Doing Your Own Electrical Work
[ Last Updated 23 April 2007 ]
As a member of the public, the law allows you to carry out some of your own electrical work. However, Energy Safety does not recommend that you do any of your own electrical work unless you have the necessary skills and knowledge. If you do want to do some of your own electrical work it is important that you read the following information carefully.
Never do any electrical work unless you are sure you have the skills and knowledge to do the job safely and legally. Accidents, and sometimes fatalities, can occur because people do not know what they are doing. Electrical work can be unsafe and illegal if it’s not done properly.
Energy Safety recommends that if you are in any doubt about doing any electrical work in your home you must use a licensed electrical worker.
The following information is intended only as a guide and provides information on the minimum legal safety requirements for doing your own electrical work safely and legally. Neither this information nor the Electrical Codes of Practice are do-it yourself guides or manuals. Knowledge and skills are essential.
Before Getting Started
Before you do any work, make sure that:
- you have the necessary knowledge and skills.
- the power is turned off.
- you are nowhere where conductors or terminals are live, or could become live.
For more detail on how you can go about doing your own electrical work safely and legally, please see:
What Electrical Work Can I Do?
Persons that own and occupy their own installation may doing the following work on low voltage electrical installations (when there is no payment or reward):
- remove and replace any of the following kinds of fittings, where the work does not involve work on any switchboard:
- switches,
- socket outlets,
- permanent connection units,
- light fittings,
- batten holders,
- cord grip lampholders,
- ceiling roses,
- flexible cords connected to any permanent connection unit, ceiling rose, or cord grip lampholder,
- water heater switches,
- thermostats,
- elements.
- remove and replace fuse links.
- connect and disconnect fixed wired appliances.
- relocate existing switches, socket outlets, and lighting outlets that are supplied with electricity by toughplastic- sheathed cables.
- install, extend, and alter subcircuits (including submains), provided that:
- the person must not enter (whether personally, by holding any material or equipment, or otherwise) any enclosure where live active conductors are likely to be present; and
- the work is tested by a registered electrical inspector, in accordance with NZS 3019, and the work is certified by that inspector in accordance with regulation 39, before being connected to a supply of electricity by such an inspector.
You must get the finished job checked and tested by a licensed electrical inspector. You cannot connect your work to the electricity supply yourself. The inspector will connect it, test it, and issue you with a Certificate of Compliance if it complies with safety requirements.
You Can Repair an Appliance, but...
- you, or a close relative, must own it,
- it must be for use by you or a close relative,
- it must not be for commercial or industrial use,
- the work is carried out in accordance with the requirements of ECP 50.
Remember: Before you start work, make sure that the appliance is unplugged from the electricity supply. It is dangerous to work on it if it is connected. If the appliance is permanently connected to an electricity supply, ensure that the mains power is switched off before commencing work.
Replacing Fuse Wires and Fuse Cartridges
Use fuse wire and cartridges of the correct rating. Do not be tempted to fit a larger size fuse wire.
Important: Energy Safety recommends replacing wired fuses on older switchboards with circuit breakers. Plug-in circuit breakers fit many existing fuse bases and give better protection from faults.
You Can do Some Work on Your Home’s Wiring, but...
You must own and live in the property you are working on.
What are the Main Electrical Repairs You can do Yourself at Your Home?
For a full list of the electrical repairs you can do on your home, please refer to regulation 47 of the Electricity Regulations 1997
The work you can do includes:
- Replacing switches; socket outlets, lamp holders, ceiling roses, water heater switches, thermostats and elements.
- Repairing light fittings.
- Moving, repairing or replacing flexible cords that are permanently connected to outlets or ceiling roses.
- Disconnecting and reconnecting permanently wired appliances.
- Moving switches, sockets and lighting outlets, but only if they are wired with tough plastic-sheathed cables.
- Installing, extending, or altering any cables, except the main cables that come from the street to your switchboard.
- Fitting plugs, cord extension sockets or appliance connectors to a flexible cord.
- Replacing fuse wires and fuse cartridges.
Doing Your Own Wiring
When doing work on wiring in your home, you must:
- Make sure that the power is switched off before you start.
- Ensure that you do not work in any enclosure where conductors or terminals are live or could become live.
- Ensure that if you install, extend or alter cables, you do not connect your work to the electricity supply yourself. The finished job must be checked and tested by a licensed electrical inspector. If it complies with safety requirements, the inspector will connect it, test it, and issue you with a Certificate of Compliance.
- Never do any work on a switchboard apart from replacing fuse wire or fuse cartridges.
Important: Employers, employees, landlords, tenants and school staff (including caretakers) cannot carry out electrical work in their work place or any rented property unless they are registered electrical workers and hold current practising licences.
What if Something Goes Wrong?
If you are unsure about anything, or think that you might have made a mistake, make sure that the main switch is turned off, and call a licensed electrician to check your work and correct it if necessary. If you do work that is unsafe you could seriously injure yourself or a member of your family and you could be prosecuted. If convicted, you can be fined up to $10,000 (section 163 of the Electricity Act 1992).
To find a licensed electrician, please visit the Electrical Workers' Register website.
For more information on the requirements for doing your own electrical work, contact Energy Safety for a copy of their brochure A Guide to Doing Your Own Electrical Work Safely and Legally.
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