Basic Practical Electrics – On-Demand Online Workshop

Session 1:  Basic wiring. How to carry out simple tasks safely (71 mins)

• How to make a lighting circuit
• Wiring up a 3 pin plug and lampholder
• Selecting a suitable fuse
• Different uses for electrical cable
• Connecting cables. Inline switches

Once you know why and how to create a safe, secure and long lasting connection when joining electrical components, you will use this knowledge in all your projects to ensure good work skills and safe results.

For many of us, the only practical exercise we have done is to wire a plug at school and from our experience at the centre, most people don’t remember the key methodology when they try to recreate the experience during a class.

This focus is an important understructure to understanding the rest of the exercises and it is time well spent.

Moira explains what an electrical circuit is, by demonstrating how to assemble a plug, cable and lamp holder with care and accuracy.  The processes used during this exercise are the same steps repeated for all electrical work.

Session 2. How electricity works and flows through your house (12 mins)

• The Consumer unit
• Residual current device
• Using a stud finder/multimeter to identify live electricity

This section explores the path of electricity as it enters your house and divides at the consumer unit to supply electricity to your cooker, lights and electrical heating. You will learn how to isolate your circuits at home and how to identify where your live electricity runs through your home.  Moira shows how to turn off electrical paths safely to prepare for part replacement.

Session 3:  Replacing ‘Like for like.’ How to replace a surface plate without needing to know too much about what runs behind the walls (30 mins)

• Switches-changing a switch plate to a dimmer switch
• Replacing an overhead ceiling rose
• Replacing a socket plate
• Installing a USB charger plate

Homeowners are only permitted to work on certain tasks in the home. These are jobs like replacing a switch plate cover for a dimmer switch. 

This is known as ‘Like for Like’. Moira demonstrates what you will expect to find when you unscrew a switch plate, ceiling rose or socket and how to rewire your new faceplate or light fitting. We will also show you how to ‘retro fit’ a USB charger plate in your home.

Important Safety & Regulatory Information

All new electrical work must comply with ‘Part P’ of the Building Regulations which restricts DIY electrical work on grounds of safety. However, you are still allowed to carry out some work yourself without notifying Building Control. Minor repairs and maintenance are permitted, as well as ‘like for like’ replacements, such as changing existing sockets, switches and ceiling pendants or even replacing damaged cables. As long as the job isn’t within a ‘special location’ such as a bathroom or outdoors, you’re also allowed to install additional new light fittings, switches, sockets and even add a single fused spur to an existing circuit (a ‘spur’ is a new cable and socket run as a branch from an existing socket on the ring main).

Everything else, such as installing complete new circuits or changing a fuse board for a consumer unit, is classed as ‘notifiable work’. This requires a Building Regulations application to be made in advance so the work can be inspected and checked. However, in most cases the electrician can self-certify their work as they’re normally registered with a body that gives them the necessary ‘registered installer’ status (also known as ‘competent persons’) such as the ECA (Electrical Contractors Association) or NICEIC (National Inspection Council for Electrical Installation Contracting).’

Do not attempt any electrical work without first turning off the flow of electricity to the outlet.