First topic message reminder :

There has been a lot of chat of late about doing the odd DIY project.

My best recommendation on this is a very firm DON'T.

In my training to become a Health &
Safety Professional we had to learn the good and bad practices that have been apparent in the past. There is (maybe was)a place called the Health &
Safety Exhibition in Horseferry Road in London, in this place there is book called "
Book 13"
. In this book there are pictures of the results of mal/ bad practice. Some;
not all resulted in death. It was an eye opener and I'm not going to inform you all of some of the stupid things that have been done. As a result of some the acts of bad practice people were prosecuted and some sent to prison. I'm not going to stop anyone on here from giving good advice. But I must repeat yet again if you are Not qualified in the task that you are thinking of having done then seek advice and get a quote from a professional. Electricity, Heating, Ventilation and all other types of work have there inherent dangers. Electricity can KILL, Hot water can scaled maybe resulting in death. This is not meant as scare tactics but please be careful. I know one or two of you will say this is not the UK. But the end results are always the same when something goes wrong, there is injury or death. I started my working life as an Electrician working my way up through several trades. I have been away from my vocational skills for such a long period of time that I will now call upon skilled persons to undertake work on my house. Admitted I watch them like a hawk but I have had to accept that things have trod on a march since I was last "
hands on"
.

I feel I keep plugging the same theme but as some TV presenter once said "
Be safe out there"

i would like to ask Tony what he saw as regards to docs that the people that put hes doors in were trades men where did they come from and what qualifications did they show just interested. As i have seen over in Bulgaria there is not much to hanging a door especially when half the work is done for you in the workshop,come on Tony you keep saying about Trades men but these were Bulgarians how does that work ,You cant keep banging on about Tradesmen and then because someone does a good job in your home there a Tradesmen.As to the other person talking about electrics ,yes you can do them your self in the UK but you can only get a certificate saying a periodic test which is 10% of the house ,you can only get a full cert if the person is qualified and they carried out the work.

will666 wrote:

Can you legaly install things like electrical sockets , light fittings, cables etc in your own house in bulgaria? or does it need certification?

In the UK Ive rewired 2 of our houses and have always done all electrical work but now you need a certificate to say you can do it

Is it like this in Bulgaria or can anyone do it? in there own house? ( or is it a case of you cant but nobody will ever know? )

A simple answer to this question is yes, but unless you understand the way that Bulgarians wire their properties then you really shouldn't do it yourself, I would also add that under no circumstances unless you are qualified to do so should you carry out any electrical work, its alright thinking that you may know enough to do what is you want but remember you are dealing with not only your life but that of others too. I know that in the UK there are many that carry out their own work and in some cases get away with it but there are also those who don't. Unfortunately in Bulgaria there isn't regulation at the moment in most places but it will come. My advice is get a qualified person to do the work for you and know that you and your family are safe.

bapps wrote:

i would like to ask Tony what he saw as regards to docs that the people that put hes doors in were trades men where did they come from and what qualifications did they show just interested. As i have seen over in Bulgaria there is not much to hanging a door especially when half the work is done for you in the workshop,come on Tony you keep saying about Trades men but these were Bulgarians how does that work ,You cant keep banging on about Tradesmen and then because someone does a good job in your home there a Tradesmen.As to the other person talking about electrics ,yes you can do them your self in the UK but you can only get a certificate saying a periodic test which is 10% of the house ,you can only get a full cert if the person is qualified and they carried out the work.

Hi bapps can you tell me what qualifications you hold in the electrical industry.

As to what qualifications i have in the electrical area none as to experience in the area 30 years as to what goes on in the electrical area plenty, being that i project manage ,i know what your going to say about being qualified its does also mean about being competent,the question by the other person was what you can do in the uk i have explained what you can do and what goes on ,was i wrong in the way it works in the UK.I see people come on with all the qualifications but still don't know how set out there work which will come in time ,and i understand the importance of safety, but you will never stop people taking on work they no nothing about and its dangerous but it goes on, every one is entitled to make mistakes ,and i have seen enough qualified people make some of the biggest,you can get certificate but you cant buy experience.
A message to every one, what they are trying say don't touch what you don't know especially if your background is not in construction it can do harm.
Also the last comment i should of said if electrics are carried out by yourself it would be at your own risk,and to seek a cert it would only be a periodic cert
i am not condolning people to carry out just stating a fact,as to Bulgaria ther are regs to.

bapps wrote:

i would like to ask Tony what he saw as regards to docs that the people that put hes doors in were trades men where did they come from and what qualifications did they show just interested. As i have seen over in Bulgaria there is not much to hanging a door especially when half the work is done for you in the workshop,come on Tony you keep saying about Trades men but these were Bulgarians how does that work ,You cant keep banging on about Tradesmen and then because someone does a good job in your home there a Tradesmen.As to the other person talking about electrics ,yes you can do them your self in the UK but you can only get a certificate saying a periodic test which is 10% of the house ,you can only get a full cert if the person is qualified and they carried out the work.

I think that the difference with Carpentry and Electrics is that you are not going to get killed by a splinter. Plus I did not ask what docs they had as I did not have to. They are (the doors) custom made and fitted. I find your style in questioning rather pointed and unnecessary. Having taught in a training centre with hands on vocational Electrical and Mechanical trades and then to have taught the theory in the same subjects including H&
S I think I am qualified enough to know a good skilled worker, are you in that same position. I also having had to train to become a Health &
Safety professional attaining qualifications to NEBOSH can also identify someone that is working in an unsafe manner, can you.

Hi bapps can you tell me what qualifications you hold in the electrical industry ? . I know this one Netsniper and the answer is the same for his plumbing skills . none . There is a lot to be said for someone that knows why as well as how to do a job and the technical bit is what these people dont know . But they all talk a good job a little knowlege and all that . My house has three phase coming into it and that will kill .

OK its time to stop this bickering. The DIY risks in doing Electrical work are clear for all to see.

As far as this Forum is concerned with DIY it stands for DON'T INJURE YOURSELF

As for bapps and John asking about qualifications can you please carry on with this by PM.

I have much better things to do than write PMS all day . I read a book about diy heart surgery last night and a have a hole waiting room to deal with . I have just watched doctor at sea again for the tenth time so i feel more than qualified . If this doesn't make me a few LB i will take up dentistry .

bapps wrote:

As to what qualifications i have in the electrical area none as to experience in the area 30 years as to what goes on in the electrical area plenty

having spent over 50 years in the Electrical trade I have to say that regardless of your experience unless you also know the theory and you are qualified to sign off installations then it counts for nothing and anyone offering advice about electrical installations without the required qualifications should be totally ignored, lets be serious here would anyone on the forum ask their postman to perform an operation on them just because he is a member of St Johns ambulance with years of experience? No! you wouldn't so why ask someone who says they have X experience in X trade to do the work or ask them for advice anyone worth their salt would simply say "
I would suggest you talk to a suitably qualified person"

There are plenty of well qualified electricians in Bulgaria and they don't charge the earth like some of the Brits so why not get a qualified Bulgarian electrician to do the work for you at least they know their own stuff.

Well said , wall papering painting and that sort of thing is OK for the diy odd job . or if you work alongside a person that can put you right and you are just a pair of hands . I have been in engineering for over 40 years but if i dont know i ask that's the difference a cowboy will just do it . Be it structural electrical or beyond his knowledge . They just bluff it out and give advice on the Internet . I have a Bulgarian to do my electrical work he is very slow and methodical and not that cheap by Bulgarian standards but good .

Very well said John :Congtrats:I never understand why people who come to Bulgaria are so insistent on using some of the so called trades people, yes they are needed in some cases but lets be honest the Bulgarians have managed for years without any intervention from the western world so why all of a sudden do we see these "
Professionals? "
coming along and saying they know better just because they were some sort of handyman in the uk? In most cases I think its a case of "
needs must"

I think you have hit the nail on the head there Noddy

Why is it that people will not listen to those who offer good advice, I've seen this so many times on all forums but for some reason people think its ok to do this sort of thing and never to worry about what might happen its all to sad in most cases.

I remember a bumper sticker in the USA by the electricans union that said "
ELECTRICAL WIRING IS NOT A HOBBY "

joseph wrote:

I remember a bumper sticker in the USA by the electricans union that said "
ELECTRICAL WIRING IS NOT A HOBBY "

Well said mate