swee'pea99
Squire
My mate did everything himself, apart from electrics. As he put it, 'if you fark up the plumbing, people get wet. If you fark up the electrics, people get dead.'
Bad trades people
- Thread starter Milzy
- Start date
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KnackeredBike
I do my own stunts
If I fark up the plumbing I ruin all my laminate floors - and plumbing is much easier to fark up. You would have to do something really stupid to die from an RCD protected 230V supply.
I was doing some (non-plumbing) work at a house that required the water to be switched off. As normal I got the householder to do it for me - don't touch anything you don't need to. Householder turned the water back on and I was just writing up the receipt in the kitchen when water started dripping through the ceiling onto their (brand new) kitchen. Turned out a plumber had attached a pump up in the loft wrong and turning the water back on was enough to cause it to leak.
Much more difficult to fix than having to isolate a problem and then reset the RCD.
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- Location
- Egham
Assuming you're in a 16th + edition house. Many properties do not have RCD's, and to assume that one would protect you from being electrocuted would be a little silly. All they do is provide a quick disconnect under certain circumstances.
Personally I do everything except gas and plastering. I can't plaster (despite having tried), and gas is a nasty little unseen beastie. No issues with elastic-trickery as it's my day job, albeit at 33kV now, rather than the 3-ph stuff I started on.
part P of the building regs is reason enough:
Who is responsible for making sure that electrical work in your home meets the requirements of Part P?
By law, the homeowner or landlord must be able to prove that all electrical installation work meets Part P, or they will be committing a criminal offence.
Local authorities have the power to make homeowners or landlords remove or alter any work that does not meet the requirements of the Building Regulations.
What electrical work is notifiable?
From April 2013 electrical work in a dwelling, or associated with its surroundings, is notifiable to a local building control body where the work includes:
• the installation of a new circuit, whether at low voltage (typically 230 V) or extra-low voltage); or
• the replacement of a consumer unit (fusebox); or
• any alteration or addition to an existing circuit in a special location*, whether at low voltage (typically 230 V) or extra-low voltage
*A special location is a room containing a bath or shower, swimming pool or a sauna heater.
An alteration or addition to an existing circuit in a room containing a bath or shower is notifiable only where carried out in the space surrounding a bath or shower.
KnackeredBike
I do my own stunts
Just let building control know, pay them a bit of silver to come and "inspect" it, and you're done. Or don't tell them and hope the police don't come smash down your door and take away all the wiring for evidence. You don't need a sparky.
OP
OP
Milzy
Guru
No offense taken, Part P aside I'm a lazy DIY'er but not bad with my hands. I can also read idiot guides. I can also cook but I'd rather put a needle in my eye because I hate it. Same with painting.
I think trading standards are not what they once were, now you have to contact Citizens Advice and they pass it on, I have never had a response back after that.
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Don't tell them an when you come to sell your house a surveyor sees that the work is not to professional standards asks for Part P certification and your sale collapses... and then you are legally bound to inform any future potential purchasers...
.... and just hope you do not have an electrical fire and the work looked at by a claims assessor and your insurance invalidated.
I've rewired kitchen extensions in the past, but would not do it now.
U
User6179
Guest
All trading standards seem to do now is make a note of it on their system , pointless phoning them !
fossyant
Ride It Like You Stole It!
- Location
- South Manchester
I'm lucky I can do most jobs, but I had an electrician put in a security light at height, but he was known to the family. Same with a plumber, word of mouth, but that was a boiler fault - most other stuff I can fix.
I'm loathed to get professionals in when I know I can do a good job (but slower). Same goes with the car, anything I can't do I use a local independent that's been recommended by word of mouth.
I'm loathed to get professionals in when I know I can do a good job (but slower). Same goes with the car, anything I can't do I use a local independent that's been recommended by word of mouth.
That was my thoughts.
classic33
Leg End Member
Had trouble with GORGI & Gas Safe registered companies.
First was CORGI registered. He twisted something, causing a leak. He decided to have a fag and struck up.
Second was a Gas Safe registered company, appointed by the insurance company, fitting a new fire. The person fitting the fire left the baffle plates(for transit use only) in place on the flue. Even getting them back out to check showed nothing wrong, and it'd had been "fitted correctly".
The fire wasn't burning right and people kept feeling tired/sick when it was lit.
On site review of their work removed, twice.
First was CORGI registered. He twisted something, causing a leak. He decided to have a fag and struck up.
Second was a Gas Safe registered company, appointed by the insurance company, fitting a new fire. The person fitting the fire left the baffle plates(for transit use only) in place on the flue. Even getting them back out to check showed nothing wrong, and it'd had been "fitted correctly".
The fire wasn't burning right and people kept feeling tired/sick when it was lit.
On site review of their work removed, twice.
classic33
Leg End Member
Best advert, good or bad. And it's free.
fossyant
Ride It Like You Stole It!
- Location
- South Manchester
Worth subscribing to local facebook sites. You can ask 'Recommend a good xx trader' you'll get people responding.
My sister pays a car valeting company to come and wash her car once in a while - it looks like shoot 99% of the time, then it looks good for a week. What's the point... Learn to do stuff....
Colleagues at work were charged about £100 to fix a leaky ball cock valve in a loo. It's a reasonable charge out fee, but when I said you could change the whole valve assembly for less than £30 and 'upgrade the loo' to a soft touch handle (keeps the original hardware) she was a bit shocked. It's an easy job. We love our soft touch upgrade to our main loo... and it's not a silly little button that fails.... it's an original pot handle that you 'touch' rather than yank, and the loo flushes....
