So sad about the loss of life. Still so many people talk about electrical work as being Easy and not requiring experts. I was working on outside lights on a property and the guy next door told my customer in front of me he could have done the job cheaper. He said “ this electrical lark is easy! He told my customer of all the electrical work he was doing on his own house. he told us had done a few days of training . Goodness knows what training that was. He told me that I was earning easy money. After nearly 40 years in the field I wasn’t exactly impressed.
I remember when I was working at Newcastle central station where I uncovered a priceless tiled wall where the centurion pub is now and had been restored at the time of discovery
The nearest I came to an electrical fire was the flex into my laptop power supply. Mid cable, a flame 100mm long suddenly shot out right in front of me! Luckily it went upwards instead of burning a hole in a very expensive rug, & I was there to deal with it. I opened up the cable & found the brown conductor copper to be heavily corroded. Clearly a manufacturing defect due to some kind of corrosive contamination of the copper or pvc, and not mechanical wear & tear. Original HP power supply too so not dodgy fake flex. I've been even more careful to turn things off at the socket when not needed.
Why don't energy suppliers offer a WiFi or ethernet comms module to domestic customers? They'd never go out of date & work as long as there's an internet connection available. Lots of different comms modules are available it appears from a quick internet search for commercial & industrial use
I think most of the smart meters in the south that use the mobile network are using gsm (2+3g) which is being shut down over the next few years, this is going to cause problems for all things such as alarms (burglar and fire), fall alarms, door intercoms and many other systems. The smart meter roll out was floored from conception as most installers were only qualified by doing an 8 hour course from a plethora of providers.
And my energy provider wonders why I persistently refuse any installation of a „smart“ meter? At least my existing *smarter* meter works, records my energy usage in a measure I understand (kWh), is CE-marked and EU certified so it's considerably safer than any piece of UKCA-labelled Brexit¹💩, and doesn't have a cut-off contactor that can be remotely operated by any Skript Kiddie who can boot Linux in Runlevel 3. 🔓 And from what I understand of „smart“ meter _installations_ I get the impression that *I* (A DIYer with nothing above a long-expired PAT qualification) could effect a safer (If not longer in duration) smart meter installation than many of the allegedly „qualified“ installers the energy providers are using... 🔥 Yeah, the French got it right. And as usual, the UK got it *Totally fc🇬🇧in' wrong* as always... 🤔 (¹ - One of my mates has recently had his pre-pay gas meter replaced with a „smart“ type - Useful in his case as he's housebound and can't reach the meter. The new meter has a UKCA mark, and bears at least two symbols which I recognise as meaning „Explosive equipment“... 🎛🇬🇧💥)
Running electrical meters through a mobile phone network is pure nuts, electrical installs last for many many years, whereas phone standards are changing all the time
Why is it electricians are always finding hidden items of value? An electrician found Jack the Ripper's Diary in Battlecrease House, under the floorboards, Aigburth, Liverpool.
I read it as he had wired the extension lead flex directly into a socket, thereby cutting out the 13a fuse that would be in plug top. Can't do that in the regs!
@@UnimportantAcc If I'm not mistaken, the regs also prohibit me from replacing my own outlets and doing other accessory changeovers of that ilk - Hopefully open to exemption in some regards, given I recently replaced an imploded light switch for a neighbour that was clearly *not* in a safe condition to be left as it was. Whatever happened to the days when *I* had control and accountability for everything south of my CU? 🤔 I mean; It's called a _Consumer unit_ for a *reason...* 📜
@@dieseldragon6756 actually as long as you're "competent" you can do as you likey mate! Self-certify is what leads to all these cock-ups in the first place 🤣
The rollout of SMART meters continues to be a shambles. Dieter Helm is absolutely correct. The choice of suppliers as opposed to network operators as the agents with responsibility for rollout was a bizarre decision which, as far as I am aware, is unique to the UK. Spain, where I have some knowledge, used network operators and uses the supply network to send meter readings from meters to the local transformer (similar to Powerline in a domestic installation) and from there via fixed lines/microwave to central data collection hubs. National rollout was achieved in under 2 years.
Ditto for France, which uses the same approach. (Does Spain also use „Linky“ meters?) I think we can both agree: The Spanish and French got it right. And as usual, the UK got it *Totally fc🇬🇧in' wrong* as always... My question now: Which approach did *Germany* settle on?... 🇩🇪📠😉
They need to break down that * 1000s of fires* figure a bit. What was the cause? Faulty chinese appliances? users fitting their own plugs badly? Some bad DIY modifications to the fixed wiring system? Just saying * electrical fires* isn't helping .
I agree. Could have been a duff charger or bad LiPo cell. SOme DIY jobs by DIY'ers are in some cases better than what "qualified" sparkies have done. Seen plenty in my life.
The present cost of living crisis and the constant drive to get things at the lowest possible prices *does* suggest a lot of cheap, non-CE compliant equipment could be causing many of those fires... 🔥 (Personally, I _insist_ on CE marking because the EU are very strict on its enforcement. There's nowhere near enough history covering the UKCA mark to ascertain whether UK agencies are enforcing the use of this in the way that they should. I have seen videos with non-CE and non-UL mains appliances with UKCA marks visible on them...)
Here's one for you then. A gas trainer (youpube) was banging on about DIY work causing dozens of domestic carbon monoxide deaths per year. In reality when you dig into it, and subtract the people who actually die in caravans, sheds, garages and tents for running flueless appliances with no ventilation, the people who are killed by faulty, professionally installed appliances, the people who deliberately commit suicide by carbon monoxide poisoning, then the actual number killed by DIY work becomes less than the number of people killed by falling out of bed every year!
Interesting that in the UK most electrical fires are caused by faulty electrical installations. Here in Germany they are mostly caused by misuse of electrical appliances, like covered up ventilation openings, power strips hidden behind cupboards and covered in layers of dust, dirt or both, to name a few examples. The wiring itself usually does not cause issues, even if decades old.
Very sad loss of life, but I wish you would not describe these wiring modifications as DIY electrical work. It was illegal wiring modifications. Nothing wrong with DIY electrical work if permitted and in accordance with the regulations.
As a DIYer who watches your content and reads and learns how to do things ‘properly’ (what ever that means 😁). You can have all the standards and no no’s for playing with electrics. Anyone who wires an extension lead into a socket and has live wires on ‘completed work’ is not going to follow regulations. Unless you ban extension leads you will not stop this type of problem sadly
I'm going to get loads of haters here but here goes ............. That is there the problem. Electrical work is not for the DIYer, aside from changing a lamp. It is for competent electricians who have received the necessary training and attained the skills and qualifications required., together with a sound working knowledge of the electrical regulations. Banning extension leads won't stop this kind of terrible tragedy!
Another DIYer here, there is a difference between a competent diyer with electrical knowledge (read the relevant regs) and correct test equipment who takes advice from electrician and gets an eicr on completion, and wiring an extension lead into a socket? I think using " DIY Wiring " title is misleading and should be changed.
@@JamesEdwards860no but they still require a MWC and a schedule of test results, correct me if I’m wrong (not a sparky by the way) but I do no if I touch something and it goes wrong I’m not insured
I thought they RCBOs or RCDs or do they have to be AFDDs to protect you against fire could somebody tell me what happened please how there protection did not work if all the fire alarms went off how did they not get out the house
Strange fact is that the more regulations and restrictions on what people can do, the more common bad wiring becomes. Perhaps start tackling the problem from here.
It is North of England though... 🤔 Joking apart, sorry for any offense caused, we'll suspend biscuit privileges for whichever scriptwriter never leaves London. 😬😂
At 6m30seconds you mentioned ingress protection do you mean IP which stands for International Protection? Answers on a postcard to the script writer. Lol
@@UKsystems Being a qualified electrician is one thing, and knowingly lashing together something dangerous is another. I sympathise with the man, though, since the council make it as difficult as they can for you to get electrical work done by a professional in their properties.
@UKsystems with the correct skills, experience and equipment a competent person can do and fully test electrical work just as a qualified inexperienced unskilled person can make a hash of a job just. The qualified electrician who wired the my garage radial and one end of the kitchen ring main into the same mcb and the other end of the ring main into the garage MCB, let's say he wasn't called back to fix his qualified poor fully tested work a competent person with years of industrial experience soon found the fault and corrected it.
I feel like you should be able to improve your council house, or any rental flat, within reason (by hiring an electrician). But this isn't even allowed? The council obviously didn't provide enough sockets, so people improvised, what other result were they expecting?
Quite simply adding sockets is not as simple as it seems if they are not enough in the building the building is not designed to have many more added and it would probably be recommended to rewire it. This is very very expensive and the council will not do it to that, but they will not allow it to be done by an electrician because some are very bad.
Glasgow is in North England? You learn something new every day.
Script writer lives in London, he thinks it is! 🤫
This is correct but what do I know, I'm only a guy from Wales, West England.
@@djoakeydoakey1076far west England 😂
Glasgow is in England. It’s moved since I was there on Friday.
If Glasgow is north England, then Belfast must the northwest England
So sad about the loss of life. Still so many people talk about electrical work as being Easy and not requiring experts. I was working on outside lights on a property and the guy next door told my customer in front of me he could have done the job cheaper. He said “ this electrical lark is easy! He told my customer of all the electrical work he was doing on his own house. he told us had done a few days of training . Goodness knows what training that was. He told me that I was earning easy money. After nearly 40 years in the field I wasn’t exactly impressed.
I remember when I was working at Newcastle central station where I uncovered a priceless tiled wall where the centurion pub is now and had been restored at the time of discovery
The nearest I came to an electrical fire was the flex into my laptop power supply. Mid cable, a flame 100mm long suddenly shot out right in front of me! Luckily it went upwards instead of burning a hole in a very expensive rug, & I was there to deal with it.
I opened up the cable & found the brown conductor copper to be heavily corroded. Clearly a manufacturing defect due to some kind of corrosive contamination of the copper or pvc, and not mechanical wear & tear. Original HP power supply too so not dodgy fake flex. I've been even more careful to turn things off at the socket when not needed.
Why don't energy suppliers offer a WiFi or ethernet comms module to domestic customers? They'd never go out of date & work as long as there's an internet connection available. Lots of different comms modules are available it appears from a quick internet search for commercial & industrial use
I think most of the smart meters in the south that use the mobile network are using gsm (2+3g) which is being shut down over the next few years, this is going to cause problems for all things such as alarms (burglar and fire), fall alarms, door intercoms and many other systems.
The smart meter roll out was floored from conception as most installers were only qualified by doing an 8 hour course from a plethora of providers.
And my energy provider wonders why I persistently refuse any installation of a „smart“ meter? At least my existing *smarter* meter works, records my energy usage in a measure I understand (kWh), is CE-marked and EU certified so it's considerably safer than any piece of UKCA-labelled Brexit¹💩, and doesn't have a cut-off contactor that can be remotely operated by any Skript Kiddie who can boot Linux in Runlevel 3. 🔓
And from what I understand of „smart“ meter _installations_ I get the impression that *I* (A DIYer with nothing above a long-expired PAT qualification) could effect a safer (If not longer in duration) smart meter installation than many of the allegedly „qualified“ installers the energy providers are using... 🔥
Yeah, the French got it right. And as usual, the UK got it *Totally fc🇬🇧in' wrong* as always... 🤔
(¹ - One of my mates has recently had his pre-pay gas meter replaced with a „smart“ type - Useful in his case as he's housebound and can't reach the meter. The new meter has a UKCA mark, and bears at least two symbols which I recognise as meaning „Explosive equipment“... 🎛🇬🇧💥)
Running electrical meters through a mobile phone network is pure nuts, electrical installs last for many many years, whereas phone standards are changing all the time
Why is it electricians are always finding hidden items of value? An electrician found Jack the Ripper's Diary in Battlecrease House, under the floorboards, Aigburth, Liverpool.
OMG does this mean that the iet are going to do a course on extension leads , and make us register to install them
Obviously 🙄
I read it as he had wired the extension lead flex directly into a socket, thereby cutting out the 13a fuse that would be in plug top.
Can't do that in the regs!
@@UnimportantAcc If I'm not mistaken, the regs also prohibit me from replacing my own outlets and doing other accessory changeovers of that ilk - Hopefully open to exemption in some regards, given I recently replaced an imploded light switch for a neighbour that was clearly *not* in a safe condition to be left as it was. Whatever happened to the days when *I* had control and accountability for everything south of my CU? 🤔
I mean; It's called a _Consumer unit_ for a *reason...* 📜
@@dieseldragon6756 actually as long as you're "competent" you can do as you likey mate! Self-certify is what leads to all these cock-ups in the first place 🤣
@@UnimportantAcc opps i was taking the pxxx out of the IET
The rollout of SMART meters continues to be a shambles. Dieter Helm is absolutely correct. The choice of suppliers as opposed to network operators as the agents with responsibility for rollout was a bizarre decision which, as far as I am aware, is unique to the UK. Spain, where I have some knowledge, used network operators and uses the supply network to send meter readings from meters to the local transformer (similar to Powerline in a domestic installation) and from there via fixed lines/microwave to central data collection hubs. National rollout was achieved in under 2 years.
Ditto for France, which uses the same approach. (Does Spain also use „Linky“ meters?)
I think we can both agree: The Spanish and French got it right. And as usual, the UK got it *Totally fc🇬🇧in' wrong* as always...
My question now: Which approach did *Germany* settle on?... 🇩🇪📠😉
They need to break down that * 1000s of fires* figure a bit. What was the cause? Faulty chinese appliances? users fitting their own plugs badly? Some bad DIY modifications to the fixed wiring system? Just saying * electrical fires* isn't helping .
I agree. Could have been a duff charger or bad LiPo cell. SOme DIY jobs by DIY'ers are in some cases better than what "qualified" sparkies have done. Seen plenty in my life.
The present cost of living crisis and the constant drive to get things at the lowest possible prices *does* suggest a lot of cheap, non-CE compliant equipment could be causing many of those fires... 🔥
(Personally, I _insist_ on CE marking because the EU are very strict on its enforcement. There's nowhere near enough history covering the UKCA mark to ascertain whether UK agencies are enforcing the use of this in the way that they should. I have seen videos with non-CE and non-UL mains appliances with UKCA marks visible on them...)
Here's one for you then. A gas trainer (youpube) was banging on about DIY work causing dozens of domestic carbon monoxide deaths per year. In reality when you dig into it, and subtract the people who actually die in caravans, sheds, garages and tents for running flueless appliances with no ventilation, the people who are killed by faulty, professionally installed appliances, the people who deliberately commit suicide by carbon monoxide poisoning, then the actual number killed by DIY work becomes less than the number of people killed by falling out of bed every year!
Interesting that in the UK most electrical fires are caused by faulty electrical installations. Here in Germany they are mostly caused by misuse of electrical appliances, like covered up ventilation openings, power strips hidden behind cupboards and covered in layers of dust, dirt or both, to name a few examples. The wiring itself usually does not cause issues, even if decades old.
Very sad loss of life, but I wish you would not describe these wiring modifications as DIY electrical work. It was illegal wiring modifications. Nothing wrong with DIY electrical work if permitted and in accordance with the regulations.
As a DIYer who watches your content and reads and learns how to do things ‘properly’ (what ever that means 😁). You can have all the standards and no no’s for playing with electrics. Anyone who wires an extension lead into a socket and has live wires on ‘completed work’ is not going to follow regulations.
Unless you ban extension leads you will not stop this type of problem sadly
You can’t follow the regulations doing it DIY because of the level of inspection and testing required as well as a notification
I'm going to get loads of haters here but here goes .............
That is there the problem.
Electrical work is not for the DIYer, aside from changing a lamp.
It is for competent electricians who have received the necessary training and attained the skills and qualifications required., together with a sound working knowledge of the electrical regulations.
Banning extension leads won't stop this kind of terrible tragedy!
Another DIYer here, there is a difference between a competent diyer with electrical knowledge (read the relevant regs) and correct test equipment who takes advice from electrician and gets an eicr on completion, and wiring an extension lead into a socket? I think using " DIY Wiring " title is misleading and should be changed.
@@UKsystemsvast majority of electrical wiring and alternations do not require any notification, as you well know.
@@JamesEdwards860no but they still require a MWC and a schedule of test results, correct me if I’m wrong (not a sparky by the way) but I do no if I touch something and it goes wrong I’m not insured
Hi Guys It would seem I have won last weeks word challenge, what do I need to press on in the show notes? thx
Hiya John, it's this link here 👉 www.efixx.co.uk/get-involved 😃
I thought they RCBOs or RCDs or do they have to be AFDDs to protect you against fire could somebody tell me what happened please how there protection did not work if all the fire alarms went off how did they not get out the house
Many things that cannot be answered the protective device will not operate in some failure mode
Great news weekly as always Joe. 👍
Pomeranian and Cherubs
Great guesses, tune in next week to see if you got it! 😃
I like a IP66 floodlight - it needed this far north. A smart meter would be nice as the RTS is due to be switched off next year.
Strange fact is that the more regulations and restrictions on what people can do, the more common bad wiring becomes. Perhaps start tackling the problem from here.
Glasgow is not in the "North of England", for fucks sake.
It is North of England though... 🤔 Joking apart, sorry for any offense caused, we'll suspend biscuit privileges for whichever scriptwriter never leaves London. 😬😂
@@efixx Is London still in South Scotland?
@@efixx To be fair Joe, you did say a doctor 'from' Glasgow, not 'in' Glasgow. Technically . . . . . you win 🙂
Scotland is just extended England
Scotland is just North England where they speak a bit funny
How about Pomeranian and Brawn?
At 6m30seconds you mentioned ingress protection do you mean IP which stands for International Protection? Answers on a postcard to the script writer. Lol
…. Not sure if you’re joking. IP as in IP6X etc is Ingress Protection. Nothing do with international.
@JasperJanssen are you certain of that?
@@sergiofernandez3725 yes. en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/IP_Code
@@sergiofernandez3725 It's both! 🤷
Are you sure it doesn't refer to _Internet Protocol_ (For what kinds of „smart“ tech can be installed in it) 🙃
Pomeranian and shabby.....
Nice guesses, make sure you're listening to next week's show to see if you're right! 😃
Sadly, incidents like this will lead to even further crackdowns on safe DIY works from competent homeowners.
That’s competent cannot happen unless you are qualified they do not go together in electrics. Also you cannot test your DIY installation properly.
@@UKsystems Being a qualified electrician is one thing, and knowingly lashing together something dangerous is another. I sympathise with the man, though, since the council make it as difficult as they can for you to get electrical work done by a professional in their properties.
@@jamescollins6085 a council house it to live in not renovate
@UKsystems with the correct skills, experience and equipment a competent person can do and fully test electrical work just as a qualified inexperienced unskilled person can make a hash of a job just.
The qualified electrician who wired the my garage radial and one end of the kitchen ring main into the same mcb and the other end of the ring main into the garage MCB, let's say he wasn't called back to fix his qualified poor fully tested work a competent person with years of industrial experience soon found the fault and corrected it.
@@ItsAllJustBolloxI had the same experience from a so called “competent persons red badge scheme” was absolute disgrace
Pomeranian and boy scouts
Great guesses Mark, tune in to next Monday's show to see if you're right. 😃
what
Cherubs and pomeranian
pomeranian + cherubs
Pomeranian, cherubs
Pomeranian and cherubs
No idea really.
pomeranian + shabby
Pomeranian and shabby
Pomeranian and Frescos
Pomeranian, Toastie
pomeranian, Frescos
Pomeranian and Shabby
Pomeranian and fresco
pomeranian and toasty
Pomeranian and toasty
I feel like you should be able to improve your council house, or any rental flat, within reason (by hiring an electrician). But this isn't even allowed? The council obviously didn't provide enough sockets, so people improvised, what other result were they expecting?
Quite simply adding sockets is not as simple as it seems if they are not enough in the building the building is not designed to have many more added and it would probably be recommended to rewire it. This is very very expensive and the council will not do it to that, but they will not allow it to be done by an electrician because some are very bad.
@@UKsystems I'm sorry but what?
@@mrSolar852 sounds like a child talking.
sooo secret word of the video is blatantly pomoranian
Can someone please respond to my email
Pomeranian and cherubs
Pomeranian & Cherubs
Pomeranian and shabby