Electrics

helping_hubby

kimosaaby wrote: »

That is the only question you need to answer: Was it built correctly according to the regulations at the time?
If you just want a few sockets doubled paying for a complete re-wire seems like overkill.
Getting an estimate over the phone is no good at all - it's like a mechanic diagnosing a broken down car while he's in the garage and the car is still at the roadside Difficult to do with any accuracy: Although I do know a company in Lowestoft who will do a complete re-wire for fixed prices depending on size of property and no nonsense about you having to pull the floors up and drill holes for them either!
I would suggest a new consumer unit ( aka 'fuse box' ) because the extra earth leakage breakers are useful and it stops you having to remember to plug in a stand-alone RCD every time you plug in the strimmer.
When we bought our latest house I got an electrical survey done which resulted in thousands being spent but I knew some of the other bodgery in the house so needed peace of mind.
Good luck finding a good electrician.

Sorry if that was unclear, the electrician came to the house and gave us the estimate over the phone because he said it was in the post and it never turned up. After 3 phonecalls, he told us the price on the phone and promised the quote would be in the post again.

Is it safe? This is my main concern. I'm confident than myself and OH could add a spur, replace singles for doubles etc. My biggest concern is what's been done before us. Some of the botch jobs we've uncovered in the last 6 weeks, does not give me confidence that any of the existing sockets in the house are safe That answers my own question really doesn't it? I think for my own peace of mind it'd be worth the money to have it done properly.

We're going to be living here for 10+ years, so over that time the cost is negligible really.

Alias_Omega

Im sure you can carry the work out yourself, and have the work inspected by the local authority.

The only thing that is going to stop you is the 'Part P' rules that came into force in Jan 2005. If you work within the 17th edition you will be ok, only problem i can see is getting someone in who is NICEIC registered to perform the inspection.

1.0mm cable is cheap, alot of cable runs from the switches you should be able to get up by tying onto the old cables (use the earths to join them, and tape them up) and hey presto..

lights wired within 3 hours..

Replacement consumer units are about £115 from B&Q for a MK Split load board, with a mixture of MCB's. Find a local CEF, Newey & Eyre, Denmans electrical wholesaler, and get some prices.

Working within consumer units is pretty dodgy if you dont know what you doing, ive been out of the trade for abit now, i still work with electrics, just on aicraft. its nearly the same, looking to brush up my skills again by completing the Part P & 17th Edition upgrade course before christmas..

baldelectrician

To be honest things may not be that bad- rewire lights, add a few sockets and tart up the bonding and add a new split RCD consumer unit.

The only bonus about a full rewire (cost around £2600) is you get peace of mind and a guarantee

helping_hubby

Got my quote from the Electrician on Tuesday...

Lighting – 12 points £ 795.00
Sockets – 9 points £ 385.00
Cooker circuit £ 90.00
Consumer unit and bonding £ 355.00
Total Price £ 1625.00


Any comments?

totalsolutions

Price up components cable/fixings/trunking... and add day rate. I only use MK electrical parts if possible but they are more expensive. Dont forget any redecoration costs.

Shambler

helping_hubby wrote: »

Thank you.

This was the 2nd electrician. The first one said the same things. He gave a quote of £1100 over the phone (this was on the assumption that we would knock the holes in the walls for the sockets and the wiring would go under the floor boards which we would lift up and drill holes ready for the wires), but we've not been able to get hold of him to send us a written quote...or to even talk to him again. I dont think he wants the job.

I have a number for a third electrician now who is a friend of my boss. Will give him a go.

Regarding the earthing. I believe if plastic fittings are used, it's OK not to have the lights earthed. But the electrician took a light off and the back box was metal, and he said that's not right.

We had wanted chrome fittings (in a year or 2 when we can afford them), so earthing would definitely need to be done for these.

If you want chrome fittings then yes you will need to have the lighting circuit earthed.

As for having to have it earthed because the backboxes are metal he is telling a porky there...all backboxes are metal even in circuits which are not earthed though it is then recommended to use plastic screws to attach the front of the switch to the back box...this was seldom done even by professional electricians though.

Quote looks slightly high but we don't know the specifics of your installation.

baldelectrician

Shambler wrote: »

As for having to have it earthed because the backboxes are metal he is telling a porky there...all backboxes are metal even in circuits which are not earthed though it is then recommended to use plastic screws to attach the front of the switch to the back box...this was seldom done even by professional electricians though.

Me thinks this is cobblers, but if you could point me to the regulation in BS7671:2008 where it states plastic screws are to be used, I will respectfully concede

Just imagine all the houses over the land with sockets hanging off the wall if we used plastic screws. It could become a weekly occurance when you unplug the hoover.

27col

As a retired electrician I was constantly surprised by the number of people who wanted me to rewire just after they had redecorated and apparently expected me to do the job without any disturbance to the decor. I found that working under these conditions was best avoided. Another thing that I found was that customers often wanted me to put a double socket in the middle of each wall in the bedrooms, to save money, presumably. It never occurred to them that the socket would be under the bed, where it could not be reached. Though to be fair , when I pointed this out to them they agreed that a double socket at each side of a prospective bed position was a better idea.

jackieb

27col wrote: »

As a retired electrician I was constantly surprised by the number of people who wanted me to rewire just after they had redecorated and apparently expected me to do the job without any disturbance to the decor. I found that working under these conditions was best avoided. Another thing that I found was that customers often wanted me to put a double socket in the middle of each wall in the bedrooms, to save money, presumably. It never occurred to them that the socket would be under the bed, where it could not be reached. Though to be fair , when I pointed this out to them they agreed that a double socket at each side of a prospective bed position was a better idea.

That's exactly what I got done last week. I wouldn't have thought of it if the electrician hadn't suggested it.

helping_hubby

helping_hubby wrote: »

Got my quote from the Electrician on Tuesday...

Lighting – 12 points £ 795.00
Sockets – 9 points £ 385.00
Cooker circuit £ 90.00
Consumer unit and bonding £ 355.00
Total Price £ 1625.00


Any comments?

Eeek. Got the third quote today. £3000. Same as above, but also wiring in smoke alarms, adding a cable to the shed, and a plug in the attic (hubby got carried away). But surely these 3 things don't cost £1400?

Our final plan now I think (keep changing my mind), is to go with £1625 quote, but without the sockets. And to do the doubling up ourselves.