How Much Electrical Work Can I Do Myself

There s a lot of conflicting advice out there regarding what we re allowed to do ourselves and what has to be left to a professional.

How much electrical work can i do myself.

There is a chance you may have some electrical acumen but unless you are absolutely confident you know what you are doing it is better to call an electrician. What are the main electrical repairs you can do yourself at your home. Yet if you have any inclination electrical work. Carrying out your own electrical work can be tempting.

Can i do electrical work myself. For a full list of the electrical repairs you can do on your home please refer to regulation 57 of the electricity safety regulations 2010 external link. For further advice and information go to electrical safety first. Although the 2010 electrical safety regulations act allows you to carry out certain jobs yourself that does not mean it is safe to do so.

This would entail the purchase of the necessary test equipment and the knowledge to use it. No matter how modern your property is a time will come when electrical work is needed. If you plan to carry out work yourself make sure you have the right electricians tools to do the job safely. We suggest using these tools as a minimum for electrical work.

Many do it yourself home renovators are unafraid to take up a hammer and saw but may balk when it comes to electrical repairs do it yourself electrical work rightfully so can be a daunting project and it s no shame at all to call in a qualified electrician for even the smallest project such as installing a light switch or changing an outlet. In order to decide whether you need a certified professional to handle the electrical work think about whether the work is covered by the building regulations. Basically you can do what you like in your own house as long as you are competent. They mostly focus on partial and full rewires.

You may not need a permit for minor maintenance or replacements such as a fuse or light. However new wiring and electrical outlets usually require a permit. To test for the presence of power you should use an approved voltage detector. Make sure you use a vde 1000v screwdriver to protect you from any shocks.

According to electrical safety first the leading charity campaigning on electrical safety matters almost half of electric shocks described as severe were as a result of diy errors. These need to be signed off by your local authority and given to a certified electrician. It is however preferable to have the altered circuit tested in accordance with bs7671 although not mandatory and a certificate issued for the work done. The work you can do includes.