When not to DIY – if you think you can turn your hand to electrical work – think again!

Most people will turn their hand to certain DIY jobs like painting and decorating, maybe joinery work and even some plumbing. However, for those that think that they can turn their hand to electrical work – please think again. Every year in the UK, there are fatalities and thousands injured due to faulty electrics in the home. Unsafe electrical installations lead to fires and electric shocks, which is why Steve Owens, MD at Buzz Electrical advises that it’s not a good idea to try to save money by carrying out electrical work yourself.

Rewiring of your home :

If a property has not already been rewired within the last 25-30 years, the chances are it will need upgrading at least in part, in order to bring it up to current IEE standards. The wiring may be potentially dangerous and may not be able to cope with the demands of modern living. This is a skilled job that takes a qualified electrician several days to do professionally. At Buzz Electrical, we go to great lengths to ensure that your home is rewired as quickly and with as less disruption as possible to minimise any inconvenience.

Fuse Board Upgrades:

Fuse Boards are also commonly known as Consumer Units and distribution boards. There are several reasons why you may require a replacement: -

· Your current Distribution board does not have an RCD protection (residual current device). This is a sensitive safety device that switches off electricity automatically in a fraction of a second if it detects any electrical fault on your circuit, or the smallest of current changes. This minimises the risk of electrical fires, electrocution or electrical shocks.

·Your Distribution board meter tails to your supplier meter & earth pipework bonding are up to the latest regulations.

· Your Distribution board is more than 10 years old. Fuses or Circuit breakers can age through use, therefore if it is older than 10 years you should get it checked by a qualified electrician.

After installation, there must be full testing & certification of the system and this can only be undertaken by a skilled electrician with the latest qualifications & accreditations, preferably an approved NICEIC contractor.

New socket installations :

Whilst these might seem easy to install, there should be a full test of the circuits after installation to ensure that there is no overloading of the circuit and all works conform to BS7671 2008 Amendment 3. of the IEE regulations.

All Electrical works carried out in a domestic property requires notification to your local Building control Department, known as Approved Part P of the building regulations 2013. (This Part P document is asked for when selling a property).
It is recommended that in the first instance, an Electrical Installation condition report & test is normally recommended, this will confirm that all circuits, accessories & distribution boards are satisfactory and conform to BS7671-2008 Amendment 3.
Buzz electrical Ltd, will be happy to quote for this report, normally without visiting the property, please ring or e mail for a verbal or written fixed price quotation. This will be followed by a further quotation for any remedial works or rewiring , if the installation is found to be unsatisfactory.

It is important to get recommendations or testimonials for the electrician you have chosen. Buzz Electrical Ltd are a NICEIC fully approved Electrical Contractor, so you can be sure of a professional service and full peace of mind. Get in touch for a free no obligation quotation today.