[Sticky]Forum Charter -Please Read!

RoundyMooney

First up, welcome to the Electrickery Forum!

What is this forum for?

Principally, the discussion of the electrical related matters, the sharing of expertise on all matters electrical, and not least to promote safe practice, at home, at work or wherever, in relation to electricity. That's the serious definition. In practice, any and all contributions are welcomed, once they follow the forum topic. Boards.ie has, in its users, a great variety of knowledge and experience, and we will try to help wherever possible. In keeping with the spirit of the forum the aspiration is to inform people of other options and better equip them for conversations with electricians, for example but not limited to, explaining the lingo associated with the trade etc.


Since the 1st of October 2013 it has been illegal for a non-Registered Electrical Contractor to carry "Restricted Electrical Works" (which is essentially most electrical work in domestic premises).
Refer to the Restricted Works Decision Paper published by the Commission for Regulation of Utilities (CRU). As detailed in the above document “Minor electrical works” are exempt from this legislation. Further clarification on minor electrical works was obtained by email from CER can be seen here.

So if it is illegal for a non-registered electrical contractor to carry out most domestic electrical work what is the point of the forum?

● To help people understand what an electrician is trying to convey.
● To understand what wiring options being offered by the REC they engage with.
● To understand the consequences of decisions they make with their REC.
● To appreciate why doing electrical work properly can be "expensive".
● To realise that there can be serious consequences to cutting corners.
● To discuss the pros and cons of various electrical products.
● To understand the electrical regulations.
● To answer technical questions for those in the industry.
● To discuss, debate and learn about all matters electrical.

Although it is illegal for anyone other than a REC to carry out restricted electrical works the act of learning how this work is carried out, learning the various regulations relating to this work and aquiring technical knowledge is permitted. Answering electrical questions should not misinterpreted as encouraging people from taking this work on themselves.

It is generally simple to make any electrical device or circuit "work", the trick is to get it to work safely in a manner that is compliment with the regulations. Unfortunatley some are under the illusion that just because they can get something to "work" they know what they are doing. This can have serious consequences.

What we want to avoid is answers to posts that simply advise the posters to employ the services of a REC without offering any other advice, assistance or making any explanation. This is most unhelpful, discourages discussion and can lead to promoting commercial organizations / companies (which is not permitted). Explaining an issue and making someone aware of potential risks In addition to advising that an REC is engaged is far more helpful.

The advice and opinions expressed on this forum are not those of Boards.ie, and the management accepts no responsibility for what is written and posted here. Boards.ie and its contributors do not accept liability should your house burn down due to following advice or opinions expressed on this forum.

Also please do not use "text talk" on this forum, there is no need to limit or shorten your words.

Off topic posting will be moved to a more relevant forum. Remember that this is a sub forum of the home and garden section and is concerned with providing and sharing information within the boards community on electrical installations. There are other better places to talk about non-electrical issues on boards. These discussions shall not take place on this forum. Repeat offenders of this rule could end up being banned from the forum. If you have an issue with something in a thread PM a Mod please.


Can I ask about the ESB and or electrical utility suppliers?

There is a forum here that is monitored by the utility suppliers in the Biz, talk to section. Such questions are best suited there and will most likely get moved there.


Discussing Intruder Alarm Issues

Everyone is allowed an opinion, however only licensed PSA installers can certify an Intruder Alarm. Therefore recommending non PSA Installers for the supply, installation and certification of Intruder Alarms in not allowed on this forum. These issues and questions relating to , Intruder Alarms, CCTV, Access Control etc are now attended to on the Home Security Systems Forum


Do standard Boards.ie rules apply?

Yes, they do. In short, no spamming, trolling, flaming or general muppetry. Personal abuse, defamatory posting (see below), and blatant advertising (see also below) will result in bans dependent on the severity of the offence. Repeated making false statements and or excessive pushing of a manufacturer or service can result in a ban, particularly if that information is false. If you question a moderators ruling please do so over PM to the moderator, do not initiate an open discussion on a mod decision on the forum please. If you are unhappy with a decision you can take it above a mods head to the disputes resolution forum where a dedicated thread on the subject can be opened.


Can I promote or advertise a business or organization here?

In short, no. Advertising for free is not permitted on boards. Frequent "plugging" of a commercial enterprise, organization or product is not permitted.

However, as it is appreciated that many professionals offer advice here FOC, if you wish to post a discreet link in your signature, that is not a problem. Please note that a sticky is now in place on the forum, where contractors who are also Boards.ie members may be listed. Drop a PM to the mods if you would like to be included on this list. No discussion of work carried out at cash prices allowed.


Advertorials

We all know that advertising and commercial promotion is not allowed on boards.ie, unless it's agreed through the commercial process.
Therefore straight forward advertising is killed quickly, as is shilling. We've agreed to stretch this to Advertorials, "adverts disguised as regular content". That means pushing products or services that you are commercially aligned with or a named distributor of. We understand that the advice can still be very helpful, but posters must disclose their position in the posts that promote said products or services.


Can I ask for someone to certify my work for me?

No you can not. Such threads will be closed and the user asking will be banned from the forum, as will any user accepting the invitation.


Can I ask for or offer legal advice here?

Again, in short, no. This is a forum within a DIY section. There are better places on boards to talk about legal or employment rights issues. These discussions do take place on boards, but not here please.

Defamation occurs where a false statement is published about a person which tends to lower that person in the eyes of right-thinking members of society. Defamation is a generic term – slander is defamation in a transient form, while libel is defamation in written or permanent (or equivalent) form. (From Digital Rights Ireland)


Trade Issues

Discussion relating to trade issues, industrial disputes, unions and pay rates will not be permitted on the Electrical forum. This topic can be discussed in the Work & Jobs Forum.


Illegal Acts or "Nixers"

Illegality is... illegal.
This rule means no advocating, no condoning, and no soliciting or providing information about means of breaking the law including the Restricted Electrical Works Legislation (see above) and the evasion of taxes.


Disclaimer

Any electrical equipment may use or produce dangerous high voltages and may contain components running at hazardous temperatures. Great care must always be taken when working on such equipment, especially when it is powered and shortly after it has been powered. The absence of any specific safety warning does NOT imply that the action is safe. Live equipment and apparatus is always dangerous. If you are in any way unsure about your ability to work with electrical equipment safely, please refer the work to a qualified and experienced electrician. A list of registered electrical contractors can be found here: www.reci.ie.

Moderation of this forum

Since the inception of this forum a “hands off” approach to moderation has been applied with the intention of encouraging people to post, ask questions, discuss and debate. An absolute minimum of posts have been deleted or edited and a minimum of infractions, warnings and bans have dished out. It has been suggested that we've let things slip a little lately. There have been a number of remarks and posts that have certainly provoked an emotional response. So from now on we are looking at things differently, the three mods have discussed this and we are going to try to nip things in the bud earlier. We are asking for your help please, mainly by reporting posts quickly.

First of all, if you think you are better qualified than someone please keep it to yourself, it is of no use to us here. It's also a very dangerous game to play. If you are a smart person making stupid remarks, or a not so smart person trying to make smart remarks, we are not going let them sit, so please report these types of comments, they are really games of one-upmanship and once again of zero value to the forum. We are also looking for your help to stop passive trolling. Please do not engage in games and then report posts when you decide it’s gone too far, it wasting everyone's time. By all means we are interested in innocent posters being treated unfairly, but please acknowledge your own part in how the situation arose. If you honestly think that your intentions were honest but you were unfairly treated please report the post, if not please don't waste everyone's time. Please try to focus on answering the questions in the forums and discussing topics for the right solution, not the last word. Indeed if you think that the fact that you are an electrician means that you are the authority on electrical technical issues, it’s the wrong attitude.
If you are from another trade and thinks your trade is better, please keep it that opinion to yourself or on another forum. The same goes for engineers thinking they know more than others, this is a place to share knowledge, not win petty arguments.

Thank you all, we are sure you understand our position on this.



Most importantly, enjoy the forum!

Forum Mods: 2011, Stoner, delly