A spark rewiring his own house

[Guest112]

Hi as title says just interested in what you other sparks would do in this situation. Im a spark on the books with a contracting company so bar my JIB card I am not registered with any scheme and never have been so am a bit unaware of what you self employed sparks would do in my situation. I know a lot of sparks who have wired their own houses and just kept it to themselves without notifying the LABC or being on any scheme at all. Can you sprks tell me the pros and cons of either stuation notifying the LABC or just doing it without. Im not looking for a loophole or to do anything wrong but as i mentioned this is my house and im not wiring it and renovating it to sell straight away Thanks in advance

 

[pushrod]

If you go to your LABC and say "i am a spark" and prove it with your quals they will be so impressed that they will probs let you off £50 or £60 of a £400+ fee ! you can check their fees on your local council website and most do give a fee on qualified non part p scheme members. TBH i wouldn't bother even alerting them to the possibility that work could be done at your address. In 10 years an eic is effectively out of date and a PIR will cover it anyway. As long as you really do know what you are doing i would just go ahead. I know it is not the letter of the law, but honestly what is the point of throwing £350+ away???!!!!
You can always say "i paid an Eastern European guy to do it who said he was part P, i think he has left the country now"!

 

[Deleted member 9648]

If you go to your LABC and say "i am a spark" and prove it with your quals they will be so impressed that they will probs let you off £50 or £60 of a £400+ fee ! you can check their fees on your local council website and most do give a fee on qualified non part p scheme members. TBH i wouldn't bother even alerting them to the possibility that work could be done at your address. In 10 years an eic is effectively out of date and a PIR will cover it anyway. As long as you really do know what you are doing i would just go ahead. I know it is not the letter of the law, but honestly what is the point of throwing £350+ away???!!!!
You can always say "i paid an Eastern European guy to do it who said he was part P, i think he has left the country now"!

But the OP says he works for a contractor....presumably they are registered with a scheme?.....chances are if he has a word they will allow him to use one of their certs and notify for him...cost a couple of quid and he's legal.

 

[andyb]

You can do what you want in your own house. It matters not whether you are a qualified spark, brain surgeon, supermarket shelf stacker, or anything else. What you do in your own home is your business, no one can police it, so you can do what the hell you like as long as you don't alter its external shape.

This is where Part P falls over big time.


Cheers............Howard

Alas SirKit this is not true.
If any work comes under the Building Reg's then it must comply with the reg's,

 

[timo1]

You have to notify LABC that's the law end of. I don't necessarily think its fair, but then neither is paying sky high car insurance. It isn't worth the risk for the price it would cost notifying. You might be able to get away with it but it will be a real headache if you don't.

 

[RWJ]

You have to notify LABC that's the law end of.

Women are not allowed to wear trousers in public... Also STILL A LAW!

 

[andyb]

Women are not allowed to wear trousers in public... Also STILL A LAW!

Then they should take them off, immediately.

 

[timo1]

Women are not allowed to wear trousers in public... Also STILL A LAW![/QUOTE

Hmmm....not sure about that one, unless its specific to East Anglia

 

[telectrix]

and it's also against the law for a welshman to be outside in chester after dark (think that's correct, could be after midnight)

 

[Des 56]

and it's also against the law for a welshman to be outside in chester after dark (think that's correct, could be after midnight)

So if someone was walking down a dark alleyway in Chester and saw a set of glowing eyes,they shouldn't assume its a cat

 

[Guest112]

haha just reading through the posts since my last visit lol I think I will first try and speak to one of the engineers to sign off my cert but seeing as my firm have just got in a new boss and hes a complete and utter ... I don think he'll allow it so if not i will speak to the LABC i'm not worried about the standard of my own work I know im competant seeing as i sat a full 4 year apprenticeship completed the nvq 3 and am2, have done my 17th update and recently passed my 2391 and its my own house it would be a bit embarrasing if i didnt do the best job i can possibly do

Thanks for the advice guys next step is to speak to the labc and find out how much hopefully nothing drastic

 

[telectrix]

with your quals. and experience, the LABC should accept your cert. being a member of a scam is only 1 way of proving competence. judging from what i have seen over the years by some so called competent electricians ( members of niceic, etc. ) just proves that these scams are all about generating huge amounts of cash for fatcat suits as opposed to ensuring safe and reliable installations.

 

[pushrod]

Thanks for the advice guys next step is to speak to the labc and find out how much hopefully nothing drastic

Honestly, check their website first for charges and if you do speak to someone at the LABC don't give your name and address unless you are happy with the charges they want. I will be very pleasantly surprised if they are reasonable even though you are well qualified.

 

[Goody]

Prior to my assessment I informed my LABC that I am replacing my old re-wirable consumer unit and they asked me to send copies of my certificates along with a cheque for £70.00, which I did. In three days time they sent me a letter, saying that they have made necessary entry in their records and no further notification was needed.

Not all the LABC are the same but just speak to yours and see what they have to say. Best of luck!

 

[pushrod]

Prior to my assessment I informed my LABC that I am replacing my old re-wirable consumer unit and they asked me to send copies of my certificates along with a cheque for £70.00, which I did. In three days time they sent me a letter, saying that they have made necessary entry in their records and no further notification was needed.

On the other hand, after their assessment many people use the scheme provider to notify the LABC on their behalf for just a couple of quid. Even though £70 might be a lot less than some authorities charge it still doesn't strike me as particularly good value for a letter and an entry in their database/records.

 

[Guest112]

turns out the house I've bought definitely needs rewiring the existing install is a mix of surface mounted trunking and surface clipped t+e to each point the existing db is in the downstairs toilet lol either going to have to move it if possible or will box it in i think

 

[telectrix]

no problem with a CU being in a toilet. it's not classed as a special location. handy too to stand on the bog if you need to reset a MCB or RCD.

 

[topquark]

no problem with a CU being in a toilet. it's not classed as a special location. handy too to stand on the bog if you need to reset a MCB or RCD.

Especially if you're getting a shock off a metal toilet seat (best make sure it's bonded)

 

[Mr.Ian]

A house we're looking at getting has the incoming fuse and meter in the top corner of a wet room (all boxed in) and the CU is above in a small upstairs bedroom, I thought it would be a problem and would at least get a mention on the survey but nothing was mentioned.

 

[pushrod]

A house we're looking at getting has the incoming fuse and meter in the top corner of a wet room (all boxed in) and the CU is above in a small upstairs bedroom, I thought it would be a problem and would at least get a mention on the survey but nothing was mentioned.

I followed a surveyor guy doing a full survey, for the buyers, round our house we were selling many years ago. He spent the whole time checking if doors and windows opened, taps worked and at one point he bent down in his suit to feel if a trap was leaking! Never gave more than a glance at the CU . Money for old rope i thought and have never bothered with surveys since.

 

[Guest112]

haha ye no problem with a db in a toilet as you said not a special location just going to box it in to make it look better a nice 50mm pvc trunking from the top to the db to the mid level and run a 50mm trunking through the airing cupboard directly above (very lucky) to the attic for the drops down upstairs that sorts out cable access to each floor now going to buy an erbauer wall chaser from screwfix for £100 had good reviews going to buy one of those sds round backbox cutters for the boxes and give that a try ill upload photos in a few weeks when i start.

Any other good domestic tips are welcome guys im not a domestic spark i work mainly in commercial and some industrial i have heard of a trick from a previous post on here about a trick that people do these days about using a grinder with a wide blade and simply cutting a thin slot about 30mmish deep and slotting twin and earths down to the backboxes. Apparently new plaster doesnt affect cable anymore any opinions of this guys?