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Those of you who use sparkies on your electric shower swaps

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WaterTight

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Do you find it a bit of a merry-go-round ballache?

I've been turning them down since word dot because the only way I can imagine doing it is...

spark visits, removes old cable and makes safe.
you visit to fit new shower and connect cold in
he visits again to connect cable and test.

Whereas a part p plumber or plumbing spark would make one visit and be done in no time for a cheaper price.
 
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If anyone wants to help me get my gas experience I will help you get qualified as a sparky. Just let me know if anyone local wants to take up the offer.
 
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Thank you jase158 your info is very intresting we fit loads of insinkerators along with combined w/c & bidets centralheatking
jase158 said:
You don't need to be qualified for like for like, imagine the amount of work you would be turning down!! Valves, showers, boilers, macerators, insinkerators etc etc
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Ugh ! friends with sparks - never met a decent one in 35 years - apart from mad Ian
who after 2 pints on a friday with us became a pretend assin - we left him in the bar on his own
and took our vans down the road to the next pub ! centralheatking
jase158 said:
Become best friends with a sparkie, do a skill swap!!
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Got a sparkie in last week to remove a shower pump and replace with electric shower, needed a new cable and new circuit breaker. He told me to remove the solenoid, replace with flextime and put a lever valve underneath. I was shocked that he not only convinced customer out of using him but also recommended such a ridiculous thing to me!! I nearly told him where to go as he did all this in front of custard and made me look like a scam artist!! I removed the pipes fuse and wires (was fitting combi) and told custard to get it done properly.
 
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Just had a look on new part p and electricians forum and you can now install new wires as well. However you can not install a new circuit, new fuse board or a new cable within certain distance from bath/sink/basin. The only other thing is cookers, you can extend these (new regs say that hobs should be off a fused spur) but you can't replace this cable. Worth a read as I can't see the need for an electrician except to put a new electric shower in. Only thing that I would need is testing as all installations should be tested
 
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WaterTight said:
that course says "Previous electrical experience is advised" and then you click on it to read more and it says "The course assumes no previous electrical knowledge."
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Apologies, I didn't check the content. I am looking to do my Part P also & this was one I had seen on here & in the Williams catalog so figured it may be of some useful reference for you.
 
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WaterTight said:
thanks croft. if a plumber with no elec experience or knowledge bought this and read it closely would he know the proceedure for changing elec showers and pumps and which equipment to buy and how to use it? or would it baffle him with tech jargon and assume he knew phrases and terms he didn't?
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Hi,

probably not to be honest. It describes the tests in detail but to be honest knowing how to interpret the results is the important.

EG poor insulation resistance on shower circuit. Traced issue to shower isolator that was broken and arcing was taking place between line and neutral. A fire waiting to happen but you pick it up by knowing whay the test results tell you.

Yes, you can change an electric shower without any certificates. Bear in mind though that no other circuit in a house carries as much current though. Whoever touches a circuit last is responsible for ensuring it is left safe from a legal perspective. I guess no different to gas .

I do understand how difficult it is to find a good spark to work with though.
 
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Even on a like for like replacement of the shower, what if there was no rcd protection required when the original shower was put in, there is a requirement now, how are you to know that the original work was done correctly I.e. Line and neutral correctly done, correct type of switch used, correctly sized protective device, equipment correctly earthed. The testing is there to protect you as well.
dont forget a room containing a bath or shower is classed as a special location. There are specific regs covering them.
do the course or get some one in, litigation is the name of the game nowadays.
 
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its quite simple to do a straight swap safely with the correct equipment. what i would look to be able to do at a min is to be able to spot obvious faults. Stuff like wrong sized cable, incorrect isolation, poor protective device. Anything that looks off and i would get a qualified sparks to check it or recommend an upgrade.

i dont know what you learn on a part p course, but i cant see the point of one to just change shower like for like, just read up and use common sense.
 
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