Major flaw with Part P and the IEEE

It seems Joe Bloggs dosn't know anything about it, and its only the people that keep up to date with the IEEE wiring regulations that know about part P.

So the people it designed to protect are clueless meanwhile perfectly able DIYers are being made crinimals by this stupid new law.

 

Correct, they were told that when it was proposed.

 

It just makes me quite angry, I know what I can and cannot do, I would never attempt to rewire a fuse box for example although I know how to it I also know a lot can go wrong.

However it annoys me what I am technicaly a crininal for adding a plug socket even when I know what spur to add it to and make sure wires are laid in a stright line, make sure the earth cable is sleeved and all the rest of it.

I also don't know of a single person who has stopped doing DIY wiring because of this law.

It just feels like I have been crinimalised for my hobby.

 

The wording of part P is ambigious anyway. It requires a "competant person". Does an EE degree count?

I installed my own consumer unit, possibly in contravention of part P.

Which would they prefer? That I do the work myself (and do a good job), or that I leave an unsafe, outdated system in place (ie fuses rather than RCDs)?

 

No one would dream of installing gas fittings themselves, so it should be with electrical fittings. The regulations were overdue to prevent utterly incompetent bodgers risking the lives of someone else some years down the line.

 

on a similar vein - been redecorating the lounge, removed a cast iron fire surround to repaint it with eggshell. first time this has been removed since i bought the house 6 years ago. discovered that in fact this had not been installed properly, had not been sealed to the wall etc. behind the cast iron was black and charred plasterwork, burned by the open fire.
oops. now getting the whole fireplace ripped out and redone again by a HETAS registered installer, as I cant guarantee that any of the installation is correct / safe.