Best way to become qualified for domestic electrical work?
Discussion
My sister in law is a plasterer. In the past she was an instructor at her locsl college. While working there she picked up experience in other building trades, and is now self-employed as a general maintenance person.
She is getting quite a few jobs building false chimney breasts for TVs, and like to be able to do the electrics herself too. Same when she plasters a room - customers may want new sockets, etc. Although she is capable of doing the work (on her own house), she would like to gain the relevant qualifications to do the work for her customers.
A bit of googling shows plenty of options for training, from courses that last a few weeks for a couple of grand, to 3 or 4 year college courses. It seems like a bit of a minefield.
What's the best way to gain the necessary qualifications in a reasonable time period without getting ripped off?
She is getting quite a few jobs building false chimney breasts for TVs, and like to be able to do the electrics herself too. Same when she plasters a room - customers may want new sockets, etc. Although she is capable of doing the work (on her own house), she would like to gain the relevant qualifications to do the work for her customers.
A bit of googling shows plenty of options for training, from courses that last a few weeks for a couple of grand, to 3 or 4 year college courses. It seems like a bit of a minefield.
What's the best way to gain the necessary qualifications in a reasonable time period without getting ripped off?
3 year apprenticeship, there's a reason it takes that long.
But I'm an electrician and so biased.
Might also need to check what the insurance companies take into account as someone qualified to work on electrics, otherwise might find herself uninsured.
ETA: Also would need to speak to someone like NIC or elecsa and become part P registered and find out what qualifications they require as it would be work that is notifiable.
But I'm an electrician and so biased.
Might also need to check what the insurance companies take into account as someone qualified to work on electrics, otherwise might find herself uninsured.
ETA: Also would need to speak to someone like NIC or elecsa and become part P registered and find out what qualifications they require as it would be work that is notifiable.
What do you mean by qualified, a introductory course such that you can feel competent to move a couple of sockets or a proper registered spark able to cert&sign off notifiable works?
Former is a grey area, as while many bit builders muck around with electrics every day the only recognised way to do it safety involves checking it with calibrated equipment etc.
And the latter, Id say its not worth being a proper registered/qualified sparks for anything less than full time employment, barely worth being a legit 1 man band now, seems the powers that be only want economics to work for small comps with multiple employees. (This year Ill pay niceic £500 in membership, £100+ in notifications, £400 liability/indemnity, day off work for inspection plus star time/costs dealing with their nonsense, then as this is a new regs year (about every 3rd year is$$$$ new edition or ammenments) about £300+ to replace all my perfectly good certificate books due to minor alerations, £150 for new bs7671 & OSG, £500 3 days (off work) course to prove I can hold said regs book the right way up, you'll need £1-2k of test kit and that needs to be calibrated and will wear out in 5 years.
Worth doing so you can move a few sockets alongside your plastering job hmm.
Former is a grey area, as while many bit builders muck around with electrics every day the only recognised way to do it safety involves checking it with calibrated equipment etc.
And the latter, Id say its not worth being a proper registered/qualified sparks for anything less than full time employment, barely worth being a legit 1 man band now, seems the powers that be only want economics to work for small comps with multiple employees. (This year Ill pay niceic £500 in membership, £100+ in notifications, £400 liability/indemnity, day off work for inspection plus star time/costs dealing with their nonsense, then as this is a new regs year (about every 3rd year is$$$$ new edition or ammenments) about £300+ to replace all my perfectly good certificate books due to minor alerations, £150 for new bs7671 & OSG, £500 3 days (off work) course to prove I can hold said regs book the right way up, you'll need £1-2k of test kit and that needs to be calibrated and will wear out in 5 years.
Worth doing so you can move a few sockets alongside your plastering job hmm.
She's looking to do the kind of work that competent DIYers would tackle in their own homes, such as moving sockets and switches, or adding a spur or light fitting. She also does handyman work for the local care home, but would like to be able to do their basic electrical work too - replacing broken sockets, switches and other fittings in the resident's rooms.
Having a qualification of some kind that means she can be insured seems like the right thing to do before working on other people's property for money.
It's more about making the jobs go smoother if she can do it herself, rather than waiting for someone else to do it.
Some of these short courses give the impression that you can become a fully qualified spark in 4 weeks, able to rewire a house and sign it off. That can't be right?
Having a qualification of some kind that means she can be insured seems like the right thing to do before working on other people's property for money.
It's more about making the jobs go smoother if she can do it herself, rather than waiting for someone else to do it.
Some of these short courses give the impression that you can become a fully qualified spark in 4 weeks, able to rewire a house and sign it off. That can't be right?
clockworks said:
She's looking to do the kind of work that competent DIYers would tackle in their own homes, such as moving sockets and switches, or adding a spur or light fitting. She also does handyman work for the local care home, but would like to be able to do their basic electrical work too - replacing broken sockets, switches and other fittings in the resident's rooms.
Having a qualification of some kind that means she can be insured seems like the right thing to do before working on other people's property for money.
It's more about making the jobs go smoother if she can do it herself, rather than waiting for someone else to do it.
Some of these short courses give the impression that you can become a fully qualified spark in 4 weeks, able to rewire a house and sign it off. That can't be right?
Domestic wiring is relatively simple. You could teach someone the basics in a few hours let alone weeks.Having a qualification of some kind that means she can be insured seems like the right thing to do before working on other people's property for money.
It's more about making the jobs go smoother if she can do it herself, rather than waiting for someone else to do it.
Some of these short courses give the impression that you can become a fully qualified spark in 4 weeks, able to rewire a house and sign it off. That can't be right?
You need to find out what's required to legally do domestic work rather than being a fully qualified electrician. A proper electrician can do vastly more complicated commercial and industrial installation and maintenance.
Edited by 98elise on Tuesday 1st January 14:00
clockworks said:
She's looking to do the kind of work that competent DIYers would tackle in their own homes, such as moving sockets and switches, or adding a spur or light fitting. She also does handyman work for the local care home, but would like to be able to do their basic electrical work too - replacing broken sockets, switches and other fittings in the resident's rooms.
Having a qualification of some kind that means she can be insured seems like the right thing to do before working on other people's property for money.
It's more about making the jobs go smoother if she can do it herself, rather than waiting for someone else to do it.
Some of these short courses give the impression that you can become a fully qualified spark in 4 weeks, able to rewire a house and sign it off. That can't be right?
problem is it's a bit like "my mates a mechanic and has to move 17t lorries on and off the ramps, surely he doesn't need a full HGV license just for that?" Its fine, right up until something goes wrong, so the only official answer is yes he does.Having a qualification of some kind that means she can be insured seems like the right thing to do before working on other people's property for money.
It's more about making the jobs go smoother if she can do it herself, rather than waiting for someone else to do it.
Some of these short courses give the impression that you can become a fully qualified spark in 4 weeks, able to rewire a house and sign it off. That can't be right?
You mate might twiddle wires for years and cause no risk, but what about the house with the earth unknowingly to her, disconnected? What about the undersized cable on the same circuit some joker fitted in another room that wasn't a problem until someone plugged a heater into "her" new socket?
People look for someone to blame etc today so you need to cover your ass (or just buck the system entirely which is what loads do)
That's the problem - finding out what is legally required to work on other people's houses, and what qualifications/trade affiliations satisfy those legal requirements.
She is already capable of doing the work that she wants to do for now, although gaining more knowledge/experience may be useful for the future.
She is already capable of doing the work that she wants to do for now, although gaining more knowledge/experience may be useful for the future.
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