I feel I should be more open. I am not a member of a relevant professional body and I'm not an electrician. I have a close friend who is but he doesn't live close so can't do the work. He does not condone what I'm doing but he reluctantly agrees to help.
I have a multifuntion tester and know which tests are required and how to conduct them. So if any work I do ends up with an installation that passes all tests specified in the wiring regulations it would be safe. I appreciate that the vast majority of DIYers would not have access to that kit nor how to use it nor would they typically have access to a good electrician friend willing to offer advise. I also believe that the vast majority of DIYers who attempted most notifiable work would probably not complete it to a satisfactory standard because there are so many "gotchas" and ways to go wrong.
My motivation with this is to have an isolator fitted that is agreed by SSE who would presumably re-seal the carrier. Once that is in place my motivation is only to fit a board that can accept RCDs. i.e. something that would make the installation a lot safer than it is currently. I am not interested in having a tick at building control but I am interested in ensuring it meets the wiring regulations. My on site guide is 19th so that will do ( I don't have the full copy so rely on my mate ).
I do hope this thread doesn't seem like "trolling". I am not wishing to annoy any professional electrician and I am certainly grateful and interested in your views. Would you fit a 100a isolator inbetween the meter and the CU and how much for?
I am frustrated however, that an electrician would apparently not be able to do this job without being responsible for every strand of cable downstream of the DNO's fuse. That is what I feared and one reason I started to accumulate the ppe required for the job. In simple terms, I'm told £60 is reasonable and I say I'm willing to pay up to £200 but apparently that isn't enough? I need get ready to pay for a full re-wire? Or perhaps I missunderstood ?
I’ve got plenty of electrical qualifications and experience but have never needed any of the domestic ones. I think a judge or insurance company would have a hard time saying I wasn’t “competent”. But I’d still pay a person on a register scheme if I needed a consumer unit change or a rewire.
Physically fitting your isolator is a doddle, I could get my nan to do it for you. What you’re paying for is the knowledge and experience of the tradesperson who comes to fit it.
First off pay someone to compete an inspection (EICR or whatever it’s called this month). Find out what if anything’s wrong with the electrics in you’re home. You could be sleeping in a house fire waiting to happen. It’ll cost you £2-300.
Your electrician will then tell you what if anything needs modifying to make your home safe.
Changing a consumer unit of fitting tje isolator is a bad plan because you as the home owner are legally responsible if anything goes wrong. If your house burns down your insurers may not pay out and if anyone is injured you may well end up in court.