Ive been trying to get hold of the "Which? Book of Wiring and Lighting" and it seems to be out of print absolutely everywhere. I sent a query to Which because it seemed to have been popular judging by forum chatter and amazon ratings and the response I got was as follows;
"The books are only removed from print when their production is uneconomic, and sales did not permit the publication to continue.
We are keen to produce information that is helpful for consumers, and so I have passed on your comments to the publishing team."
So i suggest that anyone interested send an email to snipped-for-privacy@which.co.uk to ask for a reprint and maybe just maybe we could get lucky...
Alternatively - anyone got an old copy they don't want any more... :)
The problem is that it was published prior to the Part-P nonsense. About four fifths of the book would probably be covered by Part-P and therefore theoretically illegal for a DIYer to do.
I also suspect there is an element of arse covering involved too - I doubt Which would want to be sued following someone cocking up a project based upon instructions in their book.
In general though I've been amazed what you can get through them. Mint copies of recent stuff at half the list price or better. Stuff long out of print. Second-hand booksellers have a very strict code about disclosing the most minor detail (like the price being cut off the corner of a dust-jacket). No commercial interest, just a very happy customer.
Part P does not make *any* wiring activity illegal for a DIYer to do.
Some of those activities have become "controlled" and hence need to be done under the oversight of building control (or signed off by someone able to self certify).
So wiring has become entangled in pointless red tape, and lots of nonsense from various BCOs etc, however it is still legal. All something like the Which? manual would require is a page explaining it.
I said *theoretically*. I'm no fan of Part P - I was just offering a suggestion as to why the popularity of a DIY wiring book may have fallen.
It is if you don't follow the bureaucracy though...
You can't do that though can you? A 'competent person' is not allowed to sign off someone else's work. The vast majority of local authorities make it almost impossible to follow the correct rules as well and charge ridiculous amounts for a full test. This does put work in controlled areas out of the reach of a large number of people.
The problem is caused by the inconsistent way that Part-P is interpreted though. Some LA's are happy to charge 50 quid as long as you can provide a test certificate. Others force you into spending hundreds of pounds to pay for their own rip-off examination - I don't know how this has been allowed to continue as it is specifically prohibited...
We are living in an ever more litigious society though. Lets face it, when the book was first published, would you ever have heard of someone suing M&S to the tune of 2 million quid for slipping on a grape in the car park!
It is most likely that there is a simple financial explanation for the lack of an updated version. It would cost money to revise the book to reflect the current situation. It's not just Part P either, I'm sure there would need to be many amendments made to bring the advice in the book in line with the 17th edition. Add to this the likelihood of much lower potential sales than previous editions and it begins to look uneconomic.
The internet is probably partly to blame as well - people are much more easily able to access instant advice on their specific question which makes printed matter less desirable.
At first I thought "They don't want a book that tells people the cheapest way to do electrics is either illegally or using a pro."
However /we/ collectively are in part the cause of the slow decline of printed non-fiction. There are still pockets of resistance to the idea that info should be and effectively is "free", who charge silly money for books of info.
The only reason that fiction is still around is that no-one has yet developed an electronic book reader that looks and feels like a printed book. But that can't be too far away...
Yes, you are right, sorry I was being sloppy with my wording. The self certifying person would also need to do the work.
Oh, indeed, I agree, the whole fiasco is a complete mess.
Probably because the only people who object are are individuals such as us. The big corporates with the funds to fund an argument are not interested.
Perhaps....
There is also the general and widespread downturn in DIY to contend with. Something that has hit all the sheds in recent years - people are finding other ways to spend their money.
It might also be that there is a finite market size for such a book, and once most of the people who want it have bought it you won't sell many more.
This isn't the case with my LA. I did the work on my previous renovation project. Building Control inspected first fix (well had a cursory glance around) and final sign off was via a periodic inspection report provided by a part P registered sparks.
I guess it shows that the whole issue is clouded with uncertainty. I have just started a new project and intend to follow the same route. I did phone building control to check that a PIR was adequate and they confirmed this.
I was about to say lucky for you, but then again I doubt the BCO will be paying for the PIR as he should. Needless to say this is all variable with different LAs. It seems to be a case of them making up the rules as they go along.
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