Rewiring a house

LeonandAlison

The electric in a house we are buying is in need of on overhaul. However due to cash flow we wondering if a practical approach would be to fit a consumer unit first prior to getting the full rewire done.

Would anyone recommend this or even know if this is fairly common, a lot of the work we need to do ourselves / get done by professionals will have to be done in stages, and we believe getting an up to date RCB would be the most important thing so we reduce the risk of electrocution.

staffie1

Whatever you do, get a qualified electrician to advise you and do the work. Don't try and save money by doing it yourselves - it's illegal and potentially lethal. It's worth the expense. If you can't afford it, you shouldn't be buying the house in the first place, that's my view.

LeonandAlison

I would never consider doing the electric myself. Im very careful about the tradesmen i use as well. My question is - is it practical to get a new consumer unit before a full rewire?

The house needs loads of work, much of which i can do, but i would not touch something that requires the services of a professional.

staffie1

Unless there are any electricians on today, you could always pick 2 or 3 electricians to come and give you quotes and advise you. Won't cost anything...?

LeonandAlison

Well we are going to arrange for some quotes tommorow during our work breaks. However, we value the personal experiences of others so would like to know how they approached this, so we can compare it to our own experience(s).

bride_on_a_budget

hi, i have spoke to my hubby who is a sparky/electrician.

he said it depends on how old the original wiring is and is it in good condition.

if it is in bad conditiona and you attempt to put a new consumer unit in, the damaged wires could break and you would then need to doa full re-wire.

so he said to get a electrician in 1st to check the original wires are not damaged

i hope this helps
Bride

LeonandAlison

Thanks, thats a good point i was aware with some old wiring that if the insulation is that dodgy rubber stuff for example, that disturbing it can cause it to completely fray and disintegrate which is going to initiate a fire risk.

I will get someone to look at it before we move in, but hopefully it will be practical enough to do it in stages. When i looked at it prior to the survey i saw it as old and in need of a require, but the cables were not that old rubber stuff, from my unprofessional eye its outdated but not dangerous. But the electrician will be able to confirm any of this anyway.

will-he-payitoff

If you need a rewire the cheapest way is to have it all done at once when the house is empty. You could also ask the spark if you could save a bit by doing the chasing out and lifting floorboards.

LeonandAlison

Yeah thats a good idea, something i will definitely consider and inquire about.

27col

Yes, if the wiring insulation is VIR (Vulcanised India Rubber) then it is extremely likely to break up if disturbed. So getting the whole lot done at the same time will be by far the most practical solution. I know from past experience how horrible it is to work on old and hardened VIR wiring. It is affected worse where it has been subject to heat. ie near ceiling roses. But it can be dodgy to work on anywhere along its length.