Average wage in maintenance??

[Speed]

Can you offer an explanation for this comment? Most maintenance sparks I know get £38k without knowing all such regs as often there is a more experienced/qualified person who offers guidance where necessary?
Most S/E sparks get £200 p day as a minimum in most places in the country and the average employed maint sparks gets between £36-£38K as often involves various shift hours? If I understand the OP correctly he is not suggesting going S/E as a maintenance spark?

I read it he wanting to go S/E as maintenance electrician. However, many places I know, now expect the shift electricians to work with minimal supervision. If he working shifts, the more highly skilled and knowledgeable electrical engineer will be working days. So as a shift electrician he will be expected to know the basics and be able to work unaided. At lease enough to know when to stop and ask for help, before buggers something up. I knew one supposed electrician that caused thousands of pounds damage to a large motor/gearbox, because he didn't ask. Needed a complete rebuild, and that not including the cost of downtime and lost production.. He tried to fix the symptoms, instead of finding the cause. ***** bypassed the alarm fault circuit that stopping machine, instead of investigating why it alarming. Too many so-call maintenance sparks think their job is to keep plant running. When it really about is finding and fixing electrical problems before they become catastrophic. Not pressing resets or bypassing circuits, just to keep plant running.

 

[Sidewinder]

I agree with Sidewinder, but would also add DC motors and controllers. As they still used in some industries and are more common than you may have been lead to believe (we use 450ADC motors). Think of AC motors like petrol engines (high torque at high speeds), and DC motors like diesel engines (high torque at very low speeds). Plus, learn about the different analogue signal types used in Industry for control (i.e. 0-20mA, 4-20mA, 0-10V, 0-50VDC, 0-100VDC, 0-200VDC etc. and different encoders using square wave outputs). There a lot more you will need to know to become an industrial electrician. Anyone expecting to be paid £38k, should be well versed in all the aforementioned aspects of industrial electrical theory and practise. And BS7671 still applies such as colour codes of wiring. That why there additional colours listed in table 51 for ELV control circuits, such as orange that has a very particular meaning in industrial control systems.

If you enjoy electrics, rather than it just a means to an end (i.e. to ern money). Then industrial systems far more challenging, but also very rewarding.

Good luck

DC motors & drives are not a bad shout, though they are rarer these days.
Certainly for positioning applications where the brushless DC or more accurately the permanent magnet AC servo motor and drive has taken over.
They give 100+% torque @ 0 rpm.

Encoders have moved on in spades too!
Whereas square and sinewave TTL with discrete signals were common, coupled with brushed tacho's we now have bus connected encoders, some even Profisafe for example.
So putting a DC voltage on a pair and reading the feedback pairs and marker pulse with a scope is no longer possible.

One of the comments I would make on the post above is that BS 7671 no longer applies to most industrial machinery.
BS 7671 clause 110.2, xi refers, the relevant standard is BS EN (IEC) 60204-1, or one of the other specialist parts of the 60204 series on top of part 1. One of the differences is colour codes!

The difference is that we now have the concept of harmonised (to the Machinery Directive), and designated (to the Supply of Machinery Safety Regulations) which governs the safety requirements of machinery.
BS 7671 is neither. The BS EN 60204 series is both and also harmonised/designated to the Low Voltage Directive/Electrical Equipment Safety Regulations.

 

[Tulip Spark]

This is an ideal situation for you, the question is when you do your S/E work are you charging the market rate? If you are then that’s honourable, if you’re not then that’s driving the price down for the full time S/E spark.

Day rate £240. ½ day £120. Both plus parts. I've still got the same van, insurance, tax and overheads as a fulltime sparky. I value my time and experience as much as any full timer.

 

[Sharpend]

Day rate £240. ½ day £120. Both plus parts. I've still got the same van, insurance, tax and overheads as a fulltime sparky. I value my time and experience as much as any full timer.

Fair play to you then. Many do it just to make their money up so don’t usually charge going rate.

 

[Tony Soprano]

I agree with Sidewinder, but would also add DC motors and controllers. As they still used in some industries and are more common than you may have been lead to believe (we use 450ADC motors). Think of AC motors like petrol engines (high torque at high speeds), and DC motors like diesel engines (high torque at very low speeds). Plus, learn about the different analogue signal types used in Industry for control (i.e. 0-20mA, 4-20mA, 0-10V, 0-50VDC, 0-100VDC, 0-200VDC etc. and different encoders using square wave outputs). There a lot more you will need to know to become an industrial electrician. Anyone expecting to be paid £38k, should be well versed in all the aforementioned aspects of industrial electrical theory and practise. And BS7671 still applies such as colour codes of wiring. That why there additional colours listed in table 51 for ELV control circuits, such as orange that has a very particular meaning in industrial control systems.

If you enjoy electrics, rather than it just a means to an end (i.e. to ern money). Then industrial systems far more challenging, but also very rewarding.

Good luck

Truth be told, I don’t enjoy it like I used to. That’s why I want a change.