Silly regs and contractor input.

Dotsie~tmp

There has been a lot of changes as we all know. But some just seem damn silly. I was talking to our man in the ECSSA and he pointed out that my implementation of under counter fridge and washer socket was no longer correct (they were side by side with one twin socket controlled by a 20A switch above counter , as per the new inaccesible sockets regs)

He said each inaccesible appliance socket needed its own switch (labled) and by extension each switch/appliance its own single socket. Clients are balking at this. Anyone else thinking there is some overkill here? Do electricians get any imput into this process? We're the ones who have to do this stuff and try get paid for all this extra labour (double circuits and all these points has doubled or trippled a kitchens labour?) client feedback has been very negative on clutter.

Try explaining that to clients to justify prices too, they dont care. 20A grids might relieve some points but dont fancy a wide box stuffed with 2.5 t&e's. And behind it all mr.nixer and mr.unreged/uninsured just gained another price edge.

Opinions?


Ps. Any thoughts on the plans to make it illegal for unqualified people to do electrical work in domestic premises? Criminalising people for doing stuff in there own gaff is gonna make us look like gougers. Plain daft.

M cebee

cant see any problem with the rules on inaccessible sockets myself

hes right -thats the way it should be

would be a right laugh if customers made up the rules-they do try often enough ime!

Dotsie~tmp

Im posting abour regulatory burden. Of course the regs must be followed but a balance must exist.

M cebee

the rules on kitchen radial ccts and over switches are sensible rules

Dotsie~tmp

All safety measures are sensible. What of the practical, the affordable? Can there come a point when burden pushes costs so high people neglect getting work done, or done properly? Thus being counter productive driving overall safety levels down.

Are you not feeling this pressure? Are you contracting? There is a heavy regulation burden on us now. Statutory regs, inspections, even score-carded. You can build million euro structures here and never be visited once by any official. But compare our incomes to the mechanical/plumbing/construction end and its unfavourable.

We have a business interest in every decision made by ETCI. Who's fighting our corner? The strange part is, right now you could be unqualified, unregistered, uninsured go wire up a factory for cash and RECI and ECSSA will come out and inspect pass and cert it for the few hundred quid involved. The revenue never know anything. Small contractors need a strong voice on ETCI and CER committees.

M cebee

been with reci 17 years
may not bother this year

dont have any major issues with wiring rules

couldnt care less about whos allowed do what
its a free for all atm with
-guys on dole doing nixers
-contractors selling certs
-contractors can certify what they like
-householder can get who they like to do small domestic work regardless

RoundyMooney

Dotsie~tmp wrote: »

...Any thoughts on the plans to make it illegal for unqualified people to do electrical work in domestic premises? Criminalising people for doing stuff in there own gaff is gonna make us look like gougers. Plain daft.

This is a fair point-electricians as a whole are going to get a bad name, due to the cash in hand boyos circumventing the regs, back to the bad old days.

That said, I've seen many certified sparkies that haven't a bloody clue.