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Forum Index : Other Stuff : Costly sparky work
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Tinker Guru  Joined: 07/11/2007 Location: AustraliaPosts: 1904 |
Poppa, could you please stick to square millimeter sizes when you quote electrical wire. Its very confusing when you mix it up with diameter sizes. Leave the diameter thing to the auto electricians, they seem to like it for some odd reason. With electrical wire, the convention is square millimeters these days (used to be gauges etc.) Square millimeter area determines the current carrying capacity, which is what counts here. Diameter sizing gets especially confusing when it comes to stranded or solid wire, how many strands, of what size and so on and on.... Klaus |
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| Boppa Guru Joined: 08/11/2016 Location: AustraliaPosts: 814 |
Sorry, I even manage to confuse myself at times (comes of being trained as an elec fitter, spending many years doing autoelec and boating installations, but still dabbling in elec fitter work at times in the mines...) So I ended up using both, sometimes at the same times depending on what side of the elv/lv divide I happened to be working on at the time Wish they could all just agree on one standard tho my bad |
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| joebog1 Senior Member  Joined: 07/11/2015 Location: AustraliaPosts: 114 |
Your right !!! I fitted 60mm ^2 cable. Sir Joh ???? doan doan choo worry about that!! Quote: So I ended up using both, sometimes at the same times depending on what side of the elv/lv divide I happened to be working on at the time. Unquote: Ohh dont split guage !!! thats illegal too.  Joe |
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| dwyer Guru Joined: 19/09/2005 Location: AustraliaPosts: 574 |
hi to all several years ago i have brought 30 kw 3 phase 1500 rpm diesel generator for my work shed and however l have try to get proper licensed sparky to do the wiring for me but most of them don't want do the work or not interesting and had hard time finding getting one get proper licensed sparky to the wiring for me i gave up so i have done all wiring,copper earth rod, circuit breaker so able to run my lathe, 2 x gear drill, plasma cutter, welder and industrial air compressor and ever since i had no problem except run out of diesel fuel however l have try to get proper licensed sparky to the wiring for me so l gave up so it still LEGALLY so what next? |
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Gizmo Admin Group  Joined: 05/06/2004 Location: AustraliaPosts: 5078 |
Hey Ian. Good to see your still kicking, hadn't heard from you for a while and had me worried. Glenn The best time to plant a tree was twenty years ago, the second best time is right now. JAQ |
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| domwild Guru Joined: 16/12/2005 Location: AustraliaPosts: 873 |
Did all the wiring in the small weekender myself plus underground cable in conduit plus warning tape. Just sold the plantation and buyer had smoke alarms plus electrical certificate in the Offer and Acceptance form. Panic! Got the local sparky to put in one smoke alarm, which promptly went off at the first burnt toast. He noticed I had forgotten to install the lids at the junction boxes for the lights. He never asked: "Who done it?", but had a fair idea who. Cable for lights was wrong colour. Internal power cable was the extension cord from pole to house during building, which he pointed out made for a dearer job. Copper bar for active was bare copper! 40 Amp fuse was chosen for stove, etc., etc. Lots of errors, but safe. And these days it also needs an RCD for the lights and as the whole lot was corroded anyway, he changed the entire switchboard over to new equipment. Had to come twice, cost $600. Lucky for me, he had a lot of work on here in the bush and had it all seen before. I have written to the Minister to push for the NZ model and I believe it is mainly sparkies getting killed unfortunately and not the odd DIY person trying to save a bob. My friend in Perth called out a sparkie, who promptly left when he saw DIY work! Also lucky for me as an owner builder I did not have the problem of a Section 32 (?) as is necessary in Vic (?) for the sale of a house, which means proving that my DIY building work is up to scratch and probably means getting a building inspector out at great cost. Another bureaucratic triumph: During a storm a flying trampoline messed up the power supply at the meter side. Sparkie fixed it, emergency call-out fee $300/hr. But then only a Synergy (WA State) sparkie can reconnect the power, not just any licensed private sparkie. Result: As it was a storm, that neighbour did not have power for one week due to that bureaucratic rule; I believe you get $80 back (even if you are a business!) and the home insurance has a $500 limit on the payout for the fermenting stuff in the freezer/fridge. Taxation as a means of achieving prosperity is like a man standing inside a bucket trying to lift himself up. Winston Churchill |
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| domwild Guru Joined: 16/12/2005 Location: AustraliaPosts: 873 |
I really believe a keen and reasonably intelligent DIY person makes slightly fewer mistakes compared to a licensed tradesman, who is being hounded by the bank for a business mortgage and has to work fast. Taxation as a means of achieving prosperity is like a man standing inside a bucket trying to lift himself up. Winston Churchill |
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| Boppa Guru Joined: 08/11/2016 Location: AustraliaPosts: 814 |
Given the knowledge I suspect thats true too, problem is try getting that knowledge.... One advantage N.Z. has over us, same design rules but they are allowed to do some DIY work This document is interesting, its what NZ people are allowed to do (including running fixed wiring to the fusebox etc themselves, leaving it for the sparky to do the final inspection and connections) N.Z. regs Its worth having a quick sqwiz at that NZ document, it seems that our NZ neighbours are considered to be more intelligent by their gov than we are by our ozzie government.... |
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| joebog1 Senior Member Joined: 07/11/2015 Location: AustraliaPosts: 114 |
I think domwild has said it perfectly. !! Wrong cable usage is very common and can be very dangerous. Ex mining cable is a favorite in north queensland, complete with a coating of various acid or alkali all over the cable. Its corrosive AND CONDUCTIVE  It can cause fires. It can cause corrosion if you have a metal framed building or a donga or container. Second hand power points can be a catch too!! Some have had big welders plugged in which causes lots of heat which softens the contacts that can also cause arcing and fires. Because we are DIY'ers doesnt mean we should also be tight ars*s. especially if you have partners or kids.Most libraries have a copy of the regs, at least in australia. If you have some idea its not hard to work out what is required especially if you write down required cable sizes etc. Then a quick look at hardware stores that sell electrical supplies will at least get the right sized cable and conduit where its needed. I must say though, that if you have zero electrical experience its probably wiser to shell out the dollars and pay the aforementioned "registered sparkie". When the house burns down or someone is killed HIS insurance ( or he himself) cops the blame, but you at least get a payout. An enquiry on a forum such as this will also get you tons of information, SOME of which will be dodgy or plain dangerous, but will be corrected in discussions such as this. I hope my little rave has added some substance to this thread. best regards Joe |
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| joebog1 Senior Member Joined: 07/11/2015 Location: AustraliaPosts: 114 |
Boppa, quote: Its worth having a quick sqwiz at that NZ document, it seems that our NZ neighbours are considered to be more intelligent by their gov than we are by our ozzie government.... The latest budget measures should point this out!! 1. School is to be more expensive. 2. University degrees will be more expensive. 3. You start paying back the HECS bill when you earn less. Keep us mushrooms mate !!! keep us mushrooms. Joe |
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| Gizmo Admin Group Joined: 05/06/2004 Location: AustraliaPosts: 5078 |
Careful with the politics please. The best time to plant a tree was twenty years ago, the second best time is right now. JAQ |
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| domwild Guru Joined: 16/12/2005 Location: AustraliaPosts: 873 |
Kiwis had to learn fast once Britain no longer bought their lamb. I never saw any of our lamb overseas in the supermarkets, it was all Kiwi stuff, even venison shot from choppers and lifted in nets. Even the "Rainbow Warrier" spies were released after the French lifted their lamb quota! Have been told by a Kiwi whose father runs a nursery that there is no minimum wage, but that is hard to believe. Here it looks like as if the Electricians' Union lobbied hard in each state, unless you have a different explanation. Perhaps the government of "the wrong white crowd" has curtailed the power of unions? Taxation as a means of achieving prosperity is like a man standing inside a bucket trying to lift himself up. Winston Churchill |
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