Electrical outlets

[peterwitness3]

Hi Guys, I am replacing electrical sockets, I have power to the socket but nothing I plug in works, Please advise. Thank you Peter.

[heero_yuy]

Hi and

You say you have power to the socket, is that because the old one was working?

Don't discount the possibility of the new socket being faulty. If it is a switched type toggle the switch a few times. Sometimes a bit of dirt can prevent the contacts making even in a new part. It's surprising how 230v can be held off by the tiniest bit of muck.

[arcimedes]

I would really really advise consulting an electrician. Your whole statement worries me.

[peterwitness3]

Thank you good advice, I will check with an Electrician

[Taf]

Did you isolate the mains by flipping off the circuit breaker before starting work. And flipped it back on afterwards?

It may sound daft, but I've seen seasoned electricians fail to put the power back on.

[peterwitness3]

Thank you everyone I really appreciate your input, yes I did turn the power off, and yes I turned it back on ha ha. I did try flicking the new switches on and off several times too.. Good point. I have decided I need a professional to look at it. I do however appreciate you all for your suggestions. Thank you Peter.

[adzii_nufc]

On another note, someone may be able to shed further light but IIRC without a certified electrician, you've voided any home insurance and you'll never have the appropriate certificates to show the property and electrics are safe regarding said insurance and causes a few problems should you also choose to leave the property. A certified Electrician will have to re-do every socket you've done for you to receive the proper documents.

http://www.independent.co.uk/propert...n-8548135.html

So as a homeowner you're entitled to do as you please so long as you accept the likelihood that your insurance is now void and should you ever sell up or rent the property they'll all need re-doing by a professional.

If you're a private tenant or council rented then you probably shouldn't be touching a thing.

You're doing the right thing, just let them get on with it and you'll be up to scratch and everything in order.

[Taf]

I saw a (hungover) electrician scratching his head. Hours later he came back to the task and realised he hadn't stripped the wires back!

[Osem]

Originally Posted by adzii_nufc

On another note, someone may be able to shed further light but IIRC without a certified electrician, you've voided any home insurance and you'll never have the appropriate certificates to show the property and electrics are safe regarding said insurance and causes a few problems should you also choose to leave the property. A certified Electrician will have to re-do every socket you've done for you to receive the proper documents.

http://www.independent.co.uk/propert...n-8548135.html

So as a homeowner you're entitled to do as you please so long as you accept the likelihood that your insurance is now void and should you ever sell up or rent the property they'll all need re-doing by a professional.

If you're a private tenant or council rented then you probably shouldn't be touching a thing.

I'd have thought the easiest way around that problem is to pay for a electrical test when the work is done and/or when you come to sell/rent the property. Plenty of electrical companies have junior/trainee staff run/chase cables, fit sockets etc then simply have a fully qualified tradesman check the installation, connect it up and sign it off with the correct certification. Regardless of what electrical work has been done in the past and by whom, it's still historic evidence and in many cases an up to date report would be a good idea anyway.

I don't think any work done by the homeowner has to be 'redone by a qualified electrician' but it needs to be checked and any faults found rectifiedby someone qualified before it could be certified satisfactory.

[adzii_nufc]

Originally Posted by Osem

I'd have thought the easiest way around that problem is to pay for a electrical test when the work is done and/or when you come to sell/rent the property. Plenty of electrical companies have junior/trainee staff run/chase cables, fit sockets etc then simply have a fully qualified tradesman check the installation, connect it up and sign it off with the correct certification.

It’s very common in this industry for a homeowner to ask us to certificate their own electrical work. We won’t do it. The work needs to be carried out by a professional to begin with.

If you’re a homeowner and you carry out your own electrical work, should you ever move or rent your property you will be asked to present all the certification for the electrical work carried out. You cannot obtain the appropriate certification following your own installation of electrical work at a later stage. If someone is injured or a property is damaged your insurance will be invalid if you do not have the appropriate certification to prove the system is safe.

Not sure if that's law or company policy, I think it's the latter. I'm sure some independents will happily do it but it seems reputable companies will want to re-do the work before giving you a thing. Naturally they get paid but it's understandable too. Independents would probably give you more leeway.

The former seems to fall in line with this:

However, should you need to safely certificate the work in accordance with BS7671 wiring regulations and register it with Part P building control for compliance, you will be required to provide evidence that you are a 'competent person' and have carried the work out correctly. You will need to provide certification.

So if you can get someone willing to check it out and sign off on it then you're good to go. I would actually assume people with the intention of leasing out would do this anyway regardless of who carried out work if any. Not quite sure what they would define competent person under though. Just ticking off that you're not 'Bob the builder'

[peterwitness3]

Thanks guys good solid advice.

[adzii_nufc]

Getting someone to check it anyway, you've ultimately went down the right route, it might have been something daft, it could be something else, being unsure it's the right route to go. The most I ever did was way back now, I lived with my Grandmother, I changed a few light fixtures for some fancy ones, British Gas eventually told her that her insurance was now void and that they needed 'replacing', never gave her the chance to argue for someone to just tick them off. Happily they sent the electrician and he literally just re-fitted the same ones at no cost. Naturally they didn't want to lose her £56 a month.

Originally Posted by adzii_nufc

On another note, someone may be able to shed further light but IIRC without a certified electrician, you've voided any home insurance and you'll never have the appropriate certificates to show the property and electrics are safe regarding said insurance and causes a few problems should you also choose to leave the property. A certified Electrician will have to re-do every socket you've done for you to receive the proper documents.

http://www.independent.co.uk/propert...n-8548135.html

So as a homeowner you're entitled to do as you please so long as you accept the likelihood that your insurance is now void and should you ever sell up or rent the property they'll all need re-doing by a professional.

If you're a private tenant or council rented then you probably shouldn't be touching a thing.

You're doing the right thing, just let them get on with it and you'll be up to scratch and everything in order.

Not quite true ,
a certified electrician must be used for *notifiable* works in accordance with part 'p' of the building regs.As of some time in 2014 a non registered electrician can be used as long as they get a registered electrician within 5 days to certify the works.If the homeowner chooses to do notifyable works they will find it very hard to find a certified electrician to give the appropriate certificates and yes it can affect your home insurance

**notifiable works are changing consumer units or adding circuits that sort of thing ,not changing the socket switches although i have seen many diy horror stories from simple tasks like changing sockets and moving cables so if in doubt get an electrician .

A internet and tv forum is not the place to get electrical advice when your project has gone wrong ,Yellow pages under 'E' is where to go

---------- Post added at 19:37 ---------- Previous post was at 19:32 ----------

Originally Posted by Osem

I don't think any work done by the homeowner has to be 'redone by a qualified electrician' but it needs to be checked and any faults found rectifiedby someone qualified before it could be certified satisfactory.

It will be difficult to find a certified electrician to certify a job done by a non electrician .You will get qualified electricians checking and certifying trainees work because they have overseen the work but for a homeowner to get a certificate after the installation is almost impossible and rightly so .There could be hidden issues that could cause the wiring to fail certification but the electrician cannot detect them because the works have been completed

[Osem]

Interesting. Yes I'm sure it could be difficult however it wouldn't be necessary for a certified electrician to re-do an entire installation just to inspect it properly, replace suspect wiring etc. and rectify faults. Of course they'd quite like to charge for a complete rewire wherever possible...

Are we really saying that in practical terms the only way for, say, a landlord renting out property without certification for any notifiable works undertaken since 2014 to comply with the requirements of his insurance is to have that property completely rewired regardless of the quality of work which has been done?