When Do I Need a Certified Tradesperson and When Not

kiwibayer on 15/12/2020 - 10:10

Hey Braintrust,

I recently bought a property and am now thinking about all the wonderful ways of spending money on it to make it more modern.
I'm originally from Germany where we just go to the local Bunnings, pickup whatever we want to repair (incl. plumbing and electrical) and go on with our lives …

Issue here is that I understand I'm not allowed to do any plumbing work and / or electrical work on my own house in Oz.

Is there any guidance and what I'm actually allowed and were the limits are of what a home DYI handyman is allowed to do?

e.g.
I'm allowed to change a lightbulb but not the wiring of the light.
Am I allowed to change the light switch? (e.g. replace it with a smart switch)

I'm assuming I am allowed to change my shower head.
Does that mean i can change the whole shower system and the basin mixers as I don't touch the valves?

are there any other areas were I'm not allowed to do use my DYI skills?

Thanks all

Home & Garden

Comments

  • PissLUR on 15/12/2020 - 10:15

    if you are confident in doing those things. go-ahead. all risks on you, but it definitely worth the money and effort.

  • [Deactivated] on 15/12/2020 - 10:22
    +1

    You can do whatever you like, but maybe dont tinker with electricity if you have nfi

  • Keplaffintech on 15/12/2020 - 11:17
    +2

    For electrical, you're not allowed to add new or modify existing fixtures/panels/cabling, or even run any cabling within walls/roofs. That includes data cabling. You can change light globes, just as you can plug in appliances into existing sockets. That's about it.

    Yes the regulations are quite strict, but remember you're also not allowed to go over the speed limit on the roads. It comes down to your tolerance for obeying the law / facing the risks.

  • brad1-8tsi on 15/12/2020 - 12:50

    Electrical:
    You can't make a connection.
    You can run cables, mount switches, hang lights in accordance with the Australian Standard (AS3000/2018 IIRC) but you need a licenced electrician to do the connection into power AND to certify it in writing. This is where you may have difficulties finding a sparky willing to do this.

    I did all the wiring on an extension in one of my old places. My BIL came and inspected and certified it.

    Personally, I do a wiring diagram with colour codes first and work out how much load I'm adding to the circuit. If I don't understand it, I don't do it. Switches, light installs, GPOs are all pretty simple. I also hard wired in our oven when it died.

    Plumbing, I'll change taps, fix toilets, replace flex hoses, tap washers. Beyond that is too messy although the solderless stuff has made things easier.

    • kiwibayer on 15/12/2020 - 14:29

      thanks,

      makes sense.
      I'm a electrician by trade (but not certified in Oz) so it feels a bit strange that I can't exchange simple things like powerpoints / switches myself.
      However, the point with drawing it up and providing it to the electrician is a good point.

  • Transient on 15/12/2020 - 13:12
    +2

    Each State has its own rules as to when a certified plumber or electrician is required. The rules are meant to reduce risk of death / injury and property damage. As a general rule: anything involving mains power (ie, from street power to power socket) requires an electrician, eg, rewiring, replacing mains sockets, light switches. For plumbing, depending on where you live, replacing taps is ok, eg, NSW: https://www.sydneywater.com.au/sw/your-home/moving--renovati….

    If you need to hire a plumber or electrician, it pays to obtain several quotes. When I needed a plumber to source and replace a solar hot water pump, quotes ranged from $600 to +$1,000. To install an external security floodlight, $120 to $400.

    Using a service to list a job saves a lot of time and effort (eg, I used ServiceSeeking a few years ago for the above jobs). No charge to the customer (at least back then). Received about 5 quotes in the first hour.

    The cheapest quotes may not always do a proper job. Be prepared to fix some minor problems yourself as the cheapest quotes may not bother to come out again. Customer feedback also helps you choose which quote to accept. The more expense quotes tend to cover additional costs (eg, advertising, central call centre, insurance, warranty claims, etc) but may give better peace of mind (eg, future call outs to fix are covered in the contract).

    Try to think ahead if you have several things need doing, (eg, replace power points (from single to double), additional power points, converting downlights, main board safety switch) as cheaper to get a quote for the whole lot. Also from memory, after completion, the electrician also provides a blue form which certifies the job was completed by a certified electrician.

    Google is your friend.

    Good luck!

    • kiwibayer on 15/12/2020 - 14:23

      thank you,
      that makes sense.

      Appreciate that you took the time to write this up

      • Transient on 15/12/2020 - 14:25

        No problem :)

  • brendanm on 15/12/2020 - 16:35

    Get a qualified tradesperson when you aren't confident you have the skills to do it yourself.

  • Brian McGee on 16/12/2020 - 13:58

    It might turn from DIY (Do It Yourself) to DYI (Do Yourself In)

  • Euphemistic on 17/12/2020 - 12:30

    Rule of thumb:
    Electrical: if you need to use a screwdriver or pliers you need a sparky. Changing light fittings that are plugged into a PowerPoint is all good, changing switch to a smart one isn’t.
    Plumbing: if you can unscrew it you are good to go. Ie change taps, shower heads etc but not move or add connection points

    Having said that, I may or may not have followed my own advice, but what I learned from a licenced electrician advises my limits.

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