The electrical Regulations aren’t a legal requirement (yet) and any competent person can undertake a simple task like this.
I do know this, and with all due respect to Lindyloo, it does not sound to me that she’s a competent person.
Quote
Certification by a registered third party
3.5 Before work begins, an installer who is not a registered competent person may appoint a registered third-party certifier (electrical contractor or electrician who is a registered member of a Part P registration body) to inspect and test the work as necessary.
Failure to comply with Part P of the Building Regulations is a criminal offence and could result in the order by the local authority to remove or put right faulty workmanship and fine you up to £5000.00. It could also make it difficult to sell your property in the future.
You are a little out of date with your information Judd
There seems to be a lot of arguing about this.
Let me assure you all that I am not a qualified electrician. However, I have changed switches and wall sockets many times when the situation is straightforward. I’m sure that many home owners do this to their own property and I cannot imagine that we are all breaking the law any more than if we had changed a plug. Don’t tell me that changing a plug requires an electrician.
I’ll say this again. If there is any doubt about complications I would advise Lindyloo to call in an electrician.
Is a qualified electrician necessary to pass my wiring if I change a switch, or a plug socket, like for like?
Is a qualified electrician necessary to pass my wiring if I change a plug?
Quote:
“Replacing a damaged accessory like for like e.g light switch, socket etc. anywhere including special locations – non-notifiable”
The point is though, that it is very difficult to get “like for like” nowadays.
I would doubt that.
Lindyloo, it seems the general consensus on here is not to do it, I could do it as could several people on here , but I work with electricity and used to be an electrician, it all depends on how the switch was wired as there are several different ways to do it , it could be just a simple case of swapping 3 wires over ( plus linking the live to the common side of the other sw, I think you said it was a double sw) but as I said it depends on how it was wired in the first place, for what it would cost I would get a professional in for peace of mind, incidentally, you only have to get any new installation certified. ie installing a new socket that requires wiring, AFAIK you can change like for like so you can change a light sw or a socket that is already in place,
You are correct, regulations are not to be applied retrospectively but some people still insist that they are.
A photo would be nice, Lindyloo.
Whether do the work yourself is entirely up to you, but it would still be interesting to see a picture.
Whatever you do, I’m sure it is only a loose wire. A loose wire would explain the ‘sizzling’ sound which is caused by arcing. If it continues, it could cause overheating behind the switch and possibly a fire, so keep it turned off for now.
I’ll predict that the problem is only a loose wire. Regardless of who does the job, correction of the problem is simple unless there has been some damage.
The loose wire will be re-inserted into the terminal and the screw tightened up. It is unlikely you’ll need to buy a new switch.
If that is the case, inserting a loose wire and tightening the connection is not going to cost much at all if done by an electrician: probably just the call-out fee.
Anyway, I wouldn’t do anything at all, apart from unscrewing the switch and taking a photo.
It’s been my experience that the sizzling is usually down to carbon deposits on the contacts of a frequently used switch.
As JB says, A photo would be extremely helpful Lindy…
Yes, it could be the switch contacts. A picture would help! (Sorry, I’m trying to outdo the fish woman in the cracked record stakes!)
Having slept with an electrician for 43 years, I believe that I have acquired this skill by osmosis. In fact, not to be a show off, I installed a new immersion heater a couple of years ago for one of my sons and only needed help with forcing the Boss off the copper cylinder. I will point out that we built our own house and I was a fully-employed labourer and not allowed to plead being a ‘lady’ as an excuse. However, bear in mind that I am a fully qualified idiot.
Just as an aside, I am looking to sleep with a Joiner (carpentry skills required) a Plumber (a new ceramic washer required on the kitchen taps) and a Roofer (so I can install a dry ridge).
Almost all my lights were flickering when I first moved in despite being signed off by an electrician a few weeks earlier. Luckily, me being a mere plumber, I managed to re-insert the offending wires and tighten them properly.
So you had to do that job twice LD ?
Realspeed posts:
" Failure to comply with Part P of the Building Regulations is a criminal offence and could result in the order by the local authority to remove or put right faulty workmanship and fine you up to £5000.00. It could also make it difficult to sell your property in the future. "
If someone decides to do electrical work in their own homes and don’t choose to register that work or even get it tested then there’s nothing that I or anyone else for that matter can do about it.
As you rightly say, such work won’t be highlighted until such time as the property may be inspected for selling purposes. Even then, the home-owner who carried out the work will generally not be prosecuted.
The following types of electrical work are non-notifiable:
Replacing accessories such as socket-outlets, control switches and ceiling roses
Replacing the cable for a single circuit only, where damaged, for example, by fire, rodent or impact (1)
Re-fixing or replacing the enclosures of existing installation components (2)
Providing mechanical protection to existing fixed installations (3)
Installing or upgrading main or supplementary equipotential bonding (4)
Work that is not in a special location (bath and shower rooms, gardens etc) and consists of:
- adding lighting points (light fittings and switches) to an existing circuit (6)
- adding socket-outlets and fused spurs to an existing ring or radial circuit (6)
110-04-01
The Regulations are non-statutory regulations. They may, however, be used in a court of law in evidence to claim compliance with a statutory requirement. (Electricity at Work Regulations)
:shock: 
its one way of getting the jobs done i suppose .
I prefer to watch a Youtube Video on How to.
You dont have to put up with the snoring then
Wouldn’t you have preferred to have a trade?
