!8th Edition - will it be a new mandatory qualification

[Gavin John Hyde]

Just been thinking about the 18th edition thats being worked on.

Understandably all the various schemes will make it a mandatory qualification to join one of them.

At what point will all the various training bodies start offering the usual city and guilds courses in the subject? Also will they have capacity for all the electricians needing the new course?

Will there be a smaller upgrade course for those with the most recent 17th ed qualifications?

Either way this is a nice money making exercise for lots of bodies. From the technical bodies through to publishers and course providers. they are all looking to make a fair amount of profit out of us.

The Mandatory books and onsite guides, copies of various guidance notes... looking at couple of hundred for these alone.
Mandatory course to get a 18th ed qualification another couple of hundred.

If you run a business with several employees then you are looking at a big outlay.

I sometimes think the cowboys have the right idea, sod the rules and regs and just call yourself 17th edition qualified and solve all problems with a bit of insulation tape.

 

[Pete999]

why was 6mm bonding the norm years ago?
Was it because most domestic supplies were limited to 60/80 amp supplies or did numerous problems occur on say tncs installations prompting a review of the CSA sized.
Quite interested to know what the older generation of electricians on here think about the past and present requirements and in particular the most over the top regulations altered/changed

Blimey when I was out of my time working for The SWEB we used to install a lot of water heaters, nearest water pipe was the earth electrode, bonding what was that?

 

[Ian1981]

Blimey when I was out of my time working for The SWEB we used to install a lot of water heaters, nearest water pipe was the earth electrode, bonding what was that?

A change for the better tho pete?

 

[Pete999]

A change for the better tho pete?

Yes, my last job before I went Civil Service was on a new Hotel by the River Avon in Bath, all MICC install, the bloke in charge had us bond every sink washhand basin or Bath, hot to cold to waste regardless, all the baths had bonding tags on them and woe betide if you missed any, from one extreme to the other, happy days.

 

[davesparks]

the use of the water main as the means of earthing was fine, up until they started using plastic water mains. In the days when it was just one massive network of buried metal it provided an excellent and stable earth connection.

 

[Pete999]

the use of the water main as the means of earthing was fine, up until they started using plastic water mains. In the days when it was just one massive network of buried metal it provided an excellent and stable earth connection.

How times change.

 

[Ian1981]

Yes, my last job before I went Civil Service was on a new Hotel by the River Avon in Bath, all MICC install, the bloke in charge had us bond every sink washhand basin or Bath, hot to cold to waste regardless, all the baths had bonding tags on them and woe betide if you missed any, from one extreme to the other, happy days.

Was that in the days of the 15th edition were every bit of metal work required bonding?
16th edition was when I was serving my time, funny enough it was the yellow book/edition as well before it went to brown.
Thought direct and indirect contact was a pretty good definition until they changed it.

 

[Ian1981]

the use of the water main as the means of earthing was fine, up until they started using plastic water mains. In the days when it was just one massive network of buried metal it provided an excellent and stable earth connection.

Would you say that gas pipes still require bonding when it's plastic pipe buried outside.
Meter on the wall in an external cupboard but copper straight through the wall and into the premises. ?
Some meters do sit in a floor box tho

 

[Pete999]

Was that in the days of the 15th edition were every bit of metal work required bonding?
16th edition was when I was serving my time, funny enough it was the yellow book/edition as well before it went to brown.
Thought direct and indirect contact was a pretty good definition until they changed it.

This was in the late 60s early 70s, got involved in the construction industry general strike, crossing picket lines, and all that, nearly Married at that stage

 

[Deleted member 26818]

People need to find a College which will allow them to just sit the exam.

 

[Pete999]

People need to find a College which will allow them to just sit the exam.

Agree but unless the College provides the myriad of books required it's still going to cost megabucks, in hindsight it will only be the BS7671 wont it? and the ability to read.

 

[westward10]

Was that in the days of the 15th edition were every bit of metal work required bonding?
16th edition was when I was serving my time, funny enough it was the yellow book/edition as well before it went to brown.
Thought direct and indirect contact was a pretty good definition until they changed it.

Couldn't agree more with the direct and indirect, does what it says on the tin.

 

[bibzo]

About time we had an electricians union and put an end to all this crap.
We are getting the ----ing --- ripped out of us.

 

[Pete999]

About time we had an electricians union and put an end to all this crap.
We are getting the ****ing --- ripped out of us.

Right on Comrade. That would sort the haves from the boil in the bag brigade wouldn't it?

 

[Octopus]

The DCLG will have its hands full with issues regarding the London tragedy, so any "help" from them is not likely.