Frank.....interesting point you bring up. Along with your comments, I am amazed and disturbed at the growing number of do-it-yourself 'seminars' at the local building stores (Home Depot, etc. etc) to people who have no knowledge of electricity, yet think they know it all by watching a demonstration. Why doesn't the ESA crack down on this or emphasize the need for inspections or hiring a qualified and licensed electrician?
Here is another double standard.... In one municipality, I built a new house. The municipality would NOT let ME, a certified and licensed electrician do my own underground street-to-meter base hydro connection and hook up (I gladly was willing to take out a permit and have the work inspected and I have done this work in other municpalities before). RATHER, what I had to do was pay the municipality who farmed the work out to an excavating firm! This guy had no electrical license, and was NOT a licensed electrician! He was a backhoe operator who had the tools and wire to complete the street-to-meterbase connection. And as I stated, he had no license, DID NOT have to take out a permit and DID NOT have to have his work inspected!
Again, I ask, why does the ESA permit this double standard?? How come people like this don't have to pay inspection fees and permits like us licensed people do?
