Any MNers handy with electrics?

[monkeytrousers]

I want to put a circuit breaker onto the main junction box 'just in case' ds decides to stick a fork into a socket, etc. Do any of you lovely mumsnetters know how to do this?

I think new regs are coming out/have come in re electrical DIY -- you now need a qualified electrician to do a lot of work and if you do it yourself you need to get it tested and certified - -see here

I think they came out in Jan this year.

Iota & madmarchhare are right-you'd need a qualified bod to do this.

How old is your fusebox?Is it the old type with wired in fuses?If it isn't & has little switches instead of fuses,they are MCB's -miniature circuit breakers & should protect each circuit & cut out automatically anyway.There also might be a big RCD tripswitch in the centre of the box if it has been fitted in the past 15 years or so-that will do the same thing.
HTH

Is there any actual definition of what you can now diy and when to involve an electrician. dh has no pretence of being electrically skilled but can change light fittings and rewire switches.

You'd be ok changing light fitting,light switch plates ect & I THINK add sockets & lighting points to existing circuits,but not fitting new circuits consumer units ect.

Bit of a pain as our house only has 1 socket per room & it means that we have to pay someone to do the work now.

Just buy some plug guard things - very cheap

Thanks everyone. We do have plug guards but I'm just thinking of when he's a bit older and is able take plugs out of the sockets.

I'll have a look at the fusebox today Mirage and check it out. To be honest, the house looks like it's had alot of electrical DIY done to it (sockets too close to the floor to actuallly get plugs in them, etc) and it makes me a bit jumpy thinking about it.

My MIL is my landlord and she says that if anything was unsafe about the electrics that the surveyor would have flagged it up before she bought the house.

monkey trousers , I wouldn't rely upon a surveyor to point out electrical defects, unless she had a specifically requested it. They might generally have noticed if the wiring needed redoing or obviously contravened a regulation. Think you can arrange a safety inspection reasonably inexpensively and a few years ago there were some companies offering free ones.