DIY Electrical installations, void warranty and illegal?

[NSWinvester]

Hi everyone,

We do most, if not all of the maintenance, repair and installation work ourselves. We recently installed the hot water system and about to install a oven.

The hot water system had 3 electric cables and some plumbing, the ovens got 3 electric cables that need connecting. Now I don't think it's worth $300 to pay some one when you can DIY, also I have a electrician friend that helps if I have any questions.

Does installing electrical appliances e.g. oven, cook top and hot water system void the warranty or in fact illegal?


thank you

 

[marg4000]

Check with your State authorities.
In Queensland it is illegal to do electrical work unless licenced.
Marg

 

[beachside]

My understanding is that apart from some very minor plumbing which an owner can do to their own property, plumbing/electrical work generally has to be done buy a licensed person or overseen by a licensed person.

But to get to your point of DIY, it depend on the warranty issue and whether the installation had anything to do with the failure/warranty. If not relevant it probably would not make any difference, and may not even be brought up, but DIY could possibly be used as an excuse to avoid warranty (DFT may say irrelevant to failure also?).

Some examples:

My oven fan was replaced under warranty - a little too much slack on shaft. Replaced in situ under warrant no questioned asked. Oven was fitted by a sparky - but irrelevant. I just produced purchase invoice. I think I would still pay a sparky to connect a stove/oven unless I was 100% sure I was wiring it correctly, but come to think of it it may not be different to a hot water system - have to think on that.

Kitchen tap leaked (internally) under warranty - replaced in situ. Faxed off purchase receipt. I fitted it, but irrelevant to problem - not questioned.

I have fitted 3 hot water systems involving some plumbing and electrical beyond disconnect/reconnect. If any claim you could always say the plumbers invoice had been misplaced or "a friend who was a plumber fitted it" (you would have purchase receipt), but you would want to be 100% sure that it looked like it had been connected by a licensed person. A heating element is the most likely failure under warranty which could be blamed on incorrect installation or allowing it to heat without water cover (not necessarily installation).

P.S. I hope you are fussy about where each of the 3 electrical cables get connected
P.S.S. DIY at your own risk, just making some points re relevance on any warranty claim.

 

[jonesy427]

get your electrician friend to do it. it is illegal although alot of people do it. if something does go wrong, not exactly with warranty but with insurance you will have an issue.

 

[Belbo]

PHFZZZZTTT!!! PHFZZZZTTT!!! PHFZZZZTTT!!! PHFZZZZTTT!!! PHFZZZZTTT!!! PHFZZZZTTT!!!

That's what a domestic electrocution sounds like. Before your paralysed head connects with the floor.

Electricity can be decidedly lethal. I nearly killed myself playing electrician when I was 8 years old. So I do speak from experience. Just. Don't. Go. There. Muggle!

Risking your own life for a few hundred bucks is skull-crackingly crazy enough, but if you've got tenants or start a fire and someone (or someone else's property) gets hurt, I reckon you'd probably be looking at financial ruin, and possibly even jail time.

Despite some silly crypto-anarchist tendencies on this forum, there actually are some good laws. The one against any unlicensed DIY electrical work is about numero uno good law, IMO.

Why, because it's like the drink driving law: No matter how confident you feel, you never want to be answerable for someone else's death or serious injury, however 'accidental'.

Only a licenced electrician can have the genuine confidence of detailed training, extensive knowledge (including when to say, "Hang on! I'm not sure about this, but I know who to call"), and $10M to $20M of public liability insurance for working with electricity to back it up.

If you disagree, go to tech and get your ticket to prove it, then sign on as an apprentice with an electrician. You might well be a natural, and good on you, but do you want to bet on it for a few hundred bucks here and there?

DIY electrical work has to be the quintessential 'false economy' from any legal, insurance or, frankly, ethical point of view. Others reading: Don't even consider being an f'wit with electricity. You want to save money? Get multiple quotes, and economise on your light fixtures and toilet friggin' fittings!

 

[handyandy]

I am pretty sure that most electrical stores will have a deliver and install service where they even take away the old stove and charge only 100-150$.

Considering that you describe electrical cables as 3 cables I would suggest that you do not attempt the task of connecting things yourself.

Cheers

 

[NSWinvester]

Yes always a risk installing it myself but I'll get one of my electrician friends to come and help me install it, I'll just ask him to go for lunch and have a small detour "and oh...yeah... I've got this oven to install..." and watch him whinge all day.

Just say that a qualified electrician helped me.

 

[Belbo]

Yes always a risk installing it myself but I'll get one of my electrician friends to come and help me install it, I'll just ask him to go for lunch and have a small detour "and oh...yeah... I've got this oven to install..." and watch him whinge all day.

Just say that a qualified electrician helped me.

You're either under the control of a qualified sparky as a supervised trainee, or you're not. No responsible sparky would look over an unqualified mate's work and approve it for a couple of beers. If he was any sort of decent mate, he'd kick you in the butt and tell you to rip the lot out. What you are not considering are the possible consequences, only advantages, of cutting corners on the costs of electrical work. Is is justified because some shonk will certify your work?

 

[travelbug]

Just say that a qualified electrician helped me.

He needs to be willing to sign off on it. Saying he helped you will not help you if you are taken to court.

 

[Lawry]

funny... when I grew up in the UK, in secondary/ 'high school' we were shown how to change a plug on a device (e.g. iron, hairdryer...) as a basic skill, and everyone thinks its ok to change a plug, and yet at the same time you can't have any mains outlets in the bathroom (other than 110V shaver sockets) - any outlets, lights and heaters in the bathroom have to be operated by pull cord to the ceiling (in my understanding) go figure. But yeah, in Australia get a qualified electrician in, not worth the risks/ liabilities

 

[Ausprop]

funny... when I grew up in the UK, in secondary/ 'high school' we were shown how to change a plug on a device (e.g. iron, hairdryer...) as a basic skill, and everyone thinks its ok to change a plug, and yet at the same time you can't have any mains outlets in the bathroom (other than 110V shaver sockets) - any outlets, lights and heaters in the bathroom have to be operated by pull cord to the ceiling (in my understanding) go figure. But yeah, in Australia get a qualified electrician in, not worth the risks/ liabilities

Agreed - we have a phobia about changing a GPO yet sloshing your wet hands allover the light switch is cool bananas

 

[NSWinvester]

Taking on your guys advice, I had my friend come over and install it for me. Straight forward install, connected the 3 wires as it was the same set up as the old one. I got him to sign the receipt to say that he installed it.

Tested it out, everything good.

 

[boods99]

He needs to be willing to sign off on it. Saying he helped you will not help you if you are taken to court.

It goes a little further than this, at least in WA. The electrician can't just sign away anything he wants. It's the actual electical contractor license holder that has to carry the can, so usually only jobs approved by them would be able to be signed off by their emplorees. The majority of electricians in WA are not license holders, but work under the holder of a license.

In saying this, most would'nt care too much if their tradie did a little job for a mate on the weekend, but you never know, if push comes to shove there could be some serious implications should something go wrong and caused damage to property/loss of life/injury.

Boods