wiring up your own appliances in your home

Andy From Sligo

OK i have seen the Irish TV adverts "if you get an electrician to do work for you, they must be RECI registered .. its the Law!"

Now how does that leave a home-owner if they buy (lets say for example) a electric cooker or hob and want to wire up to the 45a junction box there - or fit/wire up a Flourescent strip lamp on the kitchen ceiling in place of the pendant fitting or wire up a 500w halogen outdoor lamp in place of the 60w bulk head light .... are they breaking the law? - because as you see they are not getting in an electrician, they are wiring it up/fitting it themselves?

Thanks - just wondering/looking for clarification really in layman's terms what the homeowner is aloud to do re electrical work on their own home.

HPT

The Commission for Energy Regulation has the statutory authority to regulate the activities
of electrical contractors with respect to safety.
Under legislation, from 1st October 2013 only a Registered Electrical Contractor can carry
out electrical works in a domestic setting. This requirement does not include minor electrical
works.
Examples of minor electrical works include:
 Replacement of an electrical accessory such as light switch;
 Replacement or relocation of light fitting where the existing circuit is retained; or
 Provision of an additional socket to an existing radial circuit.
Although it is not a legal requirement that these minor electrical works be completed by a
Registered Electrical Contractor, it is important that minor electrical works are in compliance
with the National Wiring Rules and from a safety perspective it is important that these works
only be completed by competent individuals.

24th July 2013

Source: http://www.safeelectric.ie/minorWorks.pdf

purpleisafruit

I'm no electrician or lawyer but I imagine that if a fire was caused by faulty electrical wiring, insurance may refuse to pay out if the work was done by the homeowner

Andy From Sligo

HPT wrote: »

The Commission for Energy Regulation has the statutory authority to regulate the activities
of electrical contractors with respect to safety.
Under legislation, from 1st October 2013 only a Registered Electrical Contractor can carry
out electrical works in a domestic setting. This requirement does not include minor electrical
works.
Examples of minor electrical works include:
 Replacement of an electrical accessory such as light switch;
 Replacement or relocation of light fitting where the existing circuit is retained; or
 Provision of an additional socket to an existing radial circuit.
Although it is not a legal requirement that these minor electrical works be completed by a
Registered Electrical Contractor, it is important that minor electrical works are in compliance
with the National Wiring Rules and from a safety perspective it is important that these works
only be completed by competent individuals.

24th July 2013

Source: http://www.safeelectric.ie/minorWorks.pdf

thanks for the reply - so, in laymans terms, does that mean a competent (well basic electrical knowledge without a certificate) home-owner can wire up a cooker, halogen , fluorescent etc .. all within the law? - thats what im interested in finding out. - there has to be a definitive answer to that I should imagine?

Andy From Sligo

purpleisafruit wrote: »

I'm no electrician or lawyer but I imagine that if a fire was caused by faulty electrical wiring, insurance may refuse to pay out if the work was done by the homeowner

you would imagine , wouldnt you? - and especially in a lot of cases if insurance companies can find a way not to pay out on a claim you can be sure they will find it!

Andy From Sligo

is it america (or maybe some states) the most a unqualified person can wire up is a plug and thats it, anything else is illegal and against the law - I think thats what it used to be. It might have changed now

I would think if it was law that a home consumer were not allowed to (hard wire) wire up stuff like fluorescent lights and the like, that they would only be available from Trade Electrical counters only and not available in DIY shops?

The way I look at it is that you could burn down a house if you wired up a cooker/electric light/shower if you done it shoddy/didnt screw the terminals tight/didnt use correct fuse/didnt use correct cable/insulation .... but then again you could also burn down a house by wiring up an ordinary 13a plug up incorrectly, or putting a wrong fuse in the plug also! - you could even burn down a house by purchasing a cheap china mobile phone charger into the wall plate also - I understand regulations are there for against fire and electrocution but it seems to me the regulations a bit hit and miss at the moment and a bit confusion - re I read that TV advert as "you can wire it up OK yourself, but if you employ an electrician to do it they must be qualified and have papers"

BoatMad

purpleisafruit wrote: »

I'm no electrician or lawyer but I imagine that if a fire was caused by faulty electrical wiring, insurance may refuse to pay out if the work was done by the homeowner

no , unless specifically asked for, once you have a contract for insurance cover , you are covered, otherwise there would be little point of insurance, Insurance would only be invalid if you provided information that was deemed to be materially and deliberately false

( in the same way , you are covered in a car, even if you break the law )

BoatMad

Andy From Sligo wrote: »

thanks for the reply - so, in laymans terms, does that mean a competent (well basic electrical knowledge without a certificate) home-owner can wire up a cooker, halogen , fluorescent etc .. all within the law? - thats what im interested in finding out. - there has to be a definitive answer to that I should imagine?

in essence ,yes as long as they make no changes to the distribution board , ( as a general rule of thumb )

its interesting that there is actually no penalty specified for a non RECI person making changes to RECI required activities , the penalty only applies if the non RECI person attempts to " certify " those changes as if she or she is a REI sparks

BoatMad

I would think if it was law that a home consumer were not allowed to (hard wire) wire up stuff like fluorescent lights and the like, that they would only be available from Trade Electrical counters only and not available in DIY shops?

where components are sold bears no relation to the rules governing their installation , you can buy all sorts of things that require legal certified installers over the counter in DIY shops ( including for example consumer units etc , gas fittings etc )

dolittle

what I find strange is that you can add a socket to an existing radial circuit

BoatMad

dolittle wrote: »

what I find strange is that you can add a socket to an existing radial circuit

why ? its not complicated and about as dangerous as using an extension lead

Bruthal

BoatMad wrote: »

why ? its not complicated and about as dangerous as using an extension lead

And how complicated is adding 2?

dolittle

BoatMad wrote: »

why ? its not complicated and about as dangerous as using an extension lead

what i am getting at is, length of run, how many sockets, install method, cable sizing
its unlike the other allowed items, changing like for like
they seem to be creating a grey area

BoatMad

dolittle wrote: »

what i am getting at is, length of run, how many sockets, install method, cable sizing
its unlike the other allowed items, changing like for like
they seem to be creating a grey area

In general people are not idiots , and will extend radials consistent with what's already there. Radials are so underpowered anyway , that wet string could be used !!!

pedroeibar1

I’m wiring in three fluorescent under-cabinet lights from a switched circuit. Also, all lights are individually switched but these will be permanently left in the ‘on’ position.
Each fitting has line in and line out sockets. On the last in the string the male end for the line in is missing. However, its line out lead is in place. Can this side of the light be used as a line in?
Thanks,

Rules only apply if you use their network.