I'm wondering something that could be really stupid or could be really important.
We recently starting renting an apartment in Zürich. It was recently renovated, but for some reason they left from old T12 outlets around. We are thinking on changing them for T13 since they are safer, specially taken into account that we have a 1yo around.
Anyhow... I'm thinking to do the job myself, since it's not really complicated on my opinion.
Now the question regarding insurance...
We have, of course, liability insurance. However, if something happens on one of those sockets and it causes a damage in the apartment how well covered am I taking into account that I'm not a certified electrician? I'm covered against gross negligence too.
Am I going too far on my thinking?
PS/ I'm specially thinking this since most probably I'm going to notify my landlord about the changes. First, just in case they want to foot the bill on the materials and second because I think I'm legally required to notify this kind of changes on the apartment.
We just started renting an apartment in Zürich. It was recently renovated, around 2017, but they left some T12 sockets that we want to change for T13. Specially taking into account that we have a 1yo and they are safer and easier to baby proof.
I'm thinking to do the electrical work myself, since it seems really easy, but since I'm not a certified electrician I don't know if that pose a problem, specially for the landlord and my insurance.
These are, most likely, T11 (2-phase socket). T12 is a 3-phase plug.
It is in general ill-advised to alter any electrics in a rental apartment without a permission from the landlord and without a proper certification from local authorities. Even with an experience electrics somewhere else, your work may fail to meet CH standards - it is unlikely thee case for a simple sockets replacement, but still the ground connectivity, mixed metals, gauge selection etc. may turn into a silly mistake.
Changing power sockets shouldn't cause any problem, if sanctioned by a landlord and performed by a certified electrician.
IRL, if you ask your landlord and support such request with a proper motivation (kids usually work good), it will likely allow such change, if performed by a certified electrician or your house maintenance guy.
If you still decide to do it at your own risk, be prepared to restore the initial state of things.
The regulations say that simple changes like this may be performed by the owner of a (non-commercial) property without requiring an electrician.
Whether a tenant can do this is another question - the landlord is responsible for the safety of the electrical wiring, so legally probably not. On the other hand if you put it back to the original state they would have no reason to complain, so I think I'd probably do it in your situation.
But I guess the bigger risk is something like a floating lead for a laptop power supply (or other portable mains powered equipment) the end of which, a small child may put in the mouth.
Usually, mains circuits are protected against leakage to earth but, in some cases such as above, that may not help.
The second isn't complete - the regulations say that simple items such as fitting replacement or additional sockets, light fittings, switches in single phase operation is allowed, including adding or changing cable runs.
"Complex" work is not allowed, including 3-phase wiring.
I found a good page on this a couple of months ago but can't find it again
I think it also comes down to common sense; I redid a couple of 3-phase sockets, no- I just replaced the crappy broken old ones and put the new ones in a slightly different location, didn't even need new wires, I'm experienced doing electrics, so am I going to call an electrician? no
This Hornbach information document makes a clear statement on what work can only be undertaken by a qualified electrician. However, there is no reference to specific regulations, and it may be their own interpretation:
It is if an certified electrician signs off on your work.
Did that last year when there was the RASI inspection, I did most of the stuff on the list myself, the electrician did about half of what he had estimated (mainly the ground fault breaker for the bathroom, and hard-wiring my 5m 3P extension cable what was plugged into a socket, he was pleased with my choice of 3P cable!)
Meanwhile, I switched phase on several sockets, swapped a t12 for a t13 in the bathroom and added a ground, and removed an unused heater hookup to the shower that was deemed unsafe.
Obviously not as effective since it's easier to stick a flatblade under the side, but if your toddler is at that stage then you can probably explain the dangers.
Obviously those not alive wouldn't be posting on this forum although there would appear to be some brain-dead people on the corona-virus threads so I guess anything's possible.
We had someone on here who said a T12 socket was 3-phase. I wouldn't much fancy 400V across three pins with no earth or neutral in my house, particularly on a badly shielded T12, but as you say anything is possible.
They also work with T12 sockets. I remember those things from my days as a kid when we just had just had DRS, ARD, ZDF and with a bit of luck ORF on the TV but also four people on Tagesschau.
However, those which work on T12 socket might lead to a bit of a problem if used in a T13 socket as it might be Impossible to get them out.
There is one additional condition: The circuit you are working on must be protected with an RCD (FI-Schalter). As usual and customary, here the actual regulation according to the law:
Except for one small problem. Once the T13 socket is installed a T12 socket can non longer be legally mounted at that place.
But here a white lie you can use: Just state that that the T12 got broken and you got it fixed under the small repair rule. Accordingly it is now a T13. No harm, no problem.
Because one of was thought to be to ask stuff from the landlord perspective and the other one from the insurance perspective. Perhaps it doesn't have sense.
I checked a couple of then and there was enough deep.
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To all the rest, thanks a lot. It's been really insightful. I think I'm going to ask the landlord and see how it goes.