Electrical Engineer allowed to do Electrical work?

[willijimon]

hi,m
Have been reading in some other posts and the Electrical Safety Act 2002 that Electrical Engineers are able to carry out household electrical works? IS this true or have I misread the info? Also if this is the case, ie that electrical work can be carried out by an engineer, how does one get a cert of compliance.

Thanks

[3D Meatshield]

Engineers are incapable of getting their hands dirty.

[Plane Wrappers]

Ask you question here.
A great bunch of guys.
http://forums.mikeholt.com/index.php

[phippsj]

I do electrical wiring work in my home and I'm not an electrical engineer, so it must not be true.:197:

[willijimon]

Thanks

[robertp17]

A little of topic but still ironic all the same:

Just in case you need a laugh:
Remember it takes a college degree to fly a plane, but only a high school diploma to fix one; a reassurance to those of us who fly routinely in our jobs. After every flight, UPS pilots fill out a form, called a 'gripe sheet,' which tells mechanics about problems with the aircraft. The mechanics correct the problems, document their repairs on the form, and then pilots review the gripe sheets before the next flight.

Never let it be said that ground crews lack a sense of humor. Here are some actual maintenance complaints submitted by UPS ' pilots (marked with a P) and the solutions recorded (marked with an S) by maintenance engineers.

By the way, UPS is the only major airline that has never, ever, had an accident.

P: Left inside main tire almost needs replacement.
S: Almost replaced left inside main tire.
*
P: Test flight OK, except auto-land very rough.
S: Auto-land not installed on this aircraft.
*
P: Something loose in cockpit
S: Something tightened in cockpit
*
P: Dead bugs on windshield.
S: Live bugs on back-order.
*
P: Autopilot in altitude-hold mode produces a 200 feet per minute descent.
S: Cannot reproduce problem on ground.
*
P: Evidence of leak on right main landing gear.
S: Evidence removed.
*
P: DME volume unbelievably loud.
S: DME volume set to more believable
level.
*
P: Friction locks cause throttle levers to stick.
S: That's what friction locks are for.
*
P: IFF inoperative in OFF mode.
S: IFF always inoperative in OFF mode.
*
P: Suspected crack in windshield.
S: Suspect you're right.
*
P: Number 3 engine missing.
S: Engine found on right wing after brief search
*
P: Aircraft handles funny.
S: Aircraft warned to straighten up, fly right and be serious.
*
P: Target radar hums.
S: Reprogrammed target radar with lyrics.
*
P: Mouse in cockpit.
S: Cat installed.
*
And the best one for last...
*
P: Noise coming from under instrument panel. Sounds like a midget pounding on something with a hammer.
S: Took hammer away from midget.

[Pilotpete]

An EE doing electrical work, now that's scary:197:.
Seriously, as far as doing your own work I doubt that there is any restriction, local laws vary, but AFAIK the only requirement for a license is to do commercial work, or any work done for pay, as in don't charge your neighbor to rewire his house if you're not licensed:208:
If you do your own work on home you probably need to have it inspected when completed by the local electrical inspector (most areas, but not all), heck where I live they don't even issue a certificate of occupancy on a home:202:.
Pete

[JoeAirPort]

I changed a light bulb once.

[Tired Old Man]

I know I wouldn't let any mechanical engineer I've ever met anywhere near my car.........

[Cracky]

I changed a light bulb once.


yah, but you had 4 people holding the ladder underneath you walking in circles....

[Greyhoundman]

yah, but you had 4 people holding the ladder underneath you walking in circles....

I thought that was normal, we do it all the time at work

[Cracky]

LOL

[JoeAirPort]

:207::198:

[phippsj]

Actually, I'm a mechanical engineer. I don't know much about electrical. I do know that on anything electrical, if you let out the magic smoke, it won't work anymore!

Oh, we have to bring our own light bulbs to work now. They did away with free light.

[Ed Hornbuckle]

What color is electricity...

[JoeAirPort]

Which way do electrons travel? If they get blocked can they cause a wire to blow up like a balloon?

[johnnyb14]

The short answer is NO.

The system is setup as a very closed shop and doesn't seem to allow for any exemptions for professionally qualified engineers - effectively, the only way to obtain a licence is via an apprenticeship.

In my view, the system is well overdue for an overhaul.

[phippsj]

What color is electricity...

It's red. That's why the live wire is red and the ground is black. But the ground is brown where I live.:confused:

[WangoTango]

I,(crackle) do all (pop) of my (phzzzztttttt) own electrical (jzzzzzzzzittttt) work around my (pow) place!
Why do you ask? I do (gurgle) my own plumbing (drip) too!
WT :195::195:

[staudman]

Where you live has a great ipact on what is allowed...That said I can also tell you it is near impossible to enforce...I live in Michigan and here you need to be an Electrical contractor/Master license holder to pull a permit.But if you dont pull a permit they cant just walk in your home...As a State Licensed Journeyman electrician I can only legally work for a electrical contractor...but the contractor is not bound to hire licensed journeymen electricians....I do have 20 years as a licensed Journeyman electrician and 33 years as a UAW Maintenance Journeyman electrician...I also Worked for a Licensed Contractor for a few years to round out my experience...But I am not alloweed to pull a permit for residential work...The homeowner must pay inflated rates to the Licensed Contractor..and nowadays it is an expense they cant afford..So around here they dont do the work..and then the house burns down!!!(worst case)OOPSIE!!Anyway...get a code book...and read it...What work are you looking to do??Service changeout??Branch circuit?Re-wire??That info would help.Mike S

[johnnyb14]

The short answer is NO.

The system is setup as a very closed shop and doesn't seem to allow for any exemptions for professionally qualified engineers - effectively, the only way to obtain a licence is via an apprenticeship.

In my view, the system is well overdue for an overhaul.

[Greyhoundman]

The short answer is NO.

The system is setup as a very closed shop and doesn't seem to allow for any exemptions for professionally qualified engineers - effectively, the only way to obtain a licence is via an apprenticeship.

In my view, the system is well overdue for an overhaul.

You sound bitter, cheer up a little. Anybody can take a test to become a licensed electrician, Get a current code book and become familiar with it, IT IS AN OPEN BOOK TEST, you don't necessarily have to know the book from cover to cover, you simply have to know where to look to find the answer and interpret the language of the code as it is not always a straight forward answer. Ultimately if you do work that satisfies the code but is not done in a neat and workman like manner you will still fail an inspection, and NEVER PISS OFF AN INSPECTOR they will make your life hell. Oh by the way I am an electrician, sparky's are not required to be individually licensed in the state of Missouri only the company needs to hold a license. The ELECTRICAL ENGINEER that holds the license for the company I work for has never worked a day in his life out in the field or through an apprenticeship program.

[aramsdell]

N.H. and Maine.. 4 years of apprenticeship then you can test for your journeyman's license. Can't pull a permit in either state without a master's.

[danielgpr]

Engineers are incapable of getting their hands dirty.

No offence to anyone but,
most engineers are best sticking to driving trains and staying out of the real world.

[2walla]

Homeowner has the right to get a permit and do his own work... Just has to pass inspection. To get a liscence you may be able to count some of your ABET acredited schooling as apprentice time- depends on the state.. Most electrical engineers I know couldn't make a spark if they tried!

[aramsdell]

I'm with Danielgpr,
I've done commercial/industrial for 23 years. Sometime you just can't build what they draw.:19aa:

[dirtybird]

I am a graduate EE.
Not one of the courses I took in college covered proper installation of wiring.
I call an electrician to do my wiring.
They are different disciplines.

[McFlymaster]

I too am an EE and I thought the whole idea was to NOT have to do electrical work at home!!! This being said I agree with dirtybird as I have an undergraduate and a masters degree in this stuff and I never saw a breaker box or a anything having to do with home electrical work...so my answer to the original question is NO...Always call a licensed electrician....