MCB needs replacing on house circuits to sell or not?

Homersimpson

dil1976 wrote: »

Regardless of what code a Periodic inspection and test brings up, it will highlight anything non compliant with the current regulations therefore when selling the house showing the results to any prospective buyer will show what needs doing without any comeback on the OP.

As for wiring a house is easy, please I hope you said that in jest as electrics is far from a simple job.

No jest involved, if you do your homework domestic electrics in a typical house are simple, what do you think is so complicated about them? As with all things if someone is not comfortable with doing them then they shouldn't but for a lot of competant DIYers a rewire is within their scope but of course now Part P is in force they can't (shouldn't) do this.

googler

dil1976 wrote: »

As for wiring a house is easy, please I hope you said that in jest as electrics is far from a simple job.

I'm in agreement with Homer - what's difficult or complicated about household wiring?

dil1976

Homersimpson wrote: »

No jest involved, if you do your homework domestic electrics in a typical house are simple, what do you think is so complicated about them? As with all things if someone is not comfortable with doing them then they shouldn't but for a lot of competant DIYers a rewire is within their scope but of course now Part P is in force they can't (shouldn't) do this.

Please don't say something like this.

There are several things that make this a not so simple job, such as volt drop, cable calculations, what type of earth set up for maximum zs permitable. Just to mention a few things that aren't what they seem to the naked eye.

Oh and as for part P, you can get your local authority to certify it for a fee, so saying you cant or shouldn't do it because of this is wrong too.

G_M

Homersimpson wrote: »

No jest involved, if you do your homework domestic electrics in a typical house are simple, what do you think is so complicated about them? As with all things if someone is not comfortable with doing them then they shouldn't but for a lot of competant DIYers a rewire is within their scope but of course now Part P is in force they can't (shouldn't) do this.

I have to agree. I would never attempt it myself, but would support anyone who was willing to read up/learn and then DIY if they felt confident enough. Same with servicing my car.

I regularly have this same debate here about DIY conveyancing, which I have done. It's all about recognising ones own skills, capabilities and limitations.

Homersimpson

dil1976 wrote: »

Please don't say something like this.

There are several things that make this a not so simple job, such as volt drop, cable calculations, what type of earth set up for maximum zs permitable. Just to mention a few things that aren't what they seem to the naked eye.

Oh and as for part P, you can get your local authority to certify it for a fee, so saying you cant or shouldn't do it because of this is wrong too.

If you have a read of the IEE on-site guide it explains in simple terms how to wire a small installation such as a house. It even gives rules of thumb for cable sizes for areas covered.

As for maximum Zs, did you know that Zs is almost irrelevant in a house with 30mA RCD's on all circuits, if your Zs is less than around 1666 ohms it will comply (Zs of a ringmain circuit wouldn't usually exceed 1 ohm depending upon Ze) Stop trying to make it sound complicated it really isn't go someone who is prepared to do some reading.

dil1976

I am not making it sound complicated, you are the one saying go for it. Its easy.

All I am doing is pointing whats needs to be correct before carrying out the work. yes I know what a maximum Zs value is, besides it is almost irrelevant isnt an excuse because it can be that high doesn't distinguish from the fact it still has to comply within a certain criteria.

If its that simple simple what about K values which surely are safely critical?

Homersimpson

"If its that simple simple what about K values which surely are safely critical?"

Do you mean K factor for working out the thermal constraint of cables i.e K2S2 and then comparing to the I2t of the protective device? or a K rating of transformer for inrush and harmonic distortion?

In my years of experience of designing electrical systems its rare to have a problem with K2S2 except on the fire alarm panel to a large building because the cable size is very small for its point of connection to the system, i.e its connected to the main switch panel fed by a 1000kVA transformer with a prospective short circuit current (PSCC) of around 32kA.

I've never seen a domestic property with a PSCC which would cause a problem for T+E, even when right next to the substation, the resistance of the main and service cables brings it down to a low enough level. If I had a copy of my regs book I could work out what the PSCC would have to be to cause a problem for a 32A ring, it would be huge.

I'm bored arguing with you now as you clearly know it all, I take it all back everyone electrity - be afraid be very afraid.

Dilfred

Well, Homer, you maybe bored of arguing, I however would like to thank you and a number of others on this thread already for your advice and level of practicallity and common sense applied in my situation. I do agree regarding letting my solicitor doing my electrical work, however I also think that neither should my electrician to make me pay for fillings that I may not need.

At the end of the day, I am a compentent DIY'er with a very good understanding of how to wire a house and the time and patience to read up on how to do it. I was happy to get someone out to check and sign off my work as part of the regulations and it was all in an exposed and accessable in order that had I over looked something, then it would easily be rectifiable in order to pass. It is right that not everyone has the mentality or skill to do that and the biggest problem are those whom do not know their limitations, not those that do and are confident in what they do.

To be perfectly honest, I am going to do exactly the same at my new house, it is an old house with old box so would fail in exactly the same way as I have just fallen over this time. It is not going to stop me doing a certain amount of rewiring when I get around to it (the kitchen springs to mind) also know my limitations and am "not afraid to ask my local sparky" if I need, yes it involves a call out charge sometimes, but it's still cheaper than blundering on and hoping I got it right when he comes to check at the end. Also it makes it cheaper and more importantly safer in the long run.

It also annoys me that I have to get my gas checked. I have replumbed my old house top to toe (water lead pipes) and never had a leak, I don't see why my cooker had to be checked, yet that not. Anyway, separate arguement, as I could argue the other side if I wanted to.

Thanks for the help is really all I wanted to say here, you made me rant a little reading the rest of the thread hahaha

DVardysShadow

Dilfred wrote: »

... At the end of the day, I am a compentent DIY'er with a very good understanding of how to wire a house and the time and patience to read up on how to do it. I was happy to get someone out to check and sign off my work as part of the regulations and it was all in an exposed and accessable in order that had I over looked something, then it would easily be rectifiable in order to pass. It is right that not everyone has the mentality or skill to do that and the biggest problem are those whom do not know their limitations, not those that do and are confident in what they do.

To be perfectly honest, I am going to do exactly the same at my new house, it is an old house with old box so would fail in exactly the same way as I have just fallen over this time. It is not going to stop me doing a certain amount of rewiring when I get around to it (the kitchen springs to mind) also know my limitations and am "not afraid to ask my local sparky" if I need, yes it involves a call out charge sometimes, but it's still cheaper than blundering on and hoping I got it right when he comes to check at the end. Also it makes it cheaper and more importantly safer in the long run.

It also annoys me that I have to get my gas checked. I have replumbed my old house top to toe (water lead pipes) and never had a leak, I don't see why my cooker had to be checked, yet that not. Anyway, separate arguement, as I could argue the other side if I wanted to.

Thanks for the help is really all I wanted to say here, you made me rant a little reading the rest of the thread hahaha

I sympathise. I am in a similar position in our present house. I have an old fuse box and within a week of moving in, I replaced the rewireable elements with cartridge fuses. Probably it is strictly against the canon of what I may do. But it is safer.

I also want to add an RCD in the feed to the fusebox. This is undoubtedly safer and my only way of providing RCD protection to the whole house in the short to medium term - because I know that it won't be possible to replace the current fusebox with a split load unit without reworking most of the first runs.

If I do add the RCD, then I will be non compliant with 314.1 iv. Someone could bump their head turning the lights back on after the RCD has tripped [having survived electrocution because the RCD did trip]. It is obvious that the right course is to effect some improvement, but the non compliance will give me exactly the same problems you are having on selling the property.