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Can a Home Owner carry out eletrical work in their own home?

  • 19-09-2013 11:21pm
    #1
    drunkmonkey
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 28,325 ✭✭✭✭


    I'm a little confused with these new regulations and what they mean to the average home owner, for example I needed to move around some devices at home namely a router, back up hard drive and some media streamers, I decided to hide them all in an unused press and wire in 3 double sockets to power the 3 devices which would leave me with some spare sockets it anything else needs to be connected.
    I've had no eletrical training just life experience and competent mates. Everything went smoothly.

    Have I broken the law, if there was a fire could I be held responsible? What does the law actually mean to home owners?


Comments

  • #2
    Doom
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 2,381 ✭✭✭Doom


    drunkmonkey wrote: »
    I'm a little confused with these new regulations and what they mean to the average home owner, for example I needed to move around some devices at home namely a router, back up hard drive and some media streamers, I decided to hide them all in an unused press and wire in 3 double sockets to power the 3 devices which would leave me with some spare sockets it anything else needs to be connected.
    I've had no eletrical training just life experience and competent mates. Everything went smoothly.

    Have I broken the law, if there was a fire could I be held responsible? What does the law actually mean to home owners?

    You have no qualifications to wire anything...if your house burns down if a fault occurs in the sockets...your insurance may be void.
    Also you may be overloading a circuit....average homeowners was never allowed do electrical work.


  • #3
    fasttalkerchat
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 5,652 ✭✭✭fasttalkerchat


    Doom wrote: »
    You have no qualifications to wire anything...if your house burns down if a fault occurs in the sockets...your insurance may be void.
    Also you may be overloading a circuit....

    Really? I thought it was just illegal to tamper with the fusebox. Surely sockets and light switches are fine if you own the house?


  • #4
    Doom
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 2,381 ✭✭✭Doom


    No....


  • #5
    drunkmonkey
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 28,325 ✭✭✭✭drunkmonkey


    Doom wrote: »
    No....

    It's illegal to wire a socket or a light switch?

    What's the penalty?


  • #6
    ThisRegard
    Closed Accounts Posts: 27,833 ✭✭✭✭ThisRegard


    Doom wrote: »
    No....

    No, you need an electrician to change a socket, light fitting or switch by law?


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  • #7
    Doom
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 2,381 ✭✭✭Doom


    All electricians will have to be registered with RECI or similar to carry out ANY electrical works, adding sockets etc.
    You added sockets, this means you should have your house re-tested and certified.


  • #8
    cerastes
    Closed Accounts Posts: 3,601 ✭✭✭cerastes


    Arent you allowed switch like for like, as in a light switch, light fitting,or socket for a replacement of any of same?


  • #9
    ThisRegard
    Closed Accounts Posts: 27,833 ✭✭✭✭ThisRegard


    If you're not adding fittings, just replacing? And we're talking about home owners, not people claiming to be electricians?


  • #10
    cerastes
    Closed Accounts Posts: 3,601 ✭✭✭cerastes


    ThisRegard wrote: »
    If you're not adding fittings, just replacing? And we're talking about home owners, not people claiming to be electricians?

    yes in your own home, not handyman will change sockets


  • #11
    ThisRegard
    Closed Accounts Posts: 27,833 ✭✭✭✭ThisRegard


    cerastes wrote: »
    Arent you allowed switch like for like, as in a light switch, light fitting,or socket for a replacement of any of same?

    I don't think being "allowed" or not will make a difference to the vast majority of people, not to me anyway.


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  • #12
    Doom
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 2,381 ✭✭✭Doom


    The op added sockets, that is illegal now.


  • #13
    cerastes
    Closed Accounts Posts: 3,601 ✭✭✭cerastes


    ThisRegard wrote: »
    I don't think being "allowed" or not will make a difference to the vast majority of people, not to me anyway.

    I just mean what is allowed or not officially, what is the limit
    What if someone moved into a home where a previous occupant had done work or had work completed by a non RECI person??


  • #14
    cerastes
    Closed Accounts Posts: 3,601 ✭✭✭cerastes


    Doom wrote: »
    The op added sockets, that is illegal now.

    I thought it was from the 1st of October?


  • #15
    él statutorio
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,259 ✭✭✭él statutorio


    Link to show the illegality please?

    Sounds like b0llix to me. (Not a dig at Doom, just the law if it's true.)


  • #16
    2011
    Moderators, Home & Garden Moderators, Technology & Internet Moderators, Regional East Moderators Posts: 12,602 Mod ✭✭✭✭2011


    The CER has today (23rd July 2013) published the decision paper on the Scope of Restricted Electrical Works (CER/13/147). This will mean that only a Registered Electrical Contractor (REC) can complete electrical work in domestic premises, with the exception of Minor Works. These regulations shall be enacted on 1st October 2013 through the Statutory Instrument Electricity Regulation Act 1999 (Restricted Electrical Works) Regulations 2013.

    This question is answered in full here.


This discussion has been closed.
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