Good Or Bad Advice (Re-Wire)?

ach5

30 years ago my house was fully re-wired.

I wanted a new consumer unit to make things a little safer, and one or two bits and bobs of re-wiring / 2 x blocked off wall lights re-wiring etc - nothing major.

I asked an electrician to do a Preiodic Inspection Report - he took off the front of the current consumer unit and said it would definitely fail (not sure why) so he wouldn't proceed any further (and therefore didnt charge me).

He also said that he could fit a new CU, but that the old wiring would be no good and have reduced (?increased) resistance and so would cause it to constantly "trip", and so I should get a full re-wire done.

He did not test any of the circuits or wiring.

He has quoted £3k for a full re-wire (fully chased), but he does not "make good" - I will need ot get my own plasterer in. No idea how much that would cost, but I'm guessing it'd be a full days work for the plasterer - ??£200-300??

Does this sound like reasonable advice?

Would 30 year old wiring really not be any good?

I am literally having sleepless nights at the thought of the upheaval a re-wire would cause (I'm really not good with stress or change at home!!) and it would throw out carefully balanced redecoration plans right out of the window!

We are going on holiday for a month in 1 week and all the work is to be done whilst we're away (decorating, bathroom, full new carpets, new furniture, new doors and staircase - all booked in and confirmed into a carefully organised schedule) and a re-wire would mess all our plans up at this stage!

I want my house to be safe, but I dont want a job doing if it doesnt need doing.

I know the answer is "get more quotes" but I have so so so much work on next week before we fly out that I just cant find the time, and if we need the re-wire, it has to be done now.

It will involve pulling the kitchen tiles off (we cant afford to have the kitched re-done at present) and holes cutting in the fitted wardrobe floors (needs re-doing so not that bothere, but cant afford to do that this year).

Also he said all sockets would have to be moved up to 500mm, and all light switches moved down as per new regulations, and this is something I dont want! I hate the idea of having ugly plug sockets half way up the wall!! I like them just above the skirting!

Help!

ach5

PS he was very convincing at the time and I went along with the idea, but now I'm not so sure.

The major "selling point" of a re-wire is that I can have the Part P certificate for when I come to sell the house, and therefore wont be something I can be "knocked down" on when selling.

Could I ask someone to just fit me a new consumer unit and do the bits of wiring I need? Or should I really be doing this properly?

I was lying awake at 0345 this morning worrying about this! The house will be a mess :-(

latecomer

I think he's just making work for himself but the only way to find out is to get another couple of quotes. Get a recommendation if you can.

I'm not sure that the sockets would have to be moved if it was just rewiring but I could be wrong. I would say nothing to the other electricians and let them give their opinion on the state of the electrics.

aboard_epsilon

i take it that the consumer unit you have now has the old fuses ..and no RCD.

this will help others here to answer

all the best.markj

ach5

Problem is I dont want to have to keep paying for Periodic Inspection Reports - it seems that that's what they want to do - I cant get them to do a free test/quote - they just say I need the report and tell me their fee!!! It's a con!

ach5

yes it's an old fuse box with "cartridge" style fuses that you pull in and out - each fuse has two pins like the brass ones on plugs.

DVardysShadow

ach5 wrote: »

yes it's an old fuse box with "cartridge" style fuses that you pull in and out - each fuse has two pins like the brass ones on plugs.

Definitely cartridge and not rewireable?

No need to change on that account. A new MCB may be preferable to a cartridge fuse - but given that cartridge fuses are always new just before they blow, a cartridge fuse is probably preferable to an MCB which has blown a few times

ach5

DVardysShadow wrote: »

Definitely cartridge and not rewireable?

I dont know!!! How do I tell?

benood

I'd get a sensible electrician to have a look, your one sounds like he's got an expensive holiday in mind.

ach5

Have just emailed a few local electricians (too late to call their mobiles!) that I found on google and will try to get a couple up this weekend/monday if I can.

I absolutely hate renovations like this, but I am thankful for this forum!!

ach5

benood wrote: »

I'd get a sensible electrician to have a look, your one sounds like he's got an expensive holiday in mind.

He let slip that he had no work on at all when I called him, and when he was looking to book me in I saw his diary and other than a 3 day job it was empty.

I have provisionally booked him to do the job - if I cancel, other than being terribly bad form, I wont owe him any obligation will I? I havent signed a contract - I just said "OK, go ahead" when he called with the quote.

I then emailed him with my concerns - i.e. basically that I am terrified of a re-wire, and he was very reassuring and maybe I'm overreacting...

Anyway we'll see if I get any email response in the morning from the other electricians.