Which Electrical Course? I'm NOT going be an electrician

[dontknowitall]

I do not wish to become an electrician!!! Nor do i want to be an apprentice. I'm a plumber and happy with that!!!

I've had a trawl through some threads and looked on a few training websites but can't really find what I'm looking for. I'd be grateful for some ideas please!

My wife and I are thinking of buying a small house to renovate. Between us we can do plumbing, flooring, dry lining, plastering, carpentry, tiling, decorating, curtain making, etc, etc. (We can't/won't do building work on the structure or drains and stuff like that - just internal work.)

I passed the Part P Defined Scope about three years ago but have forgotten most of it as I've used my electrician when required during my plumbing jobs (anything to do with the consumer unit or installing new cables, switches, etc.) (I can wire and diagnose/fix faults on S-Plan and Y-Plan systems.)

However, despite the above I'm looking for a short electrician's course to learn and re-learn about wiring, first fix, replacing the consumer unit, the boring earth bonding stuff (I have a mega meter but forgotten how to use it) and so on. I believe that the LABC can test and sign off work or if not I think my electrician will probably be happy to test and do this for me.

Which course would you recommend? Any answers gratefully received!

 

[OllieNotts]

Get a proper spark in, and you'll get a proper job done. Simplez.

 

[alarm man]

you could use your spark..

 

[OllieNotts]

Why would he bother using a spark? He says he doesnt wanna be a spark, he just wants to learn how to do it quick and get his spark to check it. Its so simple in it?

 

[alarm man]

i believe this is a little course to take..

 

[dontknowitall]

I hope none of you lot want to ask a plumbing question.

We're much more friendly and helpful over there. I think I'll ask there instead.

Many thanks for taking the time to reply to my request even if don't know enough to be able to answer the question.

 

[Octopus]

You could always redo the training you've done which would probably cost about £800 per wek. Plus see if you can get some hands on experience with your sparky mate. There is no substitute for on the job experience!

 

[dontknowitall]

I would have re-done that course but the company doesn't function anymore.

It could be that I work with the sparky but I want to learn more about the theory beforehand.

Many thanks for the suggestion. MUCH more helpful than the others!!

 

[supasparxs]

There are lots of companies offering courses

The theory is the easy bit

the hard part is the installation

 

[dontknowitall]

Thank you Supasparxs.

I know the hard part is the installation but without some theory it's even harder. Not TOO difficult to put a wire in (obviously depending on the circumstances) but which size wire, what type, etc? This is why I want to learn some theory.

There are loads of companies offering training and there are loads of courses - I don't know which course will be the most useful.

I'm not interested in the qualifications part, or becoming an electrician. I just want to learn how to do some of the basics. Which course (and possibly which company)? (West Midlands).

 

[Octopus]

Having re-read you OP I do wonder what you're up to. We sparks can be a suspicious lot!!

For example learning how to replace CU's and doing the necessary tests, certificates and notification is not something you can learn by reading books - you need to do them regularly.

 

[OllieNotts]

I dont know why we bother having sparkys. After all we could just learn some theory, get the job done and then have someone else test it for us then we wouldnt have to pay anyone to do the job. And we would save loads and not get a rouge trader that isnt qualified to do the installation......oh wait a minute.....

 

[dontknowitall]

I don't know why we bother having motor mechanics. After all, we could just tinker on our cars ourselves, get the job done and then have someone else test it for us. Then we wouldn't have to pay anyone to do the job. And we would save loads and not a get rouge mechanic that isn't qualified to do ... I'm losing you here.

 

[OllieNotts]

I don't know why we bother having motor mechanics. After all, we could just tinker on our cars ourselves, get the job done and then have someone else test it for us. Then we wouldn't have to pay anyone to do the job. And we would save loads and not a get rouge mechanic that isn't qualified to do ... I'm losing you here.

Tinkering with electrics in the home is dangerous. In fact it has and will continue to cause death because of people mistakes. If we get a professional in to do a professional job the risk is reduced to almost zero. Maybe I am mis-understanding your need for learning this but it seems you want to do the electrics and have someone else test it. I am not sure any professional will want his name on work that someone has done after going on a course to learn a bit of theory behind it. Still follow?
Why not just pay a professional and get a good job?

 

[topquark]

I'd first suggest asking your electrician IF he would be happy to test it for you, I can guess his answer would be negative!

Seriously, he's not allowed to sign off on work that someone else (a non employee if he's a qualified supervisor) has done as part of his Part P scheme membership. So even if you did the course and subsequently the work on the house, you'd still have to add around £150 to the top of that bill to notify building control. By the time you've paid for a course and the LABC fee, you could have had the job done by your spark I suspect. If you put a lot of work his way, he may do you a "mates rates" deal (worth asking).

 

[Mr.Si]

Tinkering with electrics in the home is dangerous. In fact it has and will continue to cause death because of people mistakes. If we get a professional in to do a professional job the risk is reduced to almost zero. Maybe I am mis-understanding your need for learning this but it seems you want to do the electrics and have someone else test it. I am not sure any professional will want his name on work that someone has done after going on a course to learn a bit of theory behind it. Still follow?
Why not just pay a professional and get a good job?

Have to agree i am afraid. Electrics is no longer a DIY thing. It's great you have all those skills. I never will have all of them, that's for sure. However you are a plumber if i read that right. Are you a Gas Engineer too? If not i bet you are aware of the dangers... Electricity is the same and majo jobs such as re-wires and cu changes require a LOT of training, not a short course.

If you want to do electrics in your home... You may aswell do the c&g 2357 course. Or don't do it.

A "part p" course will not give you enough.

I hope that isn't too unfriendly for you but we on here have been concerned for far too long about people doing quick courses in order to do some electrics. It is then that shorts or bad habits or mistakes can happen and then death is all too common an outcome.

Sent from my Samsung Galaxy S II via Tapatalk

 

[dontknowitall]

I wouldn't expect my electrician to come and test my work on the basis that I'd put in all the wiring and then ask him to come round and test it. That is unfair and could put his livelihood at risk. I was thinking much more about the LABC route (we are going to be doing more than one house.)

The question still stands: Which course?

 

[dontknowitall]

Mr.Si

Thank you!!! Hugely!!! 2357. Or not, of course! :46:

Your post was not at all unfriendly and I have read it as you meant it to be read - advice given with good intention.

Being in the construction world, I know that electricity's dangerous and not a DIY thing. This is why I was asking how I could better myself.

 

[Octopus]

I wouldn't expect my electrician to come and test my work on the basis that I'd put in all the wiring and then ask him to come round and test it. That is unfair and could put his livelihood at risk. I was thinking much more about the LABC route (we are going to be doing more than one house.)

The question still stands: Which course?

So the truth is out "we are going to be doing more than 1 house"

So if you're going to be doing houses up to make money why do you think that taking chances on the electrics is going to help you.

Thats a bit like ordering a £10K kitchen and then keeping the 1950's cabling and socket fronts.

Daft.

Now on a positive note why don't you work with a sparky, offer to do the back box bashing and help him/her with the cable pullling etc - that would save you money and get the job done correctly.

 

[dontknowitall]

Surely the fact that I want to improve myself and learn more shows that I'm not taking chances on the electrics?

I have not dismissed working with my electrician. In an earlier post I said: "It could be that I work with the sparky but I want to learn more about the theory beforehand."

What is wrong with trying to learn more? It's not all about saving money. Or is there a law saying we cannot learn?

 

[OllieNotts]

How quickly do you think you will learn enough to start wiring up houses? To do the new 2357 you have to be in the trade to complete it as there is an NVQ involved so if you arent a sparks mate or whatever you wont get on it anyway.

 

[Octopus]

I'm still not believing your intentions.

I refer you back to my post #7

And if I have issues with our plumbing I pay a plumber to fix it. I don't know enough about plumbing and that's something you can see!

 

[morph]

local fast track training centre would offer you a short course that would probably fufill your needs

 

[Adam W]

Is there a course I could do as an electrician to learn how to plumb my own house if I didn't want to be a plumber?
I don't know about plumbing but with electrics you should be aiming to wire the odd house every now and again on a casual basis to the same standard as if you were making a career out of it; therefore the 2357 would be the best course, regardless of the scale on which you use the knowledge.

Other than that you'd be looking at some kind of domestic installer '6 week wonder' course. There are plenty of threads on the forum on the matter of those....

 

[dontknowitall]

Thanks Morph. That's the sort of thing I was looking for but wanted to ask here first rather than being hood winked into something I didn't really need.

 

[dontknowitall]

Is there a course I could do as an electrician to learn how to plumb my own house if I didn't want to be a plumber?
I don't know about plumbing but with electrics you should be aiming to wire the odd house every now and again on a casual basis to the same standard as if you were making a career out of it; therefore the 2357 would be the best course, regardless of the scale on which you use the knowledge.

Other than that you'd be looking at some kind of domestic installer '6 week wonder' course. There are plenty of threads on the forum on the matter of those....

Yes! Plenty of fast track courses "6 week wonder(!!)" around which will give you the basics. Plenty of threads on the plumbing forum about those as well - in a similar vein to the threads on here (believe it or not!) That is, might teach you the basics but you need the experience.

 

[Adam W]

There's your answer then - you could spend a fortune on a fast track course with the intention of learning the basics, but not many people here would recommend them.

 

[telectrix]

personally, i think your best bet would be to involve your electrician, help him with the installation, thereby learning the some of the practicalities, saving him paying out for labour, and , as he will have been involved with the job from start to finish, he will be able to certify it, saving you a LABC fee of around £300.

 

[dontknowitall]

personally, i think your best bet would be to involve your electrician, help him with the installation, thereby learning the some of the practicalities, saving him paying out for labour, and , as he will have been involved with the job from start to finish, he will be able to certify it, saving you a LABC fee of around £300.

This is probably the route I will take but I do find it amazing at the flak I've received from others for daring to consider doing a short electrician's course despite the fact that I have a Part P qualification and some experience in electrics.

Many thanks, Telectrix!!

 

[alarm man]

This is probably the route I will take but I do find it amazing at the flak I've received from others for daring to consider doing a short electrician's course despite the fact that I have a Part P qualification and some experience in electrics.

Many thanks, Telectrix!!

to be honest mate,i dont doubt your a decent bloke and tradesman ,but your part of the problem,not the solution.

 

[Des 56]

It may be a better option for you to employ an electrician. with you assisting installation where possible
Rewiring is usually easier with a spare pair of hands and it needs only one man to know the ins and outs,so getting co,operation may be easier than going it alone

You would gain experience that will make any future work less haphazzard than if you jump in at the deep end

It could be combined with one of the fly by night courses,the theory gained would then be better understood when combining it with practical experience
Further projects would become less of a gamble on safety

Its not rocket science,but neither is it something that can be compared to painting and decorating
Using the wrong paint doesn't have the potential for fire or injury or manslaugter
Best to walk before running, even if it costs more for the stroll

 

[dontknowitall]

i believe this is a little course to take..
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to be honest mate,i dont doubt your a decent bloke and tradesman ,but your part of the problem,not the solution.

To be honest mate, I doubt you're a decent bloke ...

 

[alarm man]

To be honest mate, I doubt you're a decent bloke ...

im not mate,never claimed to be,im a shallow hal

 

[topquark]

im not mate,never claimed to be,im a shallow hal

Nah, just a realist mate!

 

[OllieNotts]

A part P cert surely means he can start re-wires all by himself after a course with "a bit of theory thrown in"?

 

[Arnold Layne]

A part P certificate only means that someone is certified ( not Competent) to undertake certain work in domestic environments. It was the government's way to regulate the DIY situation, nothing more. Some very competent electricians ( commercial) do not have Part P certs but I know who I would trust to rewire my home ( and it is not Part Ps)

 

[supasparxs]

Forgive me if I'm mistaken
but a plumber or kitchen fitter can certify minor works, like a spur for a boiler or even wiring a kitchen.
I didn't think they could carryout a rewire?

by the way.
I got a plumber to relocate and upgrade my boiler, and I did the plumbing for the en-suite, changed all the boilers etc.

Sparks are the brainy plumbers at the end of the day........

 

[dingledong]

dont know it all do you know a short course where i could brush up om my plumbing skill i work for an agency where the plumber is going on on holiday for 3 months so i would like to take over from him till he gets back
1 so he has a job to come back to
2 for the extra wages
3 its all domestic
i'd be grateful for your input

 

[pmac10]

unfortunately dontknowitall, i'm not a domestic spark so can't advise you, but i would like to point out to people, that dontknowitall is a plumber who specialises in oil fired heating and has gone to great lengths to help me in the past on the plumbers forum, but as an afterthought, those 6 week wonder courses may be better suited to someone like yourself, rather than someone making the switch from, i dunno, bank clerk???

 

[dingledong]

if thats a dig at me i have asked the question in all sincerity as the facts 1 2 and 3 are true . i was hoping he could genuinely help me