Electrician concerns for full rewire

grumbler

IMHO, modern cables (including those made 30 years ago) can easily serve 50+ years.

And my friend had recently 4 extra double sockets added in a small room without full rewiring. Yes, this involved removing the floorboards though. The original wires were 'old' - pre-1977(!) and, IMO, were fine.

fenwick458

the fact that they aren't able to sign off their own work does throw up a red flag, but there may be a plausible explanation, ask them about it.
if you want to find out if anybody is registered use this website https://www.competentperson.co.uk/
NICEIC, NAPIT, ELECSA, STROMA are all certification schemes, theres no real difference between any of them from my findings.
The damage on the 3 x T&E cables at the consumer unit looks odd to me. it looks like rodent damage, but it's not in the right place where rodents would be? is there a void behind where the cables are?

grumbler said:

30 years is a very short time even for a consumer unit, let alone for wiring if it was done correctly originally.

a Consumer unit installed in 1991 would be at best a split load RCD, and at worst an old Wylex plug in fuse job. Assuming it was a split load then easily upgradeable with RCBO's but just 3 of them (prob more required)costs as much as new consumer unit, and new consumer units seem to appeal to customers so thats why the industry seems to push a new consumer unit.
and if it was a plugin wylex box then it's not even upgradeable and had to be replaced.
but I do agree that T&E installed in the 90's should still be fine for use (excluding rodent damage) but by the sounds of it the OP needs a substantial amount of new sockets and in which case a rewire would probably be the best way to go.

David713 said:

Is is legally permitted for an electrician to carry out work that needs signing off then refuse to certify it due to other problems in the property?

yes of course it is, as long as the faults are only discovered during the work, rather than at a quoting stage, which is quite often the case

TELLIT01

From the photo, it appears that insulation is missing off some cables and there appears to be burning on others.  That probably would not have been apparent until the old consumer unit was removed.  If that is an example of the previous wiring I would be thinking about a rewire too.

grumbler

I didn't see the photo.

Not sure that this really is burning, but I do see that the cables were eaten by mice.

TELLIT01

grumbler said:

I didn't see the photo.

Not sure that this really is burning, but I do see the the cables were eaten by mice.

On closer viewing, you may well be right about the burning.  However, if there is that much potential rodent damage on a very small section of cable,  a complete rewire might be sensible anyway.