What do I need to legally start working as an electrician?

[Carlos Arruda]

Hello everybody.

First of all, I'd like to apologize, as it might seem like I am asking an all to similar questions that has been asked here endlessly. Please rest assured, I have read a big deal of those but, sadly, I am still in the dark.

Secondly, can anybody please let me know what certifications I need to be able to start working (self employed) as an electrician. I need the very basic to get me started and then anything else will follow suit.

I have asked the college tutors and not even them are sure as to the path one must take. I have completed a Commercial and Electrical installations Level 2 C&G which took me a year and have now enrolled on Level 3.

According to my tutors I will be qualified to work as self employed once I have completed my Level 3. They even said I can already work doing some minor jobs as long as I register myself with a body like ECA provided that I meet their criteria which is to be enrolled on a level 3 course and successfully passed it within it's time frame, in this case 2 years.

It seems that this is a bit confusing as to register with ECA they require to have some of my latest works assessed but I can't do those same jobs because I am not yet registered with them???? Confusing and sounds like catch 22 swings and roundabouts.

The course I have done is the one

http://www.lowestoft.ac.uk/college-courses/construction-and-trades/electrical-installation-level-2.aspx

.

Please advise as I am utterly confused with all the information out there.

Regards,
Albert

 

[albertc30]

Ok .. you probably know that I'm retired and for quite a while I'vce been helping my builder mate with a house that he's rebuilt for himself.

He was originally going to do EVERYTHING himself - including the electrics - because "Aahh kanaa hoo t' dey it an' aave got me tools". Well, his tools consist of a pair of side cutters and a couple of screwdrivers that have seen better days, a £7-99 multimeter from Maplins that he doesn't know how to use or what it's for and a Martindale plug-in tester with 3 neon lights that tell him the socket's ok.

Anyway, I ended-up doing it for several reasons, but after the first fix he was itching to "help" with the second fix, so I let him fit a couple of sockets. Then I inspected them. BOTH had slack terminal screws (because of his knackered screwdriver) and one had a polarity reversal because he says "it doesn't matter - it still grafts" (works)

This is a bloke who has been doing leccy work in his customers' houses (extra sockets etc.) while there fitting new windows etc. for them !!

The job is now finished (just) and I was showing him the testing bit with my MFT and it was completely over his head, BUT he's now come to accept and admit that it's a Hell of a lot more involved that he thought for a good few years, and now realises just how dangerous his work has been. So, hopefully there's a lesson learned there.

I've done all the heating/plumbing/gas and alarm work too (Yes, I'm capable, competent and qualified) and he wanted to get involved in that too - until I told him a few facts of life regarding gas work & regs .....

I for once can admit that until doing this level 2, thought the same. I have heard of a few TVs getting fried due to this exact same problem. This is why we have polarity tests.

But it still puzzles me as to why wire it the wrong way round when these are clearly marked? One would thought for a reason would you not?

I'll put this forward that a friend of mine, a so called electrician in Portugal Lisbon. I don't want to take his merit away but I must as England is NOT Portugal. There's a different set of rules and regulations.

I remember him mentioning to me seeing MCB's in CUs for sockets (he did not know the term ring main) with two 2.5mm wires in. He was baffled! Why two wires? Surely one is enough?

Having now done this level 2 I have explained to him the nature of the 2 x 2.5mm cables and the ring main. Luckily he always screw them back on. But in Portugal this simply does not happen. Only one cable and in sockets are connected in series end off. Hey but I understand now the logic in it.

Another so called electrician was to change the MCB for what I was told to be an independent socket that was powering this industrial fridge/freezer on this baker/pastry house as the MCB was constantly tripping. I was told by the owner (a friend) that he was to change this MCB to double it's capacity. This was before I even thought about doing my course but I immediately asked him what size cable do you have on that circuit? And I explained to him that he did not want to have an MCB that exceeded the capacity of the cable on the circuit as this could be catastrophic. He could burn the house down. He was asking for trouble. I caused enough worry for him to seek a qualified competent electrician who rectified the problem off-course at a cost.

This electrician had to go a few times over to inspect everything as on his first floor he had sockets catching fire. He had relied in the first so called Portuguese electrician that costed him peanuts only to later pay a capable person to make it right and oh boy it cost him dearly.

I was also under the illusion that there wasn't much about being an electrician. I now know differently and take my hat to all you experienced guys. I still have to disagree as to why the hell on earth does one need to study motors to become an electrician???? Magnetism, OK fare enough but motors?

Anyone capable of enlighten me on this one? Motors?

Cheers.

Albert

 

[ipf]

When I was serving my apprenticeship which was 6 years long in engineering , I somehow managed to play in a band most nights ( average 25 nights per month) and work the Waltzer & Dodgems on the fairground (I remember Tidyboiler's family's rides coming to the Newcastle Town Moor long before I knew her) during the summer and STILL manage to get to work. Maybe that's why I'm so knackered now??

Well, after 50 odd years of that, who wouldn't be creamed.:beatnik:

 

[GLENNSPARK]

they were from Bristol area.....they had a yard in gloucester

 

[GLENNSPARK]

I for once can admit that until doing this level 2, thought the same. I have heard of a few TVs getting fried due to this exact same problem. This is why we have polarity tests.

But it still puzzles me as to why wire it the wrong way round when these are clearly marked? One would thought for a reason would you not?

I'll put this forward that a friend of mine, a so called electrician in Portugal Lisbon. I don't want to take his merit away but I must as England is NOT Portugal. There's a different set of rules and regulations.

I remember him mentioning to me seeing MCB's in CUs for sockets (he did not know the term ring main) with two 2.5mm wires in. He was baffled! Why two wires? Surely one is enough?

Having now done this level 2 I have explained to him the nature of the 2 x 2.5mm cables and the ring main. Luckily he always screw them back on. But in Portugal this simply does not happen. Only one cable and in sockets are connected in series end off. Hey but I understand now the logic in it.

Another so called electrician was to change the MCB for what I was told to be an independent socket that was powering this industrial fridge/freezer on this baker/pastry house as the MCB was constantly tripping. I was told by the owner (a friend) that he was to change this MCB to double it's capacity. This was before I even thought about doing my course but I immediately asked him what size cable do you have on that circuit? And I explained to him that he did not want to have an MCB that exceeded the capacity of the cable on the circuit as this could be catastrophic. He could burn the house down. He was asking for trouble. I caused enough worry for him to seek a qualified competent electrician who rectified the problem off-course at a cost.

This electrician had to go a few times over to inspect everything as on his first floor he had sockets catching fire. He had relied in the first so called Portuguese electrician that costed him peanuts only to later pay a capable person to make it right and oh boy it cost him dearly.

I was also under the illusion that there wasn't much about being an electrician. I now know differently and take my hate to all you experienced guys. I still have to disagree as to why the hell on earth does one need to study motors to become an electrician???? Magnetism, OK fare enough but motors?

Anyone capable of enlighten me on this one? Motors?

Cheers.

Albert

much of the rest of the world uses radial finals throughout....

well, he was right there then....as i wouldn`t recognise it either....for finals that is...

 

[ipf]

much of the rest of the world uses radial finals throughout....

well, he was right there then....as i wouldn`t recognise it either....for finals that is...

Aye, the house experts again.....RFC. Surely that would be taught to a 1st year apprentice/student

 

[shagbite]

Nope .... I was the one with the greasy quiff, sideburns, black leather jacket T-shirt with the Stars & Stripes on the front, blue drainpipe jeans with skull & crossbones belt buckle and winkle picker boots, and when I wasn't hanging off the back of the dodgem cars, I was spinning the cars on the Waltzer.

I still have the jacket and boots.

a bit like this?

 

[GLENNSPARK]

Aye, the house experts again.....RFC. Surely that would be taught to a 1st year apprentice/student

you`d think so...
i found college all a bit pedestrian.....
they were goin on in small bitesized pieces....

 

[GLENNSPARK]

that one straight down the middle - the one who's hand's going for a wander - i think she's giving me a bit of a twitch-on.

its the fomaldahyde...it`s got where it shouldn`t.....

 

[Geordie Spark]

a bit like this?

The one on the right is pretty damn close.

There are piccies of me in Rocker gear and a sliver/grey drape jacket in various places on tinternet .... but I'm not going there.

 

[GLENNSPARK]

That's my incontinence pants your smelling ...

or has the bubble burst?....

 

[shagbite]

how many mods got a groin full of them winkle-pickers?


and you've got to post a link to those photos!

 

[Guitarist]

Hi Guitarist.

Are you saying it can't be done?



Regards,
Albert

Of course it can be done, and I see loads of examples of people with a little knowledge "having a go".

 

[SPARTYKUS]

or Kebab, chips and garlic sauce?

That made I laugh!

 

[SPARTYKUS]

not fair shag mate....
i would happily take on an older person....put em through....

no arsin about.

no textin all day.

a more mature mind that is able to take in info

it just gets better n better.....

Agreed. Me too.

 

[SPARTYKUS]

Which village Glenn...? Genuinely interested. Shropshire is Gods country

 

[ipf]

not fair shag mate....
i would happily take on an older person....put em through....

no arsin about.
too knackered
no textin all day.
takes all day to do one with these bleedin' touchsceens, eyes and fingers
a more mature mind that is able to take in info
forget more than take in
it just gets better n better.....

yeah, it does dunnit :nono:

Thats from a personal point of view

 

[GLENNSPARK]

Which village Glenn...? Genuinely interested. Shropshire is Gods country

bishops bloody castle....