Worth Becoming Electrically Qualfied

danburke

Hi All,

So my wife and I have bought our first home and over the next few years plan on carrying out a lot of home improvements.

To this end would you think it would save us money in the long run if I become fully electrically qualified? (i.e. so that I can self-certificate our electrically installations)

Thanks again,

Dan

p.s. I have a physics background, so am quite familiar with building/testing electronic components

2011

No, this would not make sense.


This is why:
By "electrically qualified" I assume that you mean becoming an electrician as this is the qualification that you require. This will take you a minimum of 4 calendar years (so longer than 4 college years) to qualify (regardless of other qualifications). At that you will be a very inexperienced electrician.


Next step: To legally certify a domestic installation (even your own property) you will need to become a registered electrical contractor which will mean paying registration fee, paying for insurance and buying suitable test equipment.


Next step: You will also need to complete and pass a testing and verification course.

So in short, a lot of time and money! It would be far quicker and more cost effective to pay an experienced professional.

Stoner

You'd have to be become a member of RECI a REC to certify any work. You'd need to be an electrician , 4 year apprenticeship to become one, then certify your own work for your own company.

I've no knowledge of any way around that. It's not like say completing a four day course on commissioning emergency lighting or PAT testing.

Sleeper12

I'm not an electrician so forgive me if this is a stupid question. Can a REC cert their own home?
I thought I read on a thread that they can't but may have picked it up wrong

Stoner

Sleeper12 wrote:

I'm not an electrician so forgive me if this is a stupid question. Can a REC cert their own home? I thought I read on a thread that they can't but may have picked it up wrong

Yes they can. An electrician can't unless it's official work for a REC

17larsson

You'll also be working for €240 per week for your first year as an apprentice so I imagine that's a significant downgrade on what you earn at the moment.

You'll also have to crawl around attics, sweep the floor and go to the shop for the lads!

Armchair Andy

I think Michael O Leary and his taxiplate mentality might have rubbed off on some of the general public.

SEPT 23 1989

Are you renovating Downton Abbey?

Steve

Stoner wrote: »

It's not like say completing a four day course on commissioning emergency lighting or PAT testing.

Wait, what? you need a cert to PAT test now? ffs.

OP, it matters not if you have installed a nuclear generating station or CE certified machinery that is potentially lethal or built a 2000A rated generator emergency change over set, you are still not considered safe to install an extra socket in your own home unless you have spent 4 years hanging twin and earth from rafters.

Tuco88

Steve wrote: »

Wait, what? you need a cert to PAT test now? ffs.

OP, it matters not if you have installed a nuclear generating station or CE certified machinery that is potentially lethal or built a 2000A rated generator emergency change over set, you are still not considered safe to install an extra socket in your own home unless you have spent 4 years hanging twin and earth from rafters.

Why you can't call out RECI to cert the house for you anymore, shows the point how much of a joke it is. Cash collectors....

ted1

You'd be better off working in Macdonalds, after 8 months you could pay a sparks to do the job as oppose to spending 4 years to do it yourself

Risteard81

Tuco88 wrote: »

Steve wrote: »

Wait, what? you need a cert to PAT test now? ffs.

OP, it matters not if you have installed a nuclear generating station or CE certified machinery that is potentially lethal or built a 2000A rated generator emergency change over set, you are still not considered safe to install an extra socket in your own home unless you have spent 4 years hanging twin and earth from rafters.

Why you can't call out RECI to cert the house for you anymore, shows the point how much of a joke it is. Cash collectors....

I don't think it's a bad thing. After everything is concealed in the fabric of the building inspection is going to be severely limited. Plenty of things can pass electrical tests without being remotely correct or even necessarily safe.

How difficult is it to get C&G 2382 recognised this side of the water?

aido79

Sir Liamalot wrote: »

How difficult is it to get C&G 2382 recognised this side of the water?

I would imagine as it is a 3 day course on the electrical regulations of another country that it would mean nothing in Ireland and I would hope that it would never be recognised in Ireland.

Risteard81

Sir Liamalot wrote: »

How difficult is it to get C&G 2382 recognised this side of the water?

City & Guilds 2382 simply means that you are conversant with the 17th Edition of the IET Wiring Regulations (BS 7671:2008). In fact, it really only means that you can follow the index to find the answers.
What merit do you believe it has for someone expected to be working to ET 101:2008? It is based on a different so-called "national" standard. I can't see any merit in it unless working in the north where it is the applicable standard. In the south it most certainly is not - the Technical Rules are the ETCI Wiring Rules.

Also, I hope yo do not believe that this test on the IET Wiring Regulations is what is needed to qualify as an Electrician in Britain or in the north. That most certainly is NOT the case. A National Vocational Qualification (NVQ) is required which includes technical certificates and practical exams, as well as a portfolio of evidence of work carried out during an Apprenticeship. It takes several years to complete.

aido79

aido79 wrote: »

I would imagine as it is a 3 day course on the electrical regulations of another country that it would mean nothing in Ireland and I would hope that it would never be recognised in Ireland.

It's actually just a 2 hour exam.

aido79

Sir Liamalot wrote: »

It's actually just a 2 hour exam.

Can you do the exam without doing the course?

Yurp. Those courses are just a racket anyways.

Clicky

aido79

Sir Liamalot wrote: »

Yurp. Those courses are just a racket anyways.

Clicky

In that case it definitely isn't worth the paper it's written on in Ireland. I can see how it may be beneficial to UK sparkies though.

2011

aido79 wrote: »

In that case it definitely isn't worth the paper it's written on in Ireland. I can see how it may be beneficial to UK sparkies though.

I don't agree that it is worthless.
I think that it can be very beneficial to learn about electrical practices and regulations from other countries even if they can't be applied in the same way in ireland.

I am working on a project in Eastern Europe at present where they have some very different wiring practices.

aido79

2011 wrote: »

I don't agree that it is worthless.
I think that it can be very beneficial to learn about electrical practices and regulations from other countries even if they can't be applied in the same way in ireland.

I am working on a project in Eastern Europe at present where they have some very different wiring practices.

I meant it is not worth the paper it is written on in terms of being recognised as a electrical qualification that allows someone to perform electrical work..which is the topic of the thread.

There is no harm in learning wiring practices from another country but if they don't comply with Irish electrical regulations then they can't be used in Ireland.

aido79

aido79 wrote: »

In that case it definitely isn't worth the paper it's written on in Ireland.

Funny logic. Are you suggesting if it was an expensive course it would be more valuable than someone having the same knowledge being self thought?
I've plenty of tickets weren't worth the time to get them; manual handling, safe pass, ipaf, all of which I could have passed without training, are these just as meaningless?

2011

Sir Liamalot wrote: »

I've plenty of tickets weren't worth the time to get them; manual handling, safe pass, ipaf, all of which I could have passed without training, are these just as meaningless?

Well Safe Pass is the biggest crock of sh!t I have ever seen :D:D

2011

aido79 wrote: »

I meant it is not worth the paper it is written on in terms of being recognised as a electrical qualification that allows someone to perform electrical work..which is the topic of the thread.

I completed a number of City & Guilds courses. I have to say I learnt a lot from them that stood to me when I worked as an electrician. I agree that recognition is important, but I don't accept that the benefit / value of a course should be judged on this alone even in the context of this thread.

There is no harm in learning wiring practices from another country but if they don't comply with Irish electrical regulations then they can't be used in Ireland.

Sometimes different practices do apply, they are just not the norm in Ireland. Other times seeing different methods and approaches to electrical design can assist with coming up with additional options because the an issue can be seen from a different perspective.

Risteard81

2011 wrote: »

Sometimes different practices do apply, they are just not the norm in Ireland. Other times seeing different methods and approaches to electrical design can assist with coming up with additional options because the an issue can be seen from a different perspective.

It can also be useful to avoid condemning something which may actually be fine but just not an approach you are used to. That said it should always be verified that such an approach is not prohibited by ET101 before adopting it or accepting it!

aido79

Sir Liamalot wrote: »

Funny logic. Are you suggesting if it was an expensive course it would be more valuable than someone having the same knowledge being self thought?
I've plenty of tickets weren't worth the time to get them; manual handling, safe pass, ipaf, all of which I could have passed without training, are these just as meaningless?

All I'm saying is that having a qualification on an update of the electrical regulations of another country should not be recognised as a qualification in Ireland especially since a person can go straight in and do the exam without any prerequisites.
Safe pass, manual handling etc are different. They are mostly just ass covering for employers. If a person hurts themselves doing something stupid or lifting something heavy the employer can put the blame on the employee by saying that they were instructed on how to do the task correctly but they went and did it their own way and hurt themselves.
I work in mining in Australia and believe me I have lost count on how many of these type of courses I have done. Not all of them are meaningless and they do save lives by making people think about what they're doing.

Surely the person going straight in to do the exam has the prerequisite of the knowledge required to pass the exam.
My example of the safe pass is along the same lines that A: if they let you do the exam in the morning before all the chin-wagging most self-aware people can pass and B: they'd have a very hard time justifying the necessity of it, if most people can pass without attending the lecture.

aido79

Sir Liamalot wrote: »

Surely the person going straight in to do the exam has the prerequisite of the knowledge required to pass the exam.
My example of the safe pass is along the same lines that A: if they let you do the exam in the morning before all the chin-wagging most self-aware people can pass and B: they'd have a very hard time justifying the necessity of it, if most people can pass without attending the lecture.

The person going straight in to do the exam would generally have other qualifications which would give them the knowledge to pass the test. These qualifications should be recognisable rather than what is intended to be an addon exam.
As I said a safepass is ass covering. It allows an employer to say "you done your safepass, you were expected not to do the work unsafely and were informed of the safe procedures but you went and done it unsafely and hurt yourself so it's your fault." It doesn't matter if no one actually ever learns a thing from doing it.

I agree Aido.
I just found your statement odd that someone passing an exam only was inferior to someone passing an exam after a 3 day course about how to pass an exam.

aido79

Sir Liamalot wrote: »

I agree Aido.
I just found your statement odd that someone passing an exam only was inferior to someone passing an exam after a 3 day course about how to pass an exam.

Sorry if it sounded that way. I would imagine that the qualification is aimed at people who have prior experience in the electrical field. The qualification itself on its own would not be much good but as an addon to previous qualifications such as an electrical apprenticeship or an engineering degree it would show that the person has up to date knowledge on the electrical regulations to compliment their other qualifications. Hope that makes sense.