# Forum Home Renovation Electrical  Appliance repair legality

## phild01

I always see opinion that appliance electrical repair to be illegal done by the consumer, but I am interested where it is written in law. As time has passed, have "nanny" rules slipped in for this sort of thing. Is it illegal to change an oven element for example, what happened to the days when anyone would change a jug element, rewire a fuse, swap out TV valves and so on. What about someone who builds their own computer or amplifier...is all that suddenly illegal!

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## Bros

Download the following document and look at sec 18 to 20 should give you your answer. Electricity acts are similar Australia wide so NSW should be similar but I am only familiar with Queensland. 
It means appliance repair is electrical work but changing fuses and light bulbs and plugging an appliance in are not, and you must have the relevant licence. 
I don't make the rules so don't blame me.  https://www.legislation.qld.gov.au/v...t/act-2002-042

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## phild01

Yes, while searching I did see Queensland crop up in this regard but not so much other states.  
I feel this part is open to interpretation for electrical work not included by the Act: 
(_c) replacing electrical equipment or a component of electrical equipment if that task can be safely performed by a person who does not have expertise in carrying out electrical work;
Examples for paragraph (c)—• replacing a fuse_ 
I expect just about anyone could safely replace a jug element or any other element of a plug-in appliance. That changing a fuse is mentioned there suggests lenient attitude considering a 'non expertise' person could do this task incorrectly and create a dangerous situation.  
Edit: I am struggling to find a similar Act for NSW, not saying it doesn't exist.

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## havabeer

> I always see opinion that appliance electrical repair to be illegal done by the consumer, but I am interested where it is written in law. As time has passed, h̶a̶v̶e̶ ̶"̶n̶a̶n̶n̶y̶"̶ ̶r̶u̶l̶e̶s̶ ̶s̶l̶i̶p̶p̶e̶d̶ ̶i̶n̶ ̶f̶o̶r̶ ̶t̶h̶i̶s̶ ̶s̶o̶r̶t̶ ̶o̶f̶ ̶t̶h̶i̶n̶g̶.̶ people have died or caused serious damage from unsafe repairs so insurance companies basically made it harder and harder to do your own work for fear of being sued

  fixed for you.

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## phild01

> fixed for you.

  Didn't really fix anything. Perhaps insurance companies make stuff up to make you believe a reg exists and then it happens to fall into Act revisions.

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