Electricians and their certification

TheProfessional

Hi all

Recently moved home.

I have had some switchless sockets changed to switched ones as I have a roaming toddler. Also had some light fittings moved more centrally.
We initially called him due to a short which tripped RCD (water leak from washing machine into socket) 

I'm trying to work out should I be getting certificates for this work albeit small bits. I asked about getting a test to check the wiring etc but he didn't seem to say much about that. I had pulled a plug out of a socket and it popped and tripped the RCD

I just want to know if the wiring is fine before I go ahead and start decorating and can't seem to find a way to differentiate how qualified different electricians are. I see things about JIB, Part-P and NICEIC.  

I could just take it at face value from this guy but it's quite a big thing for me and just want to know is there a go to place to check credentials and what I should be looking for. 

Thanks (I may be overthinking)

TheProfessional

Also just realised the question flows terribly so happy to fill in gaps!

Norman_Castle

TheProfessional said:

 I asked about getting a test to check the wiring etc but he didn't seem to say much about that.

What did he say about the wiring? If he worked on the ring main and lighting circuit and it seemed fine he probably thought extra testing was unnecessary.

BananaRepublic

They have to be Part P qualified and I got certificates for the work done ie fan, light, shaver socket and light cord in bathroom. The socket cover came off and the light switch fell off the ceiling, so much for Part P. I fixed them myself, illegally I guess, but the work was better! 

TheProfessional

He said he could 'get someone' to do a test if I can recall correctly. The RCD is a couple of years old and he said they wouldn't have fitted a new RCD without the wiring being reasonable underlying it. 

The previous owners were here for 17 years and hadn't rewired. They did convert a conservatory to be part of the house (no.buikding regs) and the power to the conservatory part basically comes from being plugged into a kitchen socket.  He did say that wasn't ideal

daivid

TheProfessional said:

The previous owners were here for 17 years and hadn't rewired. They did convert a conservatory to be part of the house (no.buikding regs) and the power to the conservatory part basically comes from being plugged into a kitchen socket.  He did say that wasn't ideal

 If the Wiring is 17years old or a little older that's nothing, it's positively modern! My house is 1970s built and has much of the original wiring, to be honest the original wiring doesn't worry me in the slightest, it was the bits that may have been messed with by a previous owner in the meantime that concerned me. If a house had a consumer unit with RCD breakers, and paperwork/evidence that it had been properly installed and the wiring looked unmolested I would be relaxed about the need for a full rewire. As to the conservatory by all means get the electrician to wire that in properly, though it may cause a bit of disruption to the rest of the house as it will need to be on a separate circuit (which may explain why a plug in solution was employed in the first place).

tacpot12

BananaRepublic said:

They have to be Part P qualified and I got certificates for the work done ie fan, light, shaver socket and light cord in bathroom. The socket cover came off and the light switch fell off the ceiling, so much for Part P. I fixed them myself, illegally I guess, but the work was better! 

Part P isn't a qualification; it's part of the Building Regulations. Most domestic electricians will hold one or more City & Guilds qualifications, and will be a member of a competent persons scheme that allow them to register work if it needs to comply with Part P. Ask the electrician what C&G qualifications they hold, and which Competent persons scheme they are a member of. 

They should have C&G 2382-18 to show they know the current regulations, 2391-51 or 2391-52 to show they know how to test and inspect installations. If you want your installation tested, you should be asking for an Electrical Installation Condition Report (EICR). If the electrician makes any changes to circuits they should issue you with a Minor Works Certificate or a Electrical Installation Certificate, depending on the scale of the changes. 

BananaRepublic

tacpot12 said:

BananaRepublic said:

They have to be Part P qualified and I got certificates for the work done ie fan, light, shaver socket and light cord in bathroom. The socket cover came off and the light switch fell off the ceiling, so much for Part P. I fixed them myself, illegally I guess, but the work was better! 

Part P isn't a qualification; it's part of the Building Regulations. Most domestic electricians will hold one or more City & Guilds qualifications, and will be a member of a competent persons scheme that allow them to register work if it needs to comply with Part P. Ask the electrician what C&G qualifications they hold, and which Competent persons scheme they are a member of. 

It’s generally referred to as being Part P qualified. 
https://electropassltd.co.uk/index.php/courses/part-p-1-day?gclid=CjwKCAiArIH_BRB2EiwALfbH1KUyjSYSYAqFuZbalVR8lxEWwntro0SCdyeLGRKegKqwhwh90rbGMhoC8FcQAvD_BwE

tacpot12

I stand corrected - there is a C&G qualification you can do in Part P, but note that this only ensures that the electrician understand Part P of the building regulations, which have very little to do with electrical engineering. Someone who has only passed the C&G 2393-10 course is not an electrician, nor are they qualified to work on electrical installations. 

macman

Part-P is not relevant to changing sockets or lighting units on existing circuits, that is just considered like for like/replacement work.

Ectophile

Like-for-like replacement doesn't need to be notified to anybody.  The person doing the work doesn't have to have any particular qualifications either, provided they are competent to do the work.

An electrician might decide to give you a Minor Works Certificate, if they can be bothered.