Electrical Engineer allowed to do Electrical work?

willijimon · Wed Mar 04, 2009 6:36 am

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

Harry · Wed Mar 04, 2009 7:29 am

Hi

I would start by contacting the local office that issues Building permits.

Where are you located?

Harry

johnnyb14 · Thu Mar 05, 2009 4:42 pm

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.

Dean3 · Thu Mar 05, 2009 8:57 pm

Unless things have changed here in the good old land of "A Place To Grow"(Iowa)You can do Your own no matter who you are but it *has to be* inspected/passed by a licensed electrician,,costly?,,maybe,,but depending on the amount of work and what changes the licensed sparky finds,,might be well worth it.

I should also note that the last time I had personal knowledge/use of that law was in the 80s. Iowa can be kinda backward too.

Yer lucky an electrical thread hasn't been shut down already,,prolly cause Ya didn't ask for specific DIY wiring info.

Dean

Yanita · Thu Mar 05, 2009 11:46 pm

Come on Dean, you know the drill...we (I) only shut them down when they are asking specific questions on repairs.

Yanita

Dean3 · Fri Mar 06, 2009 8:49 am

Yes Mam! I think that's what I said.

I might actually have re-inforced the concept a bit without admonishing the OP. Just didn't want anyone to misunderstand why thiers gets shut down when this one didn't. Maybe I should give folks more credit tho. I'll hush about it now.

Dean

Yanita · Fri Mar 06, 2009 2:46 pm

Thank You!

Yanita

Harry · Fri Mar 06, 2009 6:39 pm

Hi

I think we've been punked.

The Electrical Safety Act 2002 is the legislative framework for electrical safety in Queensland......Australia.

Harry

Dean3 · Sat Mar 07, 2009 3:41 am

Yanita;; Well Yer welcome!.

Harry;; Huh? LOL! Australia!?!? I hear they only have steers and queers there!! Just kidding Australia!! Don't go gettin all serious on My drunken Iowa @ss now! the whole world's full of goofy b@st@rds,,might as well enjoy one more.

Makes Me wonder(don't wonder too far,Ya might get lost)just where they got that code from,,,adopted from the USA somewhere? Heh heh heh it's tough to edit My typing when wayyyyyy too much alcohol is involved. I think I mighta been born in the outback!

Dean

DigitalDreams · Sun Mar 22, 2009 12:38 am

I've live in a lot of places in the last 50 years and
most states require a licensed electrician to do the
work unless you do it yourself and in that case it is legal but must be inspected by a state electrical
inspector prior to selling the place to a different party.If you are competent to do it yourself and meet code in most places it is ok.

Check you local codes with building and zoning, permits may be required even if you do it yourself
but part of why the electrician cost so much is sometimes he has to get the permit and it adds to the estimated cost.

And Dean your right Iowa is a little behind the curve when I moved back there for a while I worked as a electrician and it was more profitable to work for established firm than start your own because with only two city's in the state at the time requiring licensing my home town of 7000 people had 8 electricians and they all were poor cause everybody that had a wire stripper in town thought he was a electrician.

tritontr · Fri Mar 27, 2009 9:20 pm

First let me say that this does not apply to all Electrical engineers. Some elec.eng. are not electricians they have very little knowledge of residential or commercial wiring codes or common wiring applications for houses. They may have a degree but some are not up to date on the latest code practices.
The elec.eng may have gone into a completely different area of electrical work and never gets involved in residential or commercial work that is why a lot of jurisdictions require a licensed electrician to inspect the work pull the permit and get the job signed off.