EICR Unsatisfactory - full rewire?

earthquakebird

Hello,

I am a FTB in the process of purchasing a 2 bed Victorian terrace property, whose EICR has uncovered numerous C1 and C2 issues and overall declared as unsatisfactory. The estimated age of the electrical installation is 35 years. The NICEIC electrician who carried it out highly recommended a full rewire of the property (£2,950) or remedial works (£1,725).

There are a total of two C1 items, four C2 items and four C3 items. Do you think these are reasonable quotes and how necessary do you think a full rewire would be? I also understand that doing this would incur additional costs for hiring someone to re-plaster the property - can anyone give me rough estimates on this based on the type of property I have described?

This is the overall summary: "General wiring is mostly satisfactory but 32 amp MCB is protecting 2 radial small power sockets circuit. No earth on metal light fittings. No earth on gas or water service pipes at incoming points. No RCD protection on socket outlets or bathroom equipment.

To me this sounds like quite major electrical works. This may make or break the house purchase as I'm not sure I'm willing to spend time or money doing these works so would appreciate your insights.

Thanks

_CC_

I paid around that from what I can remember, although on a 3 bed.

As you say, it's the plastering, tiling, decorating etc. afterwards that will add to cost and time. Best time to get it done though I guess.

tacpot12

Only the lack of earth on the metal light fittings and the two radials on one 32A MCB actually requires any rewiring. Many people just remove the metal light fittings to save the cost of rewiring lighting circuits. If you want to keep them, depending on how many lighting circuits you have and which you want to have metal fittings on, you might get away with just rewiring one circuit. The electrician will add a label to the consumer unit to say which lighting circuits cannot have metal light fittings. The two radials on one 32A MCB is probably due to a break in what was supposed to be a ring final circuit. The electrician could find the break and repair it, which might take a small amount of plastering (likely to be within your own capabilities) OR they could replace the 32A MCB with two 20A MCBs.

You do need a new consumer unit with RCDs (or RCBOs). The rewiring work looks suspiciously cheap compared to the remediation. Given the electrician will have to lift floorboards, chop cables out of the walls, and go up into the loft, it makes me think that the quote for the remedial work is over-priced. Also, I paid £400 for a new (Amendment 3) Consumer Unit which came with the RCDs. Running earths to the water and gas pipes could be £50 or £300 depending on the distance and difficulties of running the cables. Running new cables for the lighting circuit to allow metal fittings to be retained might be £300-400 per circuit (more for the downstairs lights, less for the upstairs ones as access is easier). Finding the break in the cable or replacing with 20A MCB might cost £200.

If one of the C1s relates to low insulation readings, then rewiring is necessary.

Rewiring would be a good idea if the rooms are very short of power sockets, and/or the plaster needs replacing anyway. Both of these were the case in my two bed Victorian terraced house.

G_M

When I had my 4 bed (1850) house re-wired, I paid around £2500, admitedly 15 years ago now.


The sparkie was great though. Inmost cases he tied new wires to the old and then pulled them through, so no need to chase out the walls and re-plaster. In the few places he had to, he re-plastered himself and then I painted over. It was not a perfect job but good enough for me (and and the rough-surfaced 1850 house!).

ProDave

If you just want it to be "safe" then change the metal light fittings back to plastic (or you can buy some class 2 metal fittings that don't need an earth) and fix the other faults.

But in the longer term you will probably be wise to get a rewire, for no other reason than it is highly likely there will not be enough sockets in the right places for modern life.

But fixing it up for now and rewiring in your own time as you refurbish the property might make more sense.

Carrot007

ProDave wrote: »

But in the longer term you will probably be wise to get a rewire, for no other reason than it is highly likely there will not be enough sockets in the right places for modern life.

Modern life has changed again!


I thought that after moving from the nice rewired previous place I would need more, but socket need is going down again. USB ports maybe, but a socket for each is just silly! (change your double sockets and add two usb as well etc etc!)



Things also consume a lot less so a 10 (12/14 whatever) socket adaptor is not insane anymore.


As a control freak I do miss knowing where every cable in the house is (with photos!). But I have beepy box for when it's important!


I did get the consumer unit changed to have rcd's though! A lot cheaper than a full rewire! (the guy took lots of stats and said it was all fine!)


Maybe avoid metal light switches if it is not earthed! Mine is but half of them were not wired in! They are now! (and let's not mention the metal lightswitch just the other side of the shower screen in the bathroom (it lasted 2 hours after I moved in!)

Carrot007

G_M wrote: »

he tied new wires to the old and then pulled them through, so no need to chase out the walls and re-plaster. In the few places he had to, he re-plastered himself and then I painted over. It was not a perfect job but good enough for me (and and the rough-surfaced 1850 house!).

I fail to see how he pulled wires though plastered cables! If they had coduits it probably did not need replaceing!


Though brings back the nightmares of my previous 1910-30s house (ex council from the 50s so no clear date!), which had 1 socket upstairs and 1 in the kitchen and 1 in the living room (all singles). And a lot of lead in the walls (old lighting). Old brick is not easy to my cable spaces in! Most drills cant even touch it (yes I know thats not what you do it with! it was just a POINT! You use a comb chisel)

AdrianC

Carrot007 wrote: »

I fail to see how he pulled wires though plastered cables! If they had coduits it probably did not need replaceing!

Could well have been old iron conduit from whenever the wiring was installed in the place, probably post-war.

Davesnave

Carrot007 wrote: »

I fail to see how he pulled wires though plastered cables! If they had coduits it probably did not need replaceing!

I had metal conduit inside the walls of my 1948 wired house. I can assure you the wires were well past their use-by date, even in 1977.

Unfortunately, one often finds some richardhead has given it a bash, denting it and trapping the wires inside!

G_M

Carrot007 wrote: »

I fail to see how he pulled wires though plastered cables! If they had coduits it probably did not need replaceing!

No idea - that's how he explained the minimal replastering required. I was out at work all day so never actually saw what he did.


(Possibly he didn't re-wire at all.......:eek:)

Smodlet

Partial rewiring/remedial work may be a bit quicker and cheaper but is pretty much as disruptive as a full rewire, imo. If you go for the latter option, once it is done to modern standards it should last fifty years at least, fires notwithstanding.

Speaking of fires, this place was patently not safe when we bought it: Bakelite sockets and light fittings, one socket did not even have an on/off switch: You turned it on by plugging something into it. :eek: Also only one per room, it was a no brainer. Full rewire five or six years ago in a 3 bed semi cost £1800 but that was a really good price, no plastering included; fortunately OH is not bad at "making good".

The peace of mind you have knowing your wiring is safe and having more sockets than you can use is worth every penny, imho. It should also make your house more saleable as any subsequent buyer is going to face the same decision you currently have to make. You could then be the one to lose a sale for the sake of less than £3k. Any chance you can negotiate the price down maybe £1500?

HTH.