Does anyone know if there's any problems in just building an amplifier and plugging it in (in Australia)? Do the thought police come and raid you 
?
But seriously, if your house burns down and someone notices your amp, does this invalidate your policy if it doesn't have some sort of certificate or other?
Of course, it would never happen to me, but it would be good to know.
? But seriously, if your house burns down and someone notices your amp, does this invalidate your policy if it doesn't have some sort of certificate or other?
Of course, it would never happen to me, but it would be good to know.
You don't need any special qualifications to work on equipment that's connected to the mains, as long as you stay on the right side of the powerpoint.
It's important though (for your own peace of mind) to ensure all mains wiring is done to comply with Australian Standards.
Of course the standards aren't available without paying through the nose, but much of what's in there is fairly self-evident stuff.
A few starters:
In general, look at professionally made kit and copy, and if you're unsure, ask.
Cheers,
Suzy
It's important though (for your own peace of mind) to ensure all mains wiring is done to comply with Australian Standards.
Of course the standards aren't available without paying through the nose, but much of what's in there is fairly self-evident stuff.
A few starters:
- Make sure you use adequate wire gauges
- Insulate live bits
- Maintain separation between high and low voltage sections
- Use standard wire colours (brown=line, blue=neutral, green/yellow=ground)
- Earth the chassis
In general, look at professionally made kit and copy, and if you're unsure, ask.
Cheers,
Suzy
Oh. I thought there was some new requirement that, officially, you needed any mains equipment certified as mains compliant. If that's not a requirement, then it saves the expense of someone else having to look at it.
Some workplaces have requirements like that, for OHS reasons. My work, for example, tries to bring in a rule that all equipment had to comply with Australian Standards.
Once they realised that it meant rewiring the power supply in pretty much every PC in the place to use AS coloured wires, they quietly dropped the idea.
Cheers,
Suzy
Once they realised that it meant rewiring the power supply in pretty much every PC in the place to use AS coloured wires, they quietly dropped the idea.
Cheers,
Suzy
I've just looked up EnergySafe Victoria, and we do have such a thing in place, but only for registered electrical trades-people. But the figures show it's been working (I guess): 1 death from 2002-2005, compared to at least 5 deaths a year before the requirement came in. I remember we got one of those from the electrician who did the power for our evaporative cooler (but I suspect the person who did our garden lights didn't).
So I've sent off the question to them (ESV) to see what they come back with.
So I've sent off the question to them (ESV) to see what they come back with.
(update)
From EnergySafe Victoria:
AS/NZS60065 specifies the required safety outcomes and tests to confirm these.
AS/NZS3760 deals only with the in-service testing of previously tested and safe equipment not type testing as detailed in AS/NZS60065.
Now all I need to fond out is where to be able to read a copy of these without paying $70 each fro them from saiglobal. If I go ahead with something, then maybe the purchase price would be worth it.
From EnergySafe Victoria:
AS/NZS60065 specifies the required safety outcomes and tests to confirm these.
AS/NZS3760 deals only with the in-service testing of previously tested and safe equipment not type testing as detailed in AS/NZS60065.
Now all I need to fond out is where to be able to read a copy of these without paying $70 each fro them from saiglobal. If I go ahead with something, then maybe the purchase price would be worth it.
Agreed, so really, the title of this thread should be "Victorian Electrical Safety Standards". And the info in my previous post was from the Manager of Equipment Safety of EnergySafe Victoria. But he was quoting Australian Standards (New Zealand being the 8th state, of course!), so theoretically they should be standard across all states. Maybe they are just not enforced (like certificates of safety supplied with all installation work done in Victoria).
Anyway, if I can read the stuff in those standards, then I'll at least know what to aim at (even if I never get around to putting together an amp).
I wonder if that applies to speakers also
?
!), so theoretically they should be standard across all states. Maybe they are just not enforced (like certificates of safety supplied with all installation work done in Victoria).Anyway, if I can read the stuff in those standards, then I'll at least know what to aim at (even if I never get around to putting together an amp).
I wonder if that applies to speakers also
?On this side of the ditch, ANY work done on the primary/mains side of an electronics circuit or equipment must be performed by a person with at least "limited registration". This usually means an electronics technician or engineer that has passed the exam and kept their registartion current by paying the annual fee. This works for "temporary installations" which means that you are plugging it into the wall socker rather than wiring it permanently into the mains. Legally, you are only entitled to wire the 3-pin mains plug.
Practically speaking, there isn't exactly an army of inspectors scouring the 'burbs trying to hunt down you heinous DIYers. So if you follow standard safe construction practices it will be that cheap hairdryer that you bought from that big coloured shed that is more likely to burn your house down ...
Practically speaking, there isn't exactly an army of inspectors scouring the 'burbs trying to hunt down you heinous DIYers. So if you follow standard safe construction practices it will be that cheap hairdryer that you bought from that big coloured shed that is more likely to burn your house down ...
If you don't want to purchase the relevant official printed standards, some libraries keep copies: and you can also check out the appropriate department at your local TAFE, or whatever it's called this year. The actual safety standards don't change much over the years - a lot of the "changes" are a change in names and intepretations. The issues of earthing, powercord termination and retention, insulation, access aperatures, etc, (that some of us only pay lip-service to) are fairly standard and just require a bit of effort and attention to detail. It isn't difficult to do it right! jh
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