I know there are a lot of older mature electricians listening to this podcast, I also know there are some young guns.

With the electrical industry moving so fast, EV, Solar, smart controls - there is bound to be a few new techniques discovered.

Some like the way they have always done it, the way they were taught at college and by the electrician who got them where they are today.

This stops you getting better, you need to move with the times, you need to use the new techniques and methods - even though colleges haven't quite caught up yet.

This podcast I will dive into 3 new methods and why all electricians should be using them.

Tool Box Talk For electricians, helping electricians, reduce stress, gain back time and earn more money.

Welcome back once again to the tool box talk for electricians podcast. I say electricians - but I do know a few plumbers tune in too.

As everything in the world evolves, the way we work as electricians does too.

For example the common ring main we were taught to wire in college.

The whole reason the ring main came about was because of copper shortage after world war 2 that ended in 1945.

The idea was to save on the amount of copper used to wire a circuit.

Now in 2024 they are only used because that's what people were taught, and it's drummed into them to do it.

Socket outlets a using less power and can easily be a radial circuit in one room.

The fuse boards are much bigger where you can separate circuits a lot more.

With an advantage, if there is a problem with one socket, it doesn't take everything out.

Some electricians may say a kitchen needs a ring circuit, what about a 4mm radial, that can be on a 32 amp fuse.

Then another electrician will say, If the ring gets broken, you still have a Live, neutral and earth at the outlet.

If that ring is broken - it's no longer capable of 32 amps, so it makes the circuit dangerous.

A DIY person who just spurs off a spur off a spur will break the ring and think nothing of it, after that circuit can only be 20 amp if its 2.5 cable.

If it's on a 32, that cable will melt before the fuse trips, that's what's happened with ring circuits in properties all over the UK.

Houses full of the brown JB boxes under the floor!

When you lift a floorboard and see them, you know its going to be fun.

The 17th Edition wiring regs taught electricians to wire a ceiling rose with the live and neutral going in and out - then drop the switch wire down to the switch.

This method is very old these days, I can understand why it was done and how it all works.

But with modern lighting systems - Hardly anyone has a ceiling rose these days.

It's always a light with a small amount of space for the terminations.

Or in kitchens and bathrooms there are downlights and you have to put a junction box in the ceiling.

If its an older house, yes a junction box is fine, however if you're wiring a new lighting circuit there's a few different ways of doing it.

Take the live and neutral to the switch, then a switch live and neutral to the light from there.

I have noticed a lot of new builds are like this, with it even being taught in college these days.

There can be an upgrade from that too with all smart lights on the market and customers wanting them fitted.

Take a 3 core cable up to the light, so you have a switch live, a permanent live and a neutral.

This way you can easily use that live to power as smart control device at a later date if needed.

Have you ever tried to fit a smart device in a switch box? Then put the switch back on, it's too crammed in there.

You may think, who cares, get in and get the job done, but if you do a good job that customer is going to call you to fit the smart device if you do a good job.

Another thing I would like to see all electricians do is sleeve the cpc separate in a socket!!

With testing and inspections when they are twisted together and put in the same piece of shelving it makes it harder to test or to find fault!

You have to untwist them and then sleeve them separately.

Ok yeah it takes 30 seconds, but those 30 seconds add up with 20 sockets.

I'm going to be the one to say it, they're still on the market - I wish they would stop selling them.

Brown bakelite junction boxes!!

They are the one of the worst things all good electricians dread coming across.

They are almost always jam packed and a complete mess!

The ones with the cpcs twisted together on the outside is my favourite, There couldn't have been enough terminals - so the person just makes one outside the box.

There are so many better options these days with spring loaded terminals that do not get loose over time.

I reckon these Junction boxes are the cause of many fires.

Wagos are a good replacement, ideal do a cheaper version with many different brands making junction boxes specifically for the wago connector.

It's the way forward - love it or hate them, they are so much better then the brown ones.

Electricians get a call from a customer to say ALL of there electric has gone off, there no power to anything.

Normally the main concern is the fridges and freezers as there full of food - or if they work from home the wifi has gone off.

The electrician turns up to find its a light outside with water in it, its a duel RCD board, that rcd has taken half of the house out.

For god sake! Start fitting RCBO boards where each circuit is protected individually.

A dual RCD board costs around £120 for an extra £80 you can fit a RCBO board with an SPD.

Put the best you can into future proof that property.

Any board change is around £500, with rcbos it will make the fuse board so much better with a huge benefit for the customer, which makes it an easy sell.

If you are new to the trade and have only worked on dual RCD boards, that's why you put them in, trust me RCBO boards are easier to install.

I have a video on my you tube too if you want to check it out.

I understand it's what electricians have been taught in college, but part of being an electrician is being able to adapt to new technology and new methods.

Once you start to understand the logic of how electricity works, your brain will see better ways of doing things.

That's how we evolve, if the world didn't evolve we would all be playing snake on our nokia 3310 on our lunch break instead of listening to a brilliant podcast.

As much as you need all the qualifications to be a qualified electrician, there is so much to learn in the real world.

You need to understand Ohms law, but any cable calculation gets googled and put into a calculator these days.

Even if I think I'm right and just want confirmation. 10 x quicker than working it out on a piece of paper.

Look at all the electricians who have adapted to the modern way of posting their work on social media, some end up getting paid for it, along with showing other electricians new ways of being a better spark.

So make sure to follow the podcast, because I will be sure to tell you about anymore exciting new tips I learn.

Until next time.