th edition standard from 16th edition. I have no doubt that it is safer today than it was 3 years ago and I will continue to monitor and improve it over time. I have an Megger MFT and I know how to use it. I also have a torque screwdriver which I was dubious about buying but have been continually surprised at how tight 2.5NM actually is! I use intumescent sealant and grommets to contain potential fire inside the DB.
That all said, I'm not an electrician. I am an electronics and electrical engineering graduate and I'm also an electronics hobbyist since childhood which helps greatly with understanding of the fundamentals. What I lack is experience as an electrician and I am very aware of that and try to compensate in other ways. However, in my case I only need to know enough to deal with my own house and not every possible type of domestic and commercial property like a qualified electrician would be expected to handle. There is also nobody more motivated than me to ensure that my house is safe and functional so I have a copy of the 18th edition regs and OSG and have watched dozens of hours worth of videos to ensure I understand the relevant issues before undertaking any work.
Before anyone starts quoting Part P, I live in Scotland where we are allowed to work on our electrics as long as we do it in compliance with the regs. My intention is to do all the work I think needs done and then bring in a reputable electrician to do an EICR. That will provide a second pair of eyes to check my work.
Most DIYers should probably steer clear of doing electrical work but if you have the educational background and are prepared to invest in the necessary equipment and other resources then you absolutely can do your own electrics on a DIY basis. Assuming you are legally allowed to of course.
Totally disagree. Most DIYers want to do a good job as its their own house. Most tradespeople want to rip you off and do a bad job
I wouldn’t do much electrically as I’m paranoid albeit whatever DIY I do I try doing it to the best standard as possible because it’s my house and I don’t want it affecting anyone else either!
@@craigchamberlain Your the exception not the rule , i can not count how many times I have encountered problems with DIY on rings (its the norm) as you are already aware with your experience a ring circuit will very often give power at sockets even when incorrect , I think its a method of wiring thats had its day , Iam sure its only the u.k that uses the ring method of wiring.
You speak like a gentleman
Great explanation thumbs up
Doesn’t matter what you can or can’t do. Long as nobody knows do whatever you’re capable of.
Doesn't matter until you might want to sell your house...
And that's when you deny any knowledge of it whatsoever
@@thetraveller869Indemnity insurance solves that
How do you know if you’re capable?
@jameshansing5396 Well, if your house burns down, it means you're not capable
Its different for England as Wales, in Wales you still have to notify work in a Kitchen and external work such as adding an external socket or light even to an existing circuit
Drakeford requires a written notification if you want to fart outdoors or have a wank in the bath.
I was prevented by Part P from wiring my own kitchen so I had to get a so called Sparky to do it for me. 2 things: I told him to put the cable THROUGH the joists for the lighting circuit _- he put them under_ and secondarily I had to complain about him to get him to send me the paperwork to say he'd done it!
And then, of course, I did the job myself the way it shoude have been done in the first place by drilling through the joists as I'd asked... Ah well yeah and I should have had it rechecked and there were reasons about..... No, the bloke just wanted my money because *I HAD TO USE A SPARKY* - this was on an extension.... If you clip wiring underneath the ceiling joists, although you can (with difficulty) pinch the cable between the underside of the joists and the plasterboard for the ceiling, you leave a shock hazard for the guy coming in 20 years' time putting up Christmas tree decorations for his children !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
£200 to do the job properly myself for a poxy piece of paper!!! - Part P?!?!?!? The easy way to deal with this is to say that when your house is sold, IT MUST HAVE an electrical safety certificate. If you want to do electrics *FOR SOMEONE ELSE* you should be qualified to do so - DON'T stop ME from doing something that I understand and am competent to do FOR ME
If you had specified cables through joists, and he didn't, don't pay him.
I’ve had a similar experience. I am a retired engineer with decades of experience installing equipment in hospitals, including operating theatres, to a much higher standard than domestic installation - but thanks to part P I have to get a qualified electrician in to my domestic wiring. I wouldn’t mind - I accept that it is important to be up to date with the latest regulations - but I am often disappointed with the quality of the work, I know I would have done a better job myself and I always have to chase them for certificates.
It's because the paperwork costs extra money. If he's unregistered, he's _supposed_ to send a notification to the council that they've done work and pay a fee for the privilege. For small jobs, this can be a significant cost. And yes, he should have drilled through to start with, ensuring the the cable was laid 5cm below the surface or else protected from a casual diyer drilling or nailing.
@@randeknight cables don't have to be 50mm below the surface though. Perfectly fine to lay cables touching the plasterboard.
According to regs anyway.
That's what I assumed the law was and common sense suggest something like: Do whatever electrical work you want to your own house, but if it doesn't comply with building regulations, expect to have to spend a fortune fixing it all if/when you come to sell your house.
lots of how to do electric wiring work online, i have done lots myself and would not let anything stop me. Would love to go off grid and be energy independant. you can go on courses to learn how to do electric work.
I was an approved electrician for 50 years, covering a wide variety of disciplines, I am now retired and technically not allowed to carry out any work as I don't have a valid certificate. The range of voltage can fall further as I have had a volt drop down to as low as 147V but this was a substation fault and I only noticed it due to the fluorescent lights not working although all the rest were ok.
100A supplies have been the standard for many years although 60A was the original when you had one double socket in each room, now the kitchen usually has its own ring circuit as there are so many sockets in there. The ring circuit will supply 32A total, although each socket will only give 13A+/- depending on the cartridge fuse within. Cookers used to need a dedicated circuit as it would draw large amperages as it could have up to 9 elements and the load was based on everything being on at once so it could draw 27A. Now most ovens and hobs are efficient enough to be run from two 13A sockets.
Nowadays to do work in your house you require a ‘Part P’ certificate, otherwise known as a Building Control certificate, I never had one, as, by the time I retired I was doing upto 400KV installations, well outside its parameters.
Part P annoys the genuine f**k out of me. I should be allowed to work on my kitchen and bathroom. I understand people shouldn't go poking their fingers around in consumer units per say, but it's just stupid laws probably in a sad attempt to try and boost the electrician economy.
People often say extension cables are bad. I agree, over 1KW. For led floor lamps, TV, just a trip hazard. Extension cables aren't anything to do with regulations? Apparently they are for fixed installs."Installing fixed electrical equipment is within the scope of Part P, even if the final connection is by a standard 13A plug and socket, but is notifiable only if it involves work set out in regulation 12(6A)." So using a TV bracket needs BS 7671?
The worst electrical installations I have seen is on new house builds by qualified electricians
The PME and cut out fuse is owned by the Distributor. The Meter and first isolator is owned by the supplier- the company you pay your bills to.
5 minutes in and he's not told me one thing I can and can't do electrical work wise....
Proper job mate. I always say if you can’t see it or smell it, don’t touch it. If in doubt doing nothing, call the experts that know.
The rules are made to keep the rule makers in a job.
generally yes, but part P was last ammended to be less restrictive in 2013. can you believe it!
Not really. Part P came about in part because of someone being electrocuted in a bathroom, when a bathroom fitter had screwed up an install and metal within the bathroom shorted out and became live.
Same as the gas regs, so many people suffering from carbon monoxide poisoning because of cowboys not knowing what their doing.
@@RobJowett I can never understand the rule makers, they think if they make it illegal to do the job (and more expensive) that people will not do it. Not allowed to do work in a bathroom because electricity is so dangerous but you can have sockets near the kitchen sink. Can not (officially) put a socket in the bathroom (loads in Spain) but they can trail an extension lead across the landing to power the fan heater. As for the gas regs, why not have a motorised valve on the gas supply that cuts off if the detector detects carbon monoxide or even a gas leak.
Education is the way to go rather than regulation in respect to electrical safety,
@@johnlightfoot9967 your comment regarding not being able to put a socket in a bathroom highlights why certain things can’t be left to DIYers. You can put sockets (and other electrical figments) in bathrooms, just not within certain zones. I don’t know what the electrical regs are in Spain, so can’t comment on what is or isn’t allowed. Having said that, I’ve stayed in enough iffy hotels in Spain to know that the safety of their electrical installations isn’t always ‘tip top’.
Re Gas, carbon monoxide is just one risk, but there have been countless examples of it, and gas explosions taking out neighbouring properties after a DIY bodge job.
@@RobJowett Yes I know all about the zones in bathrooms but I still think that because it is a small bathroom it should still be able to have a mains socket as far away from the bath/shower as possible rather than people putting an extension lead across the landing (trip hazard) into the bathroom to put their fan heater on. Also, just because you have qualifications coming out of your ears does not stop you making a crap job of it, shown at a house I attended where the "qualified electrician" had put the ring main onto different breakers at each end of the ring.
wow you guys are soooo regulated.
I installed every single bit of wiring - the inspector stated that I went overboard, I had gone way beyond required code. I wired everything as though it were industrial with full ground loops from every termination back to the busbars
The UK has turned into what the East German state was 30 years ago.
And being well regulated is a good thing.
I am allowed to do whatever I want with the electrics in my own house. But I no longer live in the UK nanny state, I left for a much better life in Europe where people do not dictate to me.
I was just wondering why are you watching this video then
@@Totalplonker Because I want to watch it, what has it got to do with you anyway? 😗
My son and I recently extended the upstairs ring to the loft. The difficulty we had was getting someone to check it. Most of the electricians we contacted said they would not test and certify because they could not guarantee wiring they had no seen installed.
Although electricians won't do an EIC for someone else's work, they will still do an EICR.
@@KX36
Agreed....... I put up drywall, coving, fitted my kitchen, double oven, hob, extended the ring, new sockets, under cabinet lights etc and had central heating installed. Finally called in an electrician who did an EICR before installing a new consumer unit.
No faults found and no £5,000 fine either..........
THE ONLY PERSON WHO GETS TO DECIDE WHAT IM ALLOWED IN MY LIFE IS ME.
And maybe the police
Also the healthcare system after you're unconscious
Great video. The amp rating on the rcd are the maximum rated current they can handle it isn't a breaking current rating like mcbs. Your rcds could possibly be overloaded. 63A shouldn't have that much on them. I see both of yours have well over that. I would recommend getting a little bus bar and changing at least one of the 32mcbs on each rcd for an rcbo.
Best fit double pole AFDDs on socket circuits and high current radials, like electric showers, cookers, etc. Cover all safety bases.
My perspective from France (NF C 15-100 regulation), where anybody "qualified" (title 6 #610.1.5) or with the appropriate "knowledge" (title 1 #117) can pretty much do everything themselves, because it will be inspected before electricity is even connected to your house:
1) Our electric panels have 1 to 4 rows of DIN rails, 1 being like for a 1-room studio, and they are usually 13 "modules" wide, because you can't really have "lots" with a limited "split the incoming supply into _lots_ of different individual circuits" with just one row already taken up with a main switch and RCDs (called "differential switches" over here) that are 2 or 3 "modules" wide each;
2) Each row starts with a RCD on the left and the circuit breakers right next to them, so you can easily link all RCCBs with a vertical metallic "comb", and the RCCB with its dependent circuit breakers with an horizontal comb, no wiring involved except for the first RCCB;
3) Your electric panel is full to the brim, we must leave 20% free space minimum per regulation for future expansions;
4) Each RCD can protect only up to 8 circuit breakers and circuits, so 16 on a 2-row panel, compared to your 10 RCD-protected circuits (and 1 unprotected?);
5) This fancy 6 A circuit breaker does not exist here, we have 10, 16, 20 and 32 A for all wiring, and also 2 A for internal electric panel modules or relays, such as the night/day "contacter";
6) Your example of 12 outlets on the same circuit would be the maximum allowed, and with a 20 A circuit breaker and 2.5 mm² wire to boot;
7) Both outlet and lighting circuits should be split over 2 different RCDs so that we still have power and light if one goes wrong. I elected to have 1 lighting circuit for all ceilings, and 1 for all walls, and as for outlets, 1 circuit for the north and east walls, and 1 for the south and west walls, plus 2 separate circuits for outside lighting and outlets;
8) We need to bring the ground wire to all outlets, including lighting sockets, these new ones are called DCL (Light Connection Device). Not the brightest idea, since we now have lighting outlets to which are plugged E27 sockets in which the light bulb needs to be screwed as we are, because we also need to screw them back regularly in vibration--prone environments where they tend to unscrew themselves with time;
9) The symbols and tiny text printed below your circuit breakers are not as helpful as they should, larger printed text above may be more effective in case of an emergency with poor lighting. This is the most critical information to have in your electric panel, it should figure prominently. I would also stick a plan of your whole house's electric installation to the back of your electric panel cover. The electric plan fits nicely on higher multiple-row, and you can easily print it out on A4 non-flammable paper. The electric panel is also a good place to put information such as "all spots and light bulbs are 12V DC LED bulbs" and where the spare circuit breakers and light bulb are located;
10) You seem to have a lot of 32 A circuits (5!) for such a small electric panel. That would be like having all 5 of electric radiators, electric heating floor, induction hob, car charger and heat pump, meaning you are left with only 5 circuits for everything else, which is impossible to manage within French regulations.
I like that your electric panel is metallic, not just fire-retardant plastic. I made mine out of cement in order to insert it into an internal wall, as I didn't want a protruding electric panel. I fitted 3 x 30 cm DIN rails (€6 total on Amazon) and 3 live/neutral/ground bus bars for 15 wires each (€17 total on EM Distribution). These are all the electric components that make up an electric panel. In the U.S., i could have saved $5.5 on the ground bus bar, as they apparently bond neutral and ground in the electric panel!
I would avoid large ring circuits, a fault could disable the whole ring and make debugging trickier. Splitter boxes with separate wiring for each power or lighting outlet are more resilient and don't cost much more in wires either: A 100 meter roll at €18 or €27 in 1.5 or 2.5 mm² sections allows to split these 5 outlets 6-7 meters away from the splitter box.
Very often when people buy properties, they ask electricians to lift floorboards and check if there is a new ring or spured of socket.
Same thing with fensa windows - there have been piles of bodies caused by lack of fensa certificates.
Much appreciated information. Thankfully, I've only completed the type of jobs you detailed. I wonder how many diyers know what you've talked about?
I wired a fused spur from my main socket ringmain to plug in a dryer, it's nice to know I didn't to a booboo. I'm planning on rewiring after another year or two though