Handyman and Electrical Work

[archer_oldie]

I recently started up my own handyman business and wondered what I am allowed to do in terms of electrical work in customers houses. The sort of thing I am talking about is changing mains sockets, light fittings, light switches, extending existing ring mains... I know that for work in bathrooms and kitchens the work has to be checked out by a registered sparky. I feel I am pretty competant and safe when it comes to electrical work, having been an electrical / electronic tradesman in the forces and done loads of DIY work on my own house.

Would I have to provide a Minor Works Certificate for any electrical work I did?

Thanks for any info.

[wine~o]

Extending the ring main would need a minor works certificate, replacing like for like switches/sockets/light fittings doesn't.

Personally I don't do any work other than replacing like for like, (for customers anyway) despite having good electrical knowledge.

[wine~o]

recent thread here

non-notifiable-minor-works-by-general-h ... 93260.html

[Ktuludays]

Extending the ring main would need a minor works certificate, replacing like for like switches/sockets/light fittings doesn't.

Personally I don't do any work other than replacing like for like, (for customers anyway) despite having good electrical knowledge.

I do exactly same as wine-o.

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[ericmark]

My son, who does have 2391 and 2382 was doing the odd domestic job, he did some work in a border town, and then found he was wrong side of the border and work was in Wales so needed notifying, he also did a few jobs which started off simple, but found it lead into notifiable work. The old story replace a socket, two cables with 2.5mm and 32A MCB so should be part of ring final, however tests show it is not.

He was lucky, he knew some one who was a scheme member and they would do job swaps so the scheme member could sign off work. However he decided domestic electrics were not really worth doing, as a sole trader it is really all or nothing, the fees are too high to just do the odd one.

And you need to show you have the skill. This is an odd thing as there is no set qualification to show you are an electrician, it was done with Union cards, but closed shops were outlawed, and we have to allow European electricians to work here, so 2382 or 17th Edition as better known, to show they know the special British bits is about the only thing required, and all it shows is you can read a book. There have even been questions in Wales about that, as in Wales you have to be able to do it in Welsh and as yet no Welsh edition of BS7671 hence why not law.

However although no qualification required, if some thing goes wrong you need to show you had the skill and tools required, since it has gone wrong hard to show you have the skill without some exam passed to back it up. As commercial electricians we still have access to test equipment, but this is expensive, if nothing goes wrong you could work as an electrician until you retire with no problem. But if it does go wrong then be preprepared to lose your house, car, and anything else you have, plus jail term.

Lucky there are not that many deaths due to electrocution. But when it happens it is common to see people with heavy fines and/or jail when reading the report one asks is that really their fault. The one which has been quoted many times it was a plasterer who caused the fault, but it was the foreman electrician who was blamed.