Qualifications confusion.......

[Rob99]

Am currently extending house and will be installing a smart home system throughout. My builder's sparks will be doing whatever is required to comply with regs etc.
I'm also intending to operate the smart home installation stuff as a bit of a future career change/semi retirement business hopefully later this year but I have been trying to work out from all the info out there what I might need to get qualified and/or certified to be able to do my own smart home electrical works in the future. The training providers seem particularly confusing!!
I know I could use a qualified sparks for every installation but I don't want to have to rely on someone else, especially as it will only be ad-hoc work and I know I couldn't expect them to fit in with me when I needed them.
Thanks all

 

[Rob99]

Thanks all.

I have no intentions of becoming a full time sparks with a full range of electrical services on offer. I'm not setting up an electrical contracting business and have no intention of working for anyone else, been there done that - too much hassle. I'm trying to move into semi-retirement not a full-on career change and with teenagers at home I just don't have the energy anymore.....

I was hoping to be able to just study enough to be qualified to do my own wiring as it relates to the smart home installations I'm going to be offering.

Does seem like it's a bit of an inflexible all or nothing approach.....

 

[AJshep]

@Rob99 out of curiosity what sort of Smart home installations are you looking at.
Are you looking at the DIY/ retrofit end of the scale e.g.. Alexa, Nest, Lightwave, Zwave.

Or you have the higher end Lutron, Loxone to the top end KNX type systems.

Alot of companys that do home automation are not electricians, they are mostly IT type people who win the jobs and then employ electricains to install the cables and build the panels.

These guys then come along at the end of the job plug in a laptop reap the glory.

 

[Rob99]

I'm going to be doing mainly Loxone systems.

I'm about to do my own home as part of an extension/refurb project and the amount of mains wiring involved is relatively small and I could easily do it myself other than the fact I'm not "qualified".

Operating as a new business I don't think it will be that easy or cost effective yet to sub-contract the wiring out to a sparks and unless I'm able to provide them with a long term opportunity I'll just be like any other customer to them.

Bottom line is that I just wanted some pointers as to what qualifications I needed in order to carry out the limited electrical works required rather than be left to the mercy of the "training" providers.

An earlier reply from Nobbin advised steering clear of "domestic electrical installer" courses but ironically is that not the type of work I am looking to be doing!

 

[AJshep]

I've had experience with Loxone, I've Installed 4 Loxone systems from scratch as well as built panels etc.

I'm starting out on my own in 2 weeks and I rang Loxone to book training to be a Loxone partner.
They told me that to be a partner you now need to buy a Demo case for around £750 do their training ( approx £550 I think) and then maybe show some qualifications or be vetted??

Last year to be a Partner you only had to do the training course, my old boss was a partner and that's all he did !!

From Loxone change of heart I can only assume that they have had alot of newly qualified partners taking jobs on and basically messing up.
With all due respect Rob I have had 20 years on-site experience,this includes quite a few commercial boiler rooms where ive had to come up with solutions (on the spot) to restore heating and hot water by using various type's of relays and contactors to bypass old rusty handbuilt panels that have failed.
The first time I did Loxone I had to sit down and really think about it !!
Anyway Loxone looks easy, (a bit like electrics) and the fundamentals are pretty simple.
When you have a combination of at least 50t&e and cat cables all dropping down at your panel you may feel different.
To get a nice neat panel comply with the BS7671 in these situation can be a challenge in itself, as we have a few factors to consider.

It takes me a good day (at least to pre-order build my panel's) and at least that to second fix one !!
If someone doesn't know the BS7671 how would you they able to do it ?

Loxone have a good marketing team, and there is a market for it, I've got a possible install lined up ! But im not a fan of direction they are heading, in the last few years they shut their forum, online tutorial,information, and for the price they want now I'm seriously considering just learning the KNX systems, its still a bit more but at least you know where you are with them.

Anyway you asked what qualifications you need.
You need to be competent..

If you do Loxone training ( and pay for a Demo case) then I suppose that makes you competent in that aspect ££££££

To do electrics you also need to be competent..
To me that would involve becoming an electrican through the proper channels.
Or join a scheme ££££££

Just be aware, if it all goes wrong and there's a fire because you put the wrong voltage down the wrong relay or you undersized a transformer then your on your own

 

[MDJ]

Am currently extending house and will be installing a smart home system throughout. My builder's sparks will be doing whatever is required to comply with regs etc.
I'm also intending to operate the smart home installation stuff as a bit of a future career change/semi retirement business hopefully later this year but I have been trying to work out from all the info out there what I might need to get qualified and/or certified to be able to do my own smart home electrical works in the future. The training providers seem particularly confusing!!
I know I could use a qualified sparks for every installation but I don't want to have to rely on someone else, especially as it will only be ad-hoc work and I know I couldn't expect them to fit in with me when I needed them.
Thanks all

Did you forget to ask a question? I see your story but no question.

 

[Rob99]

Nope, didn't forget. Yes I have a story (don't we all) but have also asked a number of questions in my posts, all relating to advice on qualifications, e.g......

I have been trying to work out from all the info out there what I might need to get qualified and/or certified to be able to do my own smart home electrical works in the future.

Bottom line is that I just wanted some pointers as to what qualifications I needed in order to carry out the limited electrical works required rather than be left to the mercy of the "training" providers.


An earlier reply from Nobbin advised steering clear of "domestic electrical installer" courses but ironically is that not the type of work I am looking to be doing!

 

[Martyn Fletcher]

Nope, didn't forget. Yes I have a story (don't we all) but have also asked a number of questions in my posts, all relating to advice on qualifications, e.g......

I have been trying to work out from all the info out there what I might need to get qualified and/or certified to be able to do my own smart home electrical works in the future.

Bottom line is that I just wanted some pointers as to what qualifications I needed in order to carry out the limited electrical works required rather than be left to the mercy of the "training" providers.


An earlier reply from Nobbin advised steering clear of "domestic electrical installer" courses but ironically is that not the type of work I am looking to be doing!

The price of the 4 week DEI courses range from around £3000 up to and beyond £5000. What you get from that is your 17th edition certificate (assuming you pass), an introduction to Part P and a little hands on and technique training (terminating, testing and a quick look at SWA).
What they cram into 4 weeks is admirable but keep in mind that the class will only run at the speed of the slowest learner, so as with my course, where we had a chap who was slow on the uptake to the point of distraction, you may miss some subjects or loose the opportunity to go over what you are a little flaky on.
The DEI course content will in no way prepare you for work as a Domestic Electrical Installer. It is a very first step on the ladder at best. A heads-up if you will as to what you have ahead of you. But they leave out probably 99% of what you'll need to learn in the field. They just can't possible cover everything.
The best advice for anyone lacking experience but wishing to work with Electricity for a living is to get in with an established Spark/company, no matter what your age or qualifications. Even just one day a week so that you get some level of exposure to the range of tasks that you'll be expected to carry out.
If you do decide to go the DEI route then I would start looking for a mentor/part time job NOW (full time if you can get it). You'll find it extremely difficult to convince someone to take you on with just a DEI under your belt, considering the DEI was brought in to get EU electrical workers up to speed to work here in UK and not for people who have never worked in the field. Some enterprising souls (colleges) saw an opportunity here for some profit and boy have they taken it.

Good luck whatever you do.