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DIY home improvements - allowed?

DIY home improvements - allowed?

Old Mar 19th 2005, 3:00 pm
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Default DIY home improvements - allowed?

Are there any restrictions to carrying out diy property improvements in Australia like minor building, plumbing or electrical work? Like in the UK from January restrictions on electrical work?

Cheers
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Old Mar 19th 2005, 3:09 pm
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Default Re: DIY home improvements - allowed?

Originally Posted by jumbo
Are there any restrictions to carrying out diy property improvements in Australia like minor building, plumbing or electrical work? Like in the UK from January restrictions on electrical work?

Cheers
Put it this way, you are not actually allowed to change a plug (electrical type as in on a hairdryer) by yourself.

Not sure on all the rules but if you aren't allowed to change a plug I should think there are many other day to day things you cannot do.

Strange though that you can still buy plugs so I thought that it might be a myth but I asked the guy in the shop and he assured me that it is correct.

Kala
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Old Mar 19th 2005, 6:51 pm
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Default Re: DIY home improvements - allowed?

Originally Posted by jumbo
Are there any restrictions to carrying out diy property improvements in Australia like minor building, plumbing or electrical work? Like in the UK from January restrictions on electrical work?

Cheers

I'm a plumber so if work as registered all my work has to be supervised. Does this mean i can't do unsupervised plumbing in my own house?
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Old Mar 19th 2005, 8:27 pm
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Default Re: DIY home improvements - allowed?

Originally Posted by fraser
I'm a plumber so if work as registered all my work has to be supervised. Does this mean i can't do unsupervised plumbing in my own house?
Not sure about that one but was speaking to an electrician who has been in the business a good few years.
He is unable to officially test his own home circuit or appliances.
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Old Mar 19th 2005, 10:28 pm
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Default Re: DIY home improvements - allowed?

Regarding changing plugs there is practically no information out there I could find apart from this booklet from the WA energysafety website:

http://www.energysafety.wa.gov.au/en...ords_plugs.pdf

If you look down the right side of page 2 it says plugs can be replaced. This may or may not be true for other states but there is no clear information on any of their websites.

I do know from the regulations which I think were introduced in 2002 that it is illegal for a householder to do any electrical work on their property, by which they include loosening sockets/light switches to decorate.

Regarding the comment above about an electrcian not being able to test his own wiring, this is true as he would need an Electrical Inspector's Licence which involves more exams and fees.

As far as I know, any plumbing work here at all must be carried out by a licensed plumber (and all plumbers need to have gas certification I believe)
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Old Mar 20th 2005, 7:53 am
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Default Re: DIY home improvements - allowed?

Originally Posted by Flying Banana
Regarding changing plugs there is practically no information out there I could find apart from this booklet from the WA energysafety website:

http://www.energysafety.wa.gov.au/en...ords_plugs.pdf

If you look down the right side of page 2 it says plugs can be replaced. This may or may not be true for other states but there is no clear information on any of their websites.

I do know from the regulations which I think were introduced in 2002 that it is illegal for a householder to do any electrical work on their property, by which they include loosening sockets/light switches to decorate.

Regarding the comment above about an electrcian not being able to test his own wiring, this is true as he would need an Electrical Inspector's Licence which involves more exams and fees.

As far as I know, any plumbing work here at all must be carried out by a licensed plumber (and all plumbers need to have gas certification I believe)
Do you, or anyone else, have any references to which regulations might apply?

Thanks
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Old Mar 20th 2005, 7:57 am
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Default Re: DIY home improvements - allowed?

Originally Posted by jumbo
Do you, or anyone else, have any references to which regulations might apply?

Thanks
This thread covers what a few of the rules......
http://britishexpats.com/forum/showthread.php?t=261775
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Old Mar 21st 2005, 1:50 pm
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Default Re: DIY home improvements - allowed?

Originally Posted by jumbo
Are there any restrictions to carrying out diy property improvements in Australia like minor building, plumbing or electrical work? Like in the UK from January restrictions on electrical work?

Cheers
Surely no one could stop you - or would even know?
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Old Mar 21st 2005, 1:58 pm
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Default Re: DIY home improvements - allowed?

Originally Posted by Ozbound7
Surely no one could stop you - or would even know?
The problem arises - as I think we covered in that thread I posted the link to - if you have a fire, they will blame it on the plug you changed. You know what inssurance companies are like, they will wriggle out of anything. Have a read of the stuff by cresta57, he did his research really well.
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Old Mar 21st 2005, 2:18 pm
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Default Re: DIY home improvements - allowed?

planning permission will be needed for pretty much anything... my parents needed planning permission from the council to change an existing verandah into an enclosed room. Self-builders will need a licence with their local council too. A great many things are restricted/controlled/licenced to reduce the number of cowboys out there doing stupid things to houses....

I remember seeing a programme here recently, DIY disasters or something? BBC2 it might have been, and someone had done their own 'loft conversion' and had removed the cross-braces for the roof!!! House ended up being condemed!! :scared:
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Old Mar 21st 2005, 2:22 pm
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Default Re: DIY home improvements - allowed?

Originally Posted by jumbo
Do you, or anyone else, have any references to which regulations might apply?

Thanks
Some good links here: http://www.technicalregulator.sa.gov...k_reg_faq.html

Originally Posted by Ozbound7
Surely no one could stop you - or would even know?
No indeed they probably couldn't stop you or know all being well. However if there is a problem in the future they will investigate (It is law over here to report electric shocks - so say for example you got a shock because a part you had installed genuinely fails and you head for casualty or call an ambulance then the Electrical Regulators office will investigate, first thing they will ask for is installation certificate, oops first offence, who installed it, oops strike two etc)

I wouldn't be so worried about insurance companies although yes they will wriggle out of anything given a chance.

To give you an idea of how much you'd get fined take a look at the Victorian list of recent prosecutions, most of these will be tradespeople carrying out unauthorised work but if you get collared you will be classed the same 'Unlicensed Person Carrying out electrical work' and the fines average $1500.

Schedule of penalties in QLD here: http://www.eso.qld.gov.au/legislation/facts/act2002.htm

I agree it sucks and in 99% of times you would get away with it but is it worth risking a fine and criminal record just to save some money on a few bits of DIY
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Old Mar 21st 2005, 3:25 pm
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Default Re: DIY home improvements - allowed?

Originally Posted by JayDeee
Put it this way, you are not actually allowed to change a plug (electrical type as in on a hairdryer) by yourself.

Not sure on all the rules but if you aren't allowed to change a plug I should think there are many other day to day things you cannot do.

Strange though that you can still buy plugs so I thought that it might be a myth but I asked the guy in the shop and he assured me that it is correct.

Kala

How can anyone prove if you have changed your own plug? I can hardly see you being taken to court because you have lost your electricians receipt for plug changing.

Likewise, plumbing (assuming you know what you are doing), who will ever know whether it was a DIY or tradie? I got a mate of mine to plumb in a fridge for me (he is an IT manager), but we never had a leak or any problems, so how would anyone know?

Lets face it there are rules and regs everywhere (both in OZ and UK) but people circumvent them every day.

In the UK you are not allowed to fit windows unless you are fensa registered. I bought 3 windows from Wicks before I sold my house, fitted them without problem. Not picked up on full survey, not mentioned on contract.

Too easy!!

What I am trying to say is that if you know what you are doing dont worry about the rules and regs - no-one can prove it. If you dont know what you are doing then as in the UK, dont risk it!!
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Old Mar 21st 2005, 8:56 pm
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Default Re: DIY home improvements - allowed?

Originally Posted by darkless
How can anyone prove if you have changed your own plug? I can hardly see you being taken to court because you have lost your electricians receipt for plug changing
.
If anyone else had actually paid for any U.K item to have the plug changed they would know the answer to that When you pay a sparky he has to do a compliance test and then tags the equipment[QLD]. It's then traceable back to him via his tag number. If you cannot show who you used or the number on the tag you could get caught out.

Originally Posted by darkless
Likewise, plumbing (assuming you know what you are doing), who will ever know whether it was a DIY or tradie? I got a mate of mine to plumb in a fridge for me (he is an IT manager), but we never had a leak or any problems, so how would anyone know?
.
When your home is built it has a set of drawings/plans, any extra plumbing would show and would require a licensed plumbers bill as proof a competent job had been done. Check out the problems some people have had buying or selling homes where DIY had been done and picked up on a survey. Dotty was one poster I remember as having had trouble.

Originally Posted by darkless
Lets face it there are rules and regs everywhere (both in OZ and UK) but people circumvent them every day.

In the UK you are not allowed to fit windows unless you are fensa registered. I bought 3 windows from Wicks before I sold my house, fitted them without problem. Not picked up on full survey, not mentioned on contract.

Too easy!!

What I am trying to say is that if you know what you are doing dont worry about the rules and regs - no-one can prove it. If you dont know what you are doing then as in the UK, dont risk it!!
I'd agree on that if you have done the job well chances are you'll never get caught, however looking at some of the DIY jobs around a little knowledge is a dangerous thing. I'm sure all the candidates on DIY Disasters had a sound base of knowledge. Most tradies can spot a DIY job at 10 paces so can a good surveyor
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Old Mar 21st 2005, 11:56 pm
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Default Re: DIY home improvements - allowed?

Originally Posted by cresta57
.

When your home is built it has a set of drawings/plans, any extra plumbing would show and would require a licensed plumbers bill as proof a competent job had been done. Check out the problems some people have had buying or selling homes where DIY had been done and picked up on a survey. Dotty was one poster I remember as having had trouble.
Fair point. I think that the other option should this arise, is that you can get a plumber in to check the work. Even better if you know a plumber then he can probably check the work and certify it for you for nowt.

In my case, should the plumbing to the fridge cause me any problems, I would simply take it out.

The other thing I notice about Perth is that it is only really the Brits who ever have survey on the houses done. Perhaps that is only the case on newer properties, but still, it doesnt seem to be like the UK where you wouldnt even consider buying a house without a survey.
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Old Mar 22nd 2005, 12:11 am
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Default Re: DIY home improvements - allowed?

Last year their was a program on TV about renovating 4 flats in Bondi that 4 couples competed against each other to do the best job got the flat for free. These people were doing building work, plumbing and electrical work with no quals (as far as I know).

At the end they had the properties inspected and the list of defects was enormous. They still then went ahead and auctioned these properties and got buyers for them all.

My point is If they can get away with this on National TV why should you need to worry about a bit of work on your own home.
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