DIY home rewire - legal?

_ptashek_

Hi,

I am thinking of doing a full rewire on my home. I could have it done by an individual which happens to be SEP (Polish Electricians Association) certified to work with electrical devices/wiring at voltages up-to 6kV including commissioning of same. Cost is of course a huge factor in this, as I would only need to pay for the material.

I *think* those certs are recognized in the whole of the EU. Are they?
The point is - would such a DIY rewire be legal under Irish legislation?

M cebee

-afaik anyone can wire/re-wire a house to etci standards and get it certified by reci/ecssa

in practise -this would be next to impossible to achieve without training and knowledge of rules imo

gsxr1

Things like wiring you should get it down by a reputable fully certified Irish contract spark. Im not saying there is anything wrong with that Polish crew you write about but if one bit of paperwork was wrong you could find yourself in a stew

If anything bad where to happen and your house went on fire, your insurance company would look for the smallest of excuse to get out of paying.

preytec

go for it. if they are polish their work requirements are of eu standard. most of the wiring done on sites are done by the apprentices anyway. their meant to over looked by a fully certified sparks, but in a lot of case's there's loads that gets missed. they call them snags but i call them bad workmanship. if your house does burn down "touch wood" and they want the certs. just say they went up with the house. but no matter where their from you can always get a clown.

meercat

agree with m cebee and gsxr1 on this one

i would be fairly sure that to do an electrical installation here you would have to be fairly knowledgeable on current wiring regulations

also to get installation connected you will need to produce a completion certificate for the esb

there may also be an insurance issue from your house insurance

you will also have some comeback if a registered contractor does the installation

if someone else does the job you may find it hard to get cert off reci/ecssa if installation is not up to spec

the installation still has to be tested and test records kept by installer

there are many registered electrical contractors out there at the moment and im sure if you get a few quotes ,you will get a realistic price which may save you money and hassle in the long run and also give you peace of mind

good luck and come back and let us know how you get on
cheers

maybe mods move this to electrical for more replies thanks

Carlow52

Its a rewire, consumer side of meter so why is any paperwork required?

the installation still has to be tested and test records kept by installer

for a rewire where is this requirement coming from?

you will also have some comeback if a registered contractor does the installation

What comeback exactly: there is no comeback in this country?

there may also be an insurance issue from your house insurance

What's the clause in the policy that says this?

meercat

It is a requirement from the regulatory body of a registered contractor that any electrical work carried out , be tested and records kept for inspection

if the installation is rewired then the mains will be upgraded to 16square and need to be connected into meter(requiring cert)

in some circumstances(in older houses) the insurance company have requested a copy of completion cert to say electrical installation is safe

with regards comeback,it is a requirement to have personal and public liability insurance for a registered contractor and if there are any problems with the installation then the governing body(reci/ecssa)can be contacted and the matter dealt with

_ptashek_

Thanks for all the replies.

The house was built in early 1990s, so would it be safe to assume it already is up to standard in terms of the meter-to-fusebox connection? All I am interested in is re-running the wires properly, adding a few sockets, network/tv cabling and replacing the fusebox. I wouldn't want to go near the meter unless required.

Can you guys point me at current regulations in this regard, or where I could find these?

Thanks.

gsxr1

With the involvement of the Commission for Energy Regulation (CER) now in the regulatory bodies, I don’t think either RECI or ECSSA will issue a cert to a non registered contractor as they have advised both RECI & ECSSA that it is a criminal offence for a client to employ a non registered contractor to carry out prescribed work for which a cert is required.
taken from here http://theirishelectrician.com/?p=128

M cebee

_ptashek_ wrote: »

Thanks for all the replies.

The house was built in early 1990s, so would it be safe to assume it already is up to standard in terms of the meter-to-fusebox connection? All I am interested in is re-running the wires properly, adding a few sockets, network/tv cabling and replacing the fusebox. I wouldn't want to go near the meter unless required.

Can you guys point me at current regulations in this regard, or where I could find these?

Thanks.

ET 101: 2008
-there's a guide in the back for fuseboard replacement

early 90's work shouldn't need major overhaul yet

_ptashek_

M cebee wrote: »

ET 101: 2008
-there's a guide in the back for fuseboard replacement

early 90's work shouldn't need major overhaul yet

Thanks M cebee and everyone.
I guess I'll just need to find someone not stuck in 2006 price-wise

intbn

_ptashek_ wrote: »

Thanks M cebee and everyone.
I guess I'll just need to find someone not stuck in 2006 price-wise

how did you get on ptashek?

paddy147

Put it out to TENDER.

And put your ad up on a website like tradesmen.ie and you will be flooded with emails and requests from electricians wanting to give you a price for the job.

Ask them for references and ask to see some of their recent work,also try to speak to their last few clients and see if they were/are happy with the work done.

A fully certified sparks is the way to go too;)

_ptashek_

intbn wrote: »

how did you get on ptashek?

So far the best quote I've been given was ~5k. It's on hold for now.

intbn

_ptashek_ wrote: »

So far the best quote I've been given was ~5k. It's on hold for now.

I get ye, stop, between crimbo comin up and this weather, these are no times to be gettin yer floorboards thorn up, walls chased and power cut off while yer misses ask's 'but, why aren't the christmas light working?' lol! ye'd never hear d end of it!
the quote sounds fairly decent, but do you really need a rewire? wiring's only 18 years old, have i got this right? 1992?
they say given the wiring of a house is done correctly to the irish wiring regulations, it should last on average 50 years!

if ye must have it rewired and that's including any extra services other than your bog standard(intruder alarm, feed for shed, electric shower, security camera/light, outdoor sockets etc) and your house is bigger than a 3 bed semi detatched house then it's a bargain!

but a word to the wise, before you go ahead with anyone starting any work:
assuming it was wired to the current regulations of that time(2nd edition of wiring regulations(1991)) it need to be upgraded to the new 2008 4th edition wiring regulations in order to be deemed safe and reconnected by the esb, make sure to get an ELECTRICAL COMPLETION CERTIFICATE and ask if it's included in the price

ye see, if it's rewired, the supply will first need to be disconnected, then the wiring needs to be upgraded and then the registered contractor/electrician who performs the work needs to send off the electrical completion certificate for approval by the esb and reci(depending on who they're registered with), and unless they upgrade the wiring, reci and the esb wont condone the work as safe and the esb wont reconnect the supply until it is.

This could cost a lot to be rectified if the electrician doesn't wire it to the latest wiring regulations, like wiring a ring circuit to the kitchen instead of 3 radial circuits, especially if the walls have been plastered and tiled over!
and this isn't your worst case senario! lol

Some non-registered electricians or in some cases cowboys instead disconnect the supply to the fuseboard or isolate it at the meter cabinet, rewire and then just reconnect it, sometimes even without fully testing, and if you're letting them do that(or not knowing they are) then you're putting a hell of a lot of trust in them in my opinion

did you get an itemised quote showing exactly what you where getting including a cert? also, is this a 3 bed semi detatched ptashek?

meercat

good post intbn
agree 100%
a lot of corner cutting and work not being done to spec lately
remember price should not be your only governing factor