DIY lighting in garage

[Spoon]

apart from I am not charging anything.

Please explain how you are not changing anything?
Are you not changing the characteristics of the circuit?

 

[Pete999]

Hi,
I am not a qualified electrician, but have been asked to install downlights in a garage by a family friend.
There is currently a flouresent tube in there, which be used as the starting point for the series of lights.
I just want to know as a non qualified electrician I can carry out this work as a diyer in someone else’s house, as I am not changing the circuit? Or would this need to be signed off?

You are altering an existing circuit, and as such any alterations to the existing circuit, you will need to ascertain if that circuit is safe to alter, cable size,OCPD type and size, and as an altered circuit you will need to produce a Minor New Electrical Works Certificate, to include test results and what alterations were carried out.

 

[telectrix]

Please explain how you are not changing anything?
Are you not changing the characteristics of the circuit?

think he said he's not charging anything, as it'sfor as mate. specsavers is open late fridays. .

 

[Spoon]

think he said he's not charging anything, as it'sfor as mate. specsavers is open late fridays. .

Well spank me silly, you are correct. Soz OP.

 

[Midwest]

Well spank me silly, you are correct. Soz OP.

Careful SWD will make full use of that remark.

 

[Andy78]

Not sure what questions I have not answered, apart from I am not charging anything. I am literally helping out a friend.
I have limited testing equipment, but if this was carried out my a third party after installation, then I presume it is all good?
Thanks again

If you're expecting to find electricians falling over themselves so put their name to your work once it is complete you best think again.

 

[Midwest]

That reminds me, I must issue myself with one of those Minor Works for the illuminated cabinet I put up in our ensuite. Luckily, it wasn't in one of those zones, otherwise I'd have to let the local council know; they are nosy bastards.

 

[Octopus]

Ps I think murdoch needs to get off his high horse and take some chill pills and stop giving people grief who are asking a straight forward question. Quite clearly we are not all geniuses like you

And I point out AGAIN, post #2 is a straightforward question, which you chose not to answer

Can't have it both ways ....

Either you answer questions or clarifications posed to you or please don't get on your high horse stating people won't answer questions

And as for doing it for nothing ................. hum

You remind me of a local handyman - who goes around adding sockets, with no test kit, no regards for the regs etc and gets upset when he's proven to be wrong with fault finding diagnosis - and yet he has no test kit........

 

[Spoon]

Careful SWD will make full use of that remark.

He's too easy.... I like a bit of challenge, not someone who drops their pants and bends over within the first minute...

 

[Pete999]

He's too easy.... I like a bit of challenge, not someone who drops their pants and bends over within the first minute...

Spoon, I worry about you sometimes You have a sick warped mind, but I like you.

 

[Midwest]

 

[Pete999]

A very apt reply Middy, well done.

 

[Midwest]

Just trying to make light of the situation; now where were we?

 

[Pete999]

Just trying to make light of the situation; now where were we?

Don't know about you I'm into my second glass of Rouge Vino

 

[Spoon]

You have a sick warped mind,

Why thank you kind sir.... I don't get many complements...

 

[Octopus]

Love it @Steveo has given me 3 dislikes, but offered up any reason why ......

 

[Midwest]

Love it @Steveo has given me 3 dislikes, but offered up any reason why ......

Who can blame him The Murdoch

 

[Toneyz]

Part P building regs, also state that electrical installations should be designed & installed in accordance with BS7671 (current addition being the 18th).

OP if you were working in your own house, I suspect your own house insurance would cover you? It may even cover you, for causing damage in someone else's house; you would need to enquire about the liability aspect, mind.

Course, as already said, don't tell anyone and just crack on (I take no liability for that statement ).

My new neighbour has asked me to do some work in his house. As I've quite the game (no longer have liability insurance, not in a scheme), I politely declined.

I do get the feeling, you won't be reading this post.

Yes but there is a difference between you and the O.P.

 

[Toneyz]

Maybe if the OP has the balls he would post some photo's of this install he could surprise some of you with an install better than some electricians we've seen. Press that optimistic button NOW.

 

[markythesparky]

Could I just add my penny’s worth to the OP after asking a question.

What is your qualification in with regards to trade or job?

Now for my penny’s worth:

It may be true that the work you are intending to carry out does not need Part P registered but the work never the less does still need certification as does all new work.

You ARE changing the characteristics of the circuit no matter what you think.

You ARE altering the load no matter what you think.

You ARE therefore required to consider the cable size, OCPD rating, switch rating and how the cables are run and in what construction medium.

You ARE NOT (from your experience) considering or even checking the earthing arrangements and bonding of the main property and that of the garage that you are working on.

No matter how good a friend you consider him or her to be, please be in no doubt that your friend WILL come to you in the event that one of his family is hurt or killed or if the garage burns down as a result of your electrical work, whether you are charging for it or not! Indeed, the only way that he or she won’t come to you is if he or she is the unfortunate victim of a faulty installation himself.

Your testing equipment, from your own text, ‘is limited’, and I would assume that you have never heard of a Zs reading or a ZsDB reading. Let alone a Ze and PFC reading. You would not know that it is not a good idea to export a TN-C-S earthing system and you would not know why this would be.

Your assumption that a ‘third person’ will sign off the installation is very blasé. Your assumption is that a third person will sign his name to your work and that you will be free of any possibilty of future problems or deaths as this tin pot sparks will end up taking full responsibility for your work. Who ever you find to do this has;

1) got to be nuts!
2) not much between his own ears
3) doesn’t realise what he is signing for
4) no respect for the dangers of bad electrical installations.
5) all of the above.

To be frank my friend, and this is not meant to be sarcastic in any way, you have no idea what danger you could be placing on your friend or his family, and you have no idea what you are doing.

Professional electricians are trained at college for a number of years for this work and have numerous qualifications as a consequence.

There are too many people like yourself, who think that pulling a cable through, stripping back the coloured bit on the end, and then screwing the shiny piece to the back of a light or socket is all it takes and this is the exact reason that Part P was invented and is part of Law. Unfortunately for your friend, Part P doesn’t cover the work that you are considering, and in my opinion has never gone far enough.

But you crack on son. You have no more respect for electrical work than you have for diggings hole and eventually this will be your undoing.