Illegality of repairing electrical equipment

[craigb]

Has it got a spring reverb in it? They make a lovely sound if you try to move the amp while it's turned on. Fender Chorus

Nah, it's just a little 5 watter.
Cool little amp though and the web is full of instructions on how to modify it.

I don't think anybody has made a spring reverb mod for it but then again it wouldn't surprise me if somebody had.

[craigb]

Here is some of the fun you can have with tubes/valves... seeing as it is a wood working forum.... Oh and I also did all the covering and the electronics as well. It is a 5F6A 1959 Fender Bassman clone (not a kit either I purchased all the individual components and made the turrent board and all. The finised amp is pictured with my Scot Wise guitar ( a luthier from Margaret River WA)

Nice job mate!

[bpj1968]

Unfortunately legislation is not the easiest thing to interpret. Legislation usually has an ACT, which sets out the broad requirments. ACTS have subordinate legislation called, REGULATIONS, which spell out the various componenets. Some ACTS can have several REGULATIONS, as is the case with electircity. To compound it even more some REGULATIONS are intorduced only to amend existing ACTS and/or REGULATIONS.

These are then broken into DIVISIONS and PARTS , like chapters in books. Some sections/regulations only relate to certian DIVISIONS/PARTS and have no effect on other PARTS.

When reading regulations you need to read the entire section as a part of the PART.

Depending on when it was written some legislation is even harder. There was a major re-write around 1958 when they didn't use punctation and flowery legal words no one understands, "to wit" as an example (means namely) Although now written in a more simple English, it is by no means easy for the uneducated in legal writting.

Unforetunatley Sturdee has misinterpreted some of this in the first post

In Victoria the ELECTRICITY SAFETY ACT 1998 - SECT 38 provides that a person must not carry out or offer to carry out or hold out that the person carries out or is willing to carry out any class of electrical work that, under the regulations, is a prescribed class of electrical work for the purposes of this Division unless the person is- (d) licensed .......

Prescribed class of elecrical work is in the Electricity Safety (Installations) Regulations 1999
regulation 301 in particuolar.
This relates to

"electrical installation" means electrical equipment that is fixed or to be fixed in, on, under or over any land;
"electrical installation work" means installation, alteration, repair or maintenance of an electrical installation;

In other words Fixed

"electrical equipment" means any appliance, wire, fitting, cable, conduit or apparatus that generates, uses, conveys or controls (or that is intended to generate, use, convey or control) electricity;

Further Section 57 of the Act states:

Prescribed electrical equipment

(1) Energy Safe Victoria, by notice published in the Government Gazette, may declare that any class, description or type of electrical equipment is, from a date specified in the notice, prescribed electrical equipment for the purposes of this Act.

(2) A person must not supply or offer to supply electrical equipment prescribed under sub-section (1) unless the equipment-

(a) is approved by Energy Safe Victoria and is marked as prescribed .... (etc)

Regulations under this provision made By Energy Safe Victoria are detailed here ........

Peter.

Regulation 57 only applies to products offered for sale, i.e. new.
Every electical appliance offered for sale has to meet certain saftey standrds, eg insulation overheating etc. Much the same way as the ADR's dictate requirements for new cars.

[Toolin Around]

It all comes down to giving advice. Yes we all speed, yes we all understate our incomes, yes we all do our own wiring when nobody is looking. All three are illegal, all three cop penalties if you are caught. The only difference is that no-one on here is giving people practical advice that is encouraging people to lie about their income or break the speed limit.

I don't get why people don't get that...

RIght but you can find plenty of practical advise on how to beat speeding tickets, "hide" money... Pretty well the same thing as saying it maybe illegal but it's all right.

[chrisp]

In other words Fixed

This is also my understanding from the perspective of one who is working in the field (but not a licensed electrician).

Previous contact with the Victorian OCEI (Office of the Chief Electrical Inspector) many years ago, the OCEI effectively told me something like:

Up to the power point - we care, beyond the power point - do what you like.

This was in relation to doing your own (non-fixed wired) appliance work. It maybe different if you are doing it for someone else.

Chris

[Pulse]

The only difference is that no-one on here is giving people practical advice that is encouraging people...

Hey silent, isn't that why they stopped sex education in schools, telling the kids how to do it safely just encouraged them...


Pulse

[silentC]

Did they? I wouldn't know. They only introduced it the year before I left (Miss Carter was a popular favourite amongst us kids) and neither of my kids is old enough to do it yet.

Fortunately people do take the laws governing who you can do it with and under what circumstances a bit more seriously than some other laws. And you get to go to jail if you break them.

[dsquire]

Yeah Toolin around, I think so too. I couldn't get over the angst associated with electricity when i moved here. In Canada we used to do anything we wanted to our own home wiring-the theory being that the consequences of screwing it up were an obvious deterrent to bodgy work.

There are plenty of books on the subject that provide enough knowledge to, with the proper mind set and tools, do a first class job of the basic things. I have wired houses and factories and industrial machines and boiler controls and rebuilt motors and phase converters and appliances. I don't feel like a criminal, but rather a productive and self reliant citizen for doing these things.

I wonder, is there a similar prohibition on doing your own brake job then driving down my street? Or flying your own aeroplane over my house? No? I guess I need to belong to a stronger guild.

The statute as quoted above does not define "connect", and thus is an example of a bad law in both concept and wording. As it stands it is too vague to be enforced, or at least so says my lawyer friend.

Cheers

Greg, (who can find no difference in the rate of electrocutions or building fires between Australia and Canada.)

I realize that the laws are probably much different in Australia and Canada but one law that should be universal is common sense which is what I try to use.

I'm not a licensed electrician, mechanic, plumber, or carpenter. I am a jack of all trades, master of none. Ever since I have owned a car I have said that if I had to pay someone else to fix it I could not afford to drive so I fixed it myself. Rebuilt motors, transmissions, brakes etc. Have even bought 2 identical cars, 1 front end wrecked and the other with rear end wrecked. Stripped them down as necessary and cut them in half then welded the 2 good parts together, painted the whole veichle same colour and put the striped parts back on and had a car that was less than a year old at about 1/3rd the price of buying one. Most people had to be shown where I joined them before they would believe it.

When it comes to plumbing or electrical I still do most of my own repairs or installations. Depending on what it is, it may have to be inspected but that has never been a problem. If an electrical switch, a receptecle, new plug on cord, new ceiling fan etc. needs replacing or installing I am the one that is going to do it. If I had to call a plumber or electrician every time I need a new switch or the plumbing needs fixing I'd be in the poor house in short order.

I have been blessed to have good mechanical ability/knowledge. It is not something that everyone has. If you don't feel comfortable doing something, then don't do it. I have a brother in law that is a bank manager. He knows money and how to invest but I doubt that he knows the difference between a switch and a receptecle. He would never attempt any of the above. He calls me or an electrician.

Don

[lesmeyer]

As it is, there is not enough sparkys to do the work (especially in WA where we have a great shortage of tradies of all sorts). I cannot wait 2 months to get a sparky to fit a new light.
It is only 2 wires after all. (well also the erfy, but no polarity required for lights - I think)
Les

[himzol]

As it is, there is not enough sparkys to do the work (especially in WA where we have a great shortage of tradies of all sorts). I cannot wait 2 months to get a sparky to fit a new light.
It is only 2 wires after all. (well also the erfy, but no polarity required for lights - I think)
Les

Unless you find yourself on the wrong side of the switch, thinking it's off.

[Greg Q]

As it is, there is not enough sparkys to do the work (especially in WA where we have a great shortage of tradies of all sorts). I cannot wait 2 months to get a sparky to fit a new light.
It is only 2 wires after all. (well also the erfy, but no polarity required for lights - I think)
Les

I know (or think) that Les is joking...but it raises the point that if you aren't going to learn how to do it at least as well as a real sparky, don't do it. You have a responsibility to yourself and the next guy to do it correctly, and not make mistakes like swapping active and neutral leads.

[lesmeyer]

Yes, it is tongue in cheek the comments. Seriously, some electrical work I do myself. I am a trained telecomms technician and we were taught electricity as well. When I can do the job just as well or even better than a sparky, I will do it myself. I do get a very good sparky in for jobs that need new circuits etc. I know how to handle electricity and also know what all the wires are for (including the various specs).
I also do wish to state that if one is in any way uncertain about what to do in this regard, get a sparky to do the job.
As far as all the legalities are concerned, I do not wish to stir the hornets nest. The laws that tell me what I can and cannot do is insulting to me. It is better that I ignore them and not discuss them.
Regards
Les

[China]

I can't comment on the legilslation, but when runing my sharpening shop I recieved many requests to repair animal clippers ( yes electric ones), I contacted the office of the technical regulater in SA. I was informed in writing that no licence of any sort is required to work on "non permananlty wired" electrical appliances in SA

[Bodgy]

The good old Australian Nanny State.

I beleive in the US anyone can do the wiring you just need a sparkie to connect up.

Probably like the legal profession (QC's), doctors (College membership) the sparkie profession first collective imperative is to ensure enough work for their members.

I say 'thank God for earth leakage detectors'

[silentC]

The previous arguments about legislation and control notwithstanding, there are a number of reasons why we should have control over who does electrical work, and only the least important of those is that sparkies should be garaunteed jobs.

I've said it before and I'll say it again: go down to Bunnings on a Saturday or Sunday and take a look around you at the people shopping there. Do you really want these people installing powerpoints in your future house, or your kid's next rental?