Is there such a thing as a "DIY electrical job"?

[Rpa07]

I’ve got a new avatar for you @Midwest going by your last post!

 

[Midwest]

I can't talk to the animals like some can?

 

[telectrix]

some can or can-can?

 

[Midwest]

Whats that Albert?

 

[Pete999]

Do wonder sometimes why they still sell these:

Roughneck VDE Tester Screwdriver SL-3.0mm - https://www.screwfix.com/p/roughneck-vde-tester-screwdriver-sl-3-0mm/9019X?tc=JA1&ds_kid=92700022885069958&ds_rl=1248184&ds_rl=1245250&ds_rl=1247848&gclid=Cj0KCQjwkd3VBRDzARIsAAdGzMDR3vN9F_Czd-9MG_NYFJU4z75KMhJl-yDXDIgS8sb7Kg4GlML3DwgaAiTTEALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds&dclid=CPvB78qwh9oCFc4YGwodE3MOMQ


Wonder how many DIYers use insulated tools aswell

Simple really Jamie, Pound coins, the more the merrier.

 

[Cadgey123]

How many accessories have you seen put on with butchered terminals and slack connections because the DIYer was using a 2.5mm2 Test screwdriver. Simples save it for the Electrician if you can’t do it

 

[Adam W]

There is such as thing as a DIY electrical job, but there's also such a thing as a DIY disaster. A quick googlesearch will reveal numerous pictures of situations where someone has had a go at doing something them self when they really shouldn't have. Some are amusing, some are just dangerous.

Often worse than dealing with the mess left by a 'cowboy builder' is the mess left by a well-meaning person who doesn't understand their limits but feels they should be having a go anyway.

If you get your carpentry wrong you could end up with a wonky shelf or you could saw your leg off, get your decorating wrong and you could have streaky walls, with your car you can end up with poor fuel economy or defective brakes, with plumbing you could end up with a dripping tap or contaminated drinking water, with electrics you could end up with a burned down house or electrocuted.

As professional electricians we often have to deal with people who think they 'know electrics' when it's clear that they don't and shouldn't be having a go.

 

[Pete999]

There is such as thing as a DIY electrical job, but there's also such a thing as a DIY disaster. A quick googlesearch will reveal numerous pictures of situations where someone has had a go at doing something them self when they really shouldn't have. Some are amusing, some are just dangerous.

Often worse than dealing with the mess left by a 'cowboy builder' is the mess left by a well-meaning person who doesn't understand their limits but feels they should be having a go anyway.

If you get your carpentry wrong you could end up with a wonky shelf or you could saw your leg off, get your decorating wrong and you could have streaky walls, with your car you can end up with poor fuel economy or defective brakes, with plumbing you could end up with a dripping tap or contaminated drinking water, with electrics you could end up with a burned down house or electrocuted.

As professional electricians we often have to deal with people who think they 'know electrics' when it's clear that they don't and shouldn't be having a go.

Agree with all you said except the iffy car brake, done by a DIY mechanic,sorry.

 

[telectrix]

why the disagree, pete? i done all my brake pad/shoe/caliper/cylinder replacements for donkeys. never had a brake failure yet. only thing now is the strain in knees, is it worth it to save £50?

 

[Pete999]

why the disagree, pete?

Well a bodged brake job is dangerouse as I explained in my last post agree with the painting ,woodwork etc, just disagreed wth the brake issu, nothing personal, and hope the OP isn't too hacked off, I have quantified my disagreement, unlike some on here, not you Tel.

 

[littlespark]

"never had a brake failure yet"
That's like a DIY would be spark saying "I've never had a shock/ burned the house down"
Get your brakes done by a professional.

 

[telectrix]

agree pete. brakes are an important safety issue. all boils down to "competence". if you can't do it safely, consult an expert.

 

[Adam W]

Agree with all you said except the iffy car brake, done by a DIY mechanic,sorry.

It looks to me like you disagreed.
What do you disagree with? That you can't mess up doing your brakes?
The point was in most cases (probably not decorating) you can get it a bit wrong or it can go seriously wrong. Electrics can go very wrong but it's something a lot of people seem happy to have a stab at.

 

[telectrix]

"never had a brake failure yet"
That's like a DIY would be spark saying "I've never had a shock/ burned the house down"
Get your brakes done by a professional.

if i was not competent to do it right, i would. i was fixing cars and motorbikes, rebuilding engines, welding in patches, repairing bodywork, at el, probably before you were born. anything i could not do, i either learnt or passed it over.

 

[Andy78]

If you get your carpentry wrong you could end up with a wonky shelf or you could saw your leg off, get your decorating wrong and you could have streaky walls, with your car you can end up with poor fuel economy or defective brakes, with plumbing you could end up with a dripping tap or contaminated drinking water, with electrics you could end up with a burned down house or electrocuted.

You can even end up with quite a serious electrical fault by simply putting shelves up. Been to a few of those before.