Retired electrician - can he do DIY?

Yorkie1

wallbash wrote: »

You have to make the choice, do you want to employ a recently qualified electriatian who has the paperwork but lacks experience. Or an older guy , who can 'google' for thirty seconds, not got a bit of paper BUT has safely installed dozens over the years.

Does a piece of paper trump experience?

Given he's 83, I suspect he hasn't installed any (whether safely or otherwise) for perhaps two decades.

Gordon_Hose

Obviously divided opinion on this.

End of the day he could do it and the OP would be none the wiser. When the house is sold it's not going to come up on any survey's.

My house was last re-wired 15 years ago judging by the paperwork that was left behind. There is no RCD on the consumer unit and wires are black/red... it's still safe. Just doesn't conform to today's standard.

However, even "old" experienced sparkies need to install to current standards.

Gastines3

Worth mentioning one problem that can crop up in using 'Retired Electricians', though not unless the sale of the house is in the offing. I used the same electrician for years on re-furb jobs and several of our own homes that we've sold over the years but when you sell the forms dished out now that you are required to complete ask about any electrical work and the paperwork saying it was done by and electrician with latest certification. You can get around this by taking out an Indemnity Insurance on the work. Another little legality that can come later and cost you.

macman

If nothing in the electrical system has really been touched in 50 years, then I think you have more to worry about than a new shower circuit.
The no. of sockets will probably be inadequate for modern usage, and the cabling may be deteriorating. There will be no RCD protection, and probably no MCB's either, and the lighting circuits may not be earthed. The CU will be equally ancient.
If he does do this himself, make sure that the cable is properly spec'd for the wattage rating of the shower (modern showers are much more powerful than 20 years ago, so the cable may well need uprating), and that an RCD is fitted to the shower circuit. If he does that, then this will probably be the safest part of the whole system.

molerat

If you fail to pay the nanny state tax it may come back to bite you later when selling. I doubt the old fella should worry too much though as it won't be him that takes the hit.

I once overheard 2 electricians working out what they needed to put in the boxes on the form so the answer came out correct, no one would ever be able to prove otherwise.

I know someone who "illegally" added a new washing machine spur in the kitchen and in the process corrected the unsafe wiring recently installed and certified by a "qualified" electrician - the ring was not connected ! - but it had a piece of paper so must have been safe

paddyrg

Can he do the bulk of the work and get it tested/signed-off by a third party just to make sure it's 'up to regs', maybe making a point of 'for when we need to sell, the certificate will make £x,000 difference'

Avoriaz

molerat wrote: »

..I know someone who "illegally" added a new washing machine spur in the kitchen and in the process corrected the unsafe wiring recently installed and certified by a "qualified" electrician - the ring was not connected ! - but it had a piece of paper so must have been safe

I bought a 1961 built house in 1985.

I had some electrical problems and was getting odd live readings on the neutral in ring main sockets.

It transpired that an Electricity Board electrician had wired the meter tails (or whatever the term is for the security sealed incoming mains wiring before the meter) the wrong way around when a new meter had been fitted shortly before we bought the house. The meter and therefore the consumer unit were being fed live on the neutral and neutral on the live. :eek:

I or someone else could have been electrocuted.

macman

paddyrg wrote: »

Can he do the bulk of the work and get it tested/signed-off by a third party just to make sure it's 'up to regs', maybe making a point of 'for when we need to sell, the certificate will make £x,000 difference'

No sane sparky will sign off someone else's work as their own.
Nor is it required to provide any kind of electrical certification when selling a property.

Yorkie1

macman wrote: »

No sane sparky will sign off someone else's work as their own.
Nor is it required to provide any kind of electrical certification when selling a property.

This is potentially slightly misleading in the following respect:

The pre-contract enquiries ask whether any notifiable electrical work has been done within a given period. If the seller properly declares this, the buyer is likely to ask for evidence of building regs compliance. Hence some documentation, or indemnity insurance would be needed.

wallbash

Yorkie1 wrote: »

This is potentially slightly misleading in the following respect:

The pre-contract enquiries ask whether any notifiable electrical work has been done within a given period. If the seller properly declares this, the buyer is likely to ask for evidence of building regs compliance. Hence some documentation, or indemnity insurance would be needed.

And if he says there is no paperwork?
Solicitor will ask again, that there job. But the buyer is not going to lose his/her 'dream house' just for the lack of a piece of paper.
I sold a house recently with out that stupid FENSA cert. When asked for clarification , I replied any additional cost of my side, would be added to the cost of the property .
Buyer wisely dropped the demand.
When you sell a house, never lie,but if the buyer requires something......they pay.