Can anyone recommend some good books? (for beginners...)

[The General]

Hi there.

I'm pretty new to the whole sparky thing, and although I have got my 17th and passed an NICEIC assessment I still don't feel 100% confident with the understanding of inspection and testing results. I can do it, but it kinda feels like I'm just following a set of instructions rather than actually knowing what I'm doing! I want to feel more confident about understanding what the results should look like and what to do/expect if they dont!

I have a full-time job, so the electrical work is only at weekends/evenings to gradually build up business until I'm ready to go out on my own, so I'm not doing it often enough for it to really sink into my brain properly at the moment.

What I'm hoping is that there are some decent publications out there that cover theory AND practice for domestic installations. It would be great if there was something that explained about 'real life' results that you'd expect rather than the 'theoretical classroom' results where everthing is always perfect....

can anyone recommend any?

many thanks

 

[Silly Sausage]

I can only really think of this one...Electrical Installation Design Guide: Calculations for Electricians and Designers - IET Electrical

Try your hand at designing a load of imaginary circuits, that should hopefully give you a feel of circuit characteristics (breaker ratings, cable csa, Zs etc values)

 

[a1guvner]

GN3 and getting a few tests under your belt, decent test gear and decent software to right it up and you cant go wrong

 

[a1guvner]

PS and getting another spark who is up on testing to review your results and question things so you question yourself as to why certain results

 

[The General]

PS and getting another spark who is up on testing to review your results and question things so you question yourself as to why certain results

that's great - thanks.
I'm already in contact with another spark who has said he's okay with me tagging along (as and when I can get time out of work) so I'm hoping that will help, but I just want to feel a bit more confident in myself for the private jobs I do on my own!

p.s. what's "GN3" or am I being daft?!?

 

[topquark]

IET publication Guidance Note 3

 

[spikester]

GN3 or Guidance Note 3 is the bible for Inspection and Testing. Get to grips with this book and inspection and testing will be alot easier. If you do C&G 2391 then you will get to love this book or maybe not.

 

[Silly Sausage]

that's great - thanks.
I'm already in contact with another spark who has said he's okay with me tagging along

Get in there, mate! Free experience. Happy days.

 

[The General]

Thanks all - I'm pretty sure I've already got GN3 at home somewhere, so I'll fish it out again.

any other suggestions (along the lines of 'Electrics for Dummies'?!)

The training course I did gave me the skills to pass the exams, but left a lot of blanks in the theory - which is becoming more apparent the more I read these forums!!

It was a 'five week intensive' course, which due to bank holidays was done in only 4 weeks, and a large part of that was spent sitting around waiting for the tutor to give us something to do....... so definitely more than a few gaps in the knowledge!!

 

[Octopus]

The NICEIC do some publications "snags and solutions" - well worth every penny.

 

[The General]

many thanks to all who've replied - I've got GN3 at home and have ordered the NICEIC book, so will do a bit of bedtime reading over the next few weeks to help cement it all in my brain. I know where to come if I've got any questions ;-)

cheers,