House Renovation - Know These Things Before You Rewire A House

Some house renovation projects are anything but fun. Falling off a DIY chair might be safer than working with live wires around your house, as it can get seriously dangerous, especially if you have no idea about which wire is what.

If you are looking to rewire your house, then there are various factors that you will have to take into consideration, like the cost of material, the number of days the work will go on for and how your daily life might get affected by the project.

Go through the questions and answers given below to gain more knowledge on things you need to keep in mind before you rewire your house:

When should you rewire your house?

If your house hasn’t been rewired in the last 25 to 30 years, then it may require rewiring in parts. But, if you don’t know what you are getting your hands into, then don’t hesitate to call a qualified electrician.

To make sure your house runs all important electrical goods, such as your microwave, laptop charger and designer radiator safely, get your electrics inspected by a professional electrician, who has a sound knowledge of wiring and safety, at least once in a decade. After carrying out a thorough inspection, you will be provided with an EICR (Electrical Installation Condition Report) by the electrician.

When do you need to update your electrics?

There are a certain instances when you’ll have to renew your electrics, which includes the following:

·       If you own an old fuse box made up of wood that has cast iron switches and white ceramic fuses

·       If the up walls looks unsightly because of surface mounted cables running along skirting boards, then that suggest a fast rewire job was done. This process may sometimes be used to protect the building’s fabric from getting damaged.

·       If the cables are coated in black rubber or covered with fabric or lead. However, modern cables are PVC coated.

·       If you own sockets and switches that are old fashioned, then get those checked by an electrician as these maybe maintained in a non working condition.

How will you know if your property has been rewired?

Here we’ve mentioned a few ways which will help you scrutinise whether the house has been rewrired or not:

·  Carefully inspect the electricity meter, fuse box and exposed parts of wiring. Inspect these elements first if you are checking out a property with intent of purchase.

·  When undertaking work, it will be difficult to get an idea if two or more sets of circuits have been disconnected. If you spot mix of various sockets and switch styles, then it indicates that a partial rewiring job has taken place.

· You may also find original dolly switches and old round pin sockets in some old properties that have not been renovated in decades.

·  While you are checking a fuse box, take good look at the style and colour of cables. A modern consumer unit will incorporate residual circuit devices and circuit breakers. Some of the modern electrical installations are also wired with grey or white PVC insulated cables.

Things to focus on when rewiring a house

Many fires have occurred due to faulty wiring. Below we have mentioned some mistakes which lead to such incidents:

· A consumer unit with a wooden backing, black electricity cable and cast iron switches is the first and foremost thing you should look for when rewiring and get it replaced.

· If your room has two plus sockets which are cracked and broken. Check if they have round entries because the modern ones have 3-pin system. Also, check whether the plugs feel hot when they are in operation. You should get them inspected at the earliest if you spot any of the above.

·  If you have to replace lights frequently or you face flickering every now and then. Depending on how much time you have used a bulb, they last for months to years. Some LED lights last up to 50,000 hours. If there are rounded switches in your house then you need to get them replaced with modern switches as well.

How much will it cost?

The cost of rewiring a house will be affected by the factors that are mentioned below:

·   Size of house

·  Whether the house is vacant or occupied

· Age of the house

· Location of the house

· The professional you’ll hire

If you are reviving an old house, also include the cost of removal of old fittings in your bill.

So, there we have it – essential things which you need to be well-acquainted with when you’re rewiring your house!