Qualifications (and other requirements) required to change a consumer unit.

[dylanoil]

Hi,

I moved into a property about three years ago and I would like to renew an old Wylex rewirable fuse consumer unit. There are no RCCB's currently so the upgrade is primarily for safety and to add a few spare ways for some upcoming building work. I suspect that some of the circuits will be just a bit short to reach the new MCBs.

Whilst I am not currently in the electrical trade, I am a university qualified Electrical Engineer, a Member of the IET and a Chartered Electrical Engineer. On top of that I have probably have about 5 years experience 'on the tools' - albeit many years ago when I had holiday jobs under the supervision of electricians. I have done plenty of consumer unit installs (including 3 phase) during that time.

I would like to do the work to swap this consumer unit myself however there seems to be a raft of legal requirements including professional indemnity that concerns me.

I want to keep building regs and other authorities happy and not run into any issues with house insurance.

I'm thinking of doing a C&G 2382 as a bit of a refresh for the 17th edition and ensure any work that I do is compliant. I am not however thinking of going back into the trade just yet - the day job is more than enough!

I would be grateful for the forum's professional opinion on whether this is enough to prove competency or I should give up and pay to get it done (I have actually bought the CU already!)

Thanks in advance!
Ian.

 

[Andy78]

Long story short.... by the time you have paid for your regs course (2382) and paid local building control their fees to notify the job, it would have worked out a lot cheaper to get a local electrician to do the job for you.

You could of course do the job and not tell building control.... that wouldn't get the disapproval of many sparks on this forum .... but if you carry out any work, it needs to be fully tested and certificated to prove it is safe for use. Anything goes wrong and it's your arse in the sling.

 

[dingledong]

I won't say anything ! ! !

 

[Guest77]

Hi,

I moved into a property about three years ago and I would like to renew an old Wylex rewirable fuse consumer unit. There are no RCCB's currently so the upgrade is primarily for safety and to add a few spare ways for some upcoming building work. I suspect that some of the circuits will be just a bit short to reach the new MCBs.

Whilst I am not currently in the electrical trade, I am a university qualified Electrical Engineer, a Member of the IET and a Chartered Electrical Engineer. On top of that I have probably have about 5 years experience 'on the tools' - albeit many years ago when I had holiday jobs under the supervision of electricians. I have done plenty of consumer unit installs (including 3 phase) during that time.

I would like to do the work to swap this consumer unit myself however there seems to be a raft of legal requirements including professional indemnity that concerns me.

I want to keep building regs and other authorities happy and not run into any issues with house insurance.

I'm thinking of doing a C&G 2382 as a bit of a refresh for the 17th edition and ensure any work that I do is compliant. I am not however thinking of going back into the trade just yet - the day job is more than enough!

I would be grateful for the forum's professional opinion on whether this is enough to prove competency or I should give up and pay to get it done (I have actually bought the CU already!)

Thanks in advance!
Ian.

Your one of the "I know a bit brigade", get a spark in mate, it will work out cheaper.

 

[dylanoil]

Thanks Andy.

I'm not arguing here and will probably go down the route of a local sparky. The point of this is that I am kind of interested though in the long story rather than the cheapest option.

Following a mid life crisis and if I get even more hacked off with corporate life, I'm also testing the water as to what I need to do to change my vocation in life! I have more than 'a bit' of experience here so it wouldn't be too much of a change.

 

[telectrix]

if you're competent, getting the 2382 will allow you to join one of the scams, then you can comply with the ridiculous part pee, same as anyone who's done a 5 week fast track course and probably knows less than you've forgotten.
to my knowledge, nobody has ever been prosecuted under part p unless the work was dangerous or caused injury or fire.

bottom line is that if you're competent to do it, test it and produce a certificate ( EIC ), then sod 'em. it's your bloody house.

 

[Andy78]

What are you working as at the minute and what vocational direction are you thinking of testing the water in ?

If you are considering entering the domestic installation side of the electrical trade when you are a qualified electrical engineer, I'm not gonna beat around the bush, that would be like doing your training in a Gordon Ramsay kitchen then getting a job at McDonalds.

 

[Knobhead]

If he’s anything like the graduates I used to get lumbered with I wouldn’t put money on anything working.

 

[Engineer54]

Hi,

I moved into a property about three years ago and I would like to renew an old Wylex rewirable fuse consumer unit. There are no RCCB's currently so the upgrade is primarily for safety and to add a few spare ways for some upcoming building work. I suspect that some of the circuits will be just a bit short to reach the new MCBs.

Whilst I am not currently in the electrical trade, I am a university qualified Electrical Engineer, a Member of the IET and a Chartered Electrical Engineer. On top of that I have probably have about 5 years experience 'on the tools' - albeit many years ago when I had holiday jobs under the supervision of electricians. I have done plenty of consumer unit installs (including 3 phase) during that time.

I would like to do the work to swap this consumer unit myself however there seems to be a raft of legal requirements including professional indemnity that concerns me.

I want to keep building regs and other authorities happy and not run into any issues with house insurance.

I'm thinking of doing a C&G 2382 as a bit of a refresh for the 17th edition and ensure any work that I do is compliant. I am not however thinking of going back into the trade just yet - the day job is more than enough!

I would be grateful for the forum's professional opinion on whether this is enough to prove competency or I should give up and pay to get it done (I have actually bought the CU already!)

Thanks in advance!
Ian.

Your a Chartered Engineer man, what the hell are you worried about?? Get on with it, ....so long as you have the required test equipment to complete the paper work that is. Then Pass it on to the LABC with copies of your qualifications. Do you honestly think that the LABC are going to raise objections against a C Eng Electrical Engineer with regards to competency on a domestic installation?? ha ha!!

I'm surprised at some of the comments here to be honest, one minute bleating about Electrical Trainee's and not bothering with any part P scam providers and the next telling/implying a C Eng he's not competent to replace a poxy domestic CU!!!

 

[davesparks]

Being a chartered engineer doesn't automatically qualify someone to carry out any electrical installation work.

 

[Engineer54]

Being a chartered engineer doesn't automatically qualify someone to carry out any electrical installation work.

It would be a sad day indeed if a Chartered Engineer was incapable of replacing a bloody domestic CU. Most if not all; will have had hands on experience at some time during there professional career and this guy has, according to his opening post....

If a 17 day whizzer/Electrical Trainee is supposedly competent/capable, according to these Part P providers, i'm damned sure this guy is and can.....lol!!

 

[dylanoil]

I think this is the point. Whilst I do have plenty of experience including 7 years as an automation engineer in British Steel (where I did my CEng training) i'm not in the trade currently. I can loan test gear and quite fill out forms. When you pass docs to LABC - exactly what do they expect to see? DO the have a requirement for PI insurance which would defintely be a showstopper.

 

[telectrix]

first PI insurance is irrelevant. this type of insurance covers you for giving bad advice e.g. if you did a test/inspection of an installation and got it wrong. PL insurance covers you for any damage you may cause in the process of working. e.g. flooding a house by drilling a water pipe or blowing it up by drilling a gas pipe. in your own house, you'd be claiming against yourself.

most LABCs will charge you £200 - £300 for testing and inspecting your work. id you're not in a cash cow scam.

 

[Andy78]

I think this is the point. Whilst I do have plenty of experience including 7 years as an automation engineer in British Steel (where I did my CEng training) i'm not in the trade currently. I can loan test gear and quite fill out forms. When you pass docs to LABC - exactly what do they expect to see? DO the have a requirement for PI insurance which would defintely be a showstopper.

If you are set on doing the board swap yourself, and you are set on doing things through "the proper channels", which you seem to be, then contact your local building control office and ask them what requirements they have for someone of your qualification and experience carrying out the work. They are supposed to be contacted anyway before commencement of work in these cases.
If they are anything like my LABC offices they will say "Uhhhh I dunno really, Can't you just join a scheme ? its a lot easier for us" In which case hang up and carry on regardless.

 

[telectrix]

you might be lucky and have a labc that will accept a copy of the EIC, but most that will insist that you have 2382.