Renewing Electrical wiring
Electrical rewiring is a crucial aspect of maintaining the safety and functionality of buildings, whether they are commercial, domestic, industrial, or residential. Over time, electrical systems can become outdated, leading to increased risk of faults, fires, and other hazards. Rewiring is the process of replacing old or faulty wiring with new, updated systems that meet current safety standards and electrical regulations. The process involves a thorough inspection of the existing electrical infrastructure and the replacement of outdated components with modern, energy-efficient ones. For businesses and homeowners, electrical rewiring is a necessary investment that can prevent potentially dangerous situations and ensure the smooth operation of electrical systems for years to come.
What Is Involved In Rewiring Your Home or Business
It’s important that homeowners are aware of the warning signs that's it's time to rewire their house for safety reasons. Here are some signs you need to look out for:
Contact usWarning signs of aged electrics
- 1. Electric keeps tripping out regularly -
- 2. Cracking or buzzing noise around your electrical components -
- 3. Outdated consumer unit (Old Fashioned Fuse Box) and fittings –
- 4. Discolouration of wiring or sockets and light fittings –
- 5. Worn Insulated cabling -
- 6.Round pin sockets (mounted on skirting boards) -
- 7. Your house has not been rewired within 25 years –
this relates to your consumer unit and could be a sign that your electrical wiring is faulty and your house needs to be rewired. Another sign could be that your lighting dims or you need to replace bulbs regularly.
this is a clear sign that there is a problem with your outdated wiring and a house rewire may be overdue. This could also mean that you have blown fuses that need to be replaced or upgraded which can be caused by faulty wiring. A clear sign that current wiring regulations are not being met.
your consumer unit is made of wood, has cast iron switches, outdated or cracked plug sockets, black cabling/old cable colours, no labelling or has no RCD (residual current device/circuit breakers) which is a critical lifesaving device to prevent serious injury or in the worse case scenario, a fatal electric shocks. Sure signs that a modern consumer unit is required and your electrical wiring needs an upgrade to modern wiring.
this could be a serious sign that you need a rewire because discolouration usually occurs due to consistent overheating and burning.
Your home's cables may have worn or disintegrating insulation. Rubber or fabric insulated cable is tell-tale sign the cabling is potentially dangerous and requires replacing. This type of original wiring was very prone to disintegration. This is common if you own a period property.
These socket outlets are a sign that your home's wiring is very old and in need or urgent attention! Full house rewiring by an expert electrician will be required as soon as possible.
things move quickly and the same applies to your electrical wiring. If your property has not been rewired within the last 25-30 years then we recommend contacting a qualified electrician as soon as possible. Rewiring jobs require skill and experience so we recommend you always use a professional electrician.
Order of current standards
In order to meet current standards any of the above defects must be corrected. If current regulations are not met your home may be dangerous and this may potentially void any insurance claims. Insurance companies have been known to refuse claims.
Never be tempted to do just a partial rewire (for example to add extra sockets or lighting circuits) unless you have first had the property inspected to ensure the rest of the wiring meets current safety standards.
Our electricians are often asked what’s actually involved in the rewiring process to make it compliant with current regulations. So we thought it would be a good idea to share the electrical rewiring process with you. Typically rewiring projects involve the following:
Rewiring Planning & Budgeting
Before you rewire your house, you need to plan and budget. The rewiring cost for your whole house or even a single room is not cheap and once started will need to be completed properly. You cannot leave an electrical rewire half-finished so make sure you can afford to complete the job in full. This includes getting an electrical contractor to estimate how much it costs to rewire a house. At Venture Electrical we specialise in rewiring projects so please call us for our friendly advice.
In addition, planning what style of fittings and components you plan on having installed is important. This includes things like deciding on the number of lights, light switches, plug sockets and other power points you want around the house.
Choosing A Licensed Electrician & Getting Quotes
When choosing an electrician for house rewiring you must make sure they are fully qualified, trained and licensed. If you are unsure then you should ask for documentation upon meeting them. We cannot stress the importance of this enough. Not all electricians charge the same rates so we recommend getting 3-4 quotes to ensure you getting a fair price for your rewire. Please remember that cheap does NOT always mean good!
Existing Wiring Inspection
When trying to figure out when a house needs to be rewired, we always recommend to start by getting an electrician to inspect your existing wiring and installations. This will be far cheaper and could save you the cost of a full rewire if the electrician deems your wiring safe and up to date. You can find out more about electrical testing and inspection here.
Fitting Your New Wiring & Components
If the inspection has found you do in fact have to undergo a full rewire, then the process typically starts by removing the old wiring and installations from beneath the floor and inside the walls. From here the new wiring and consumer unit will be installed through the same space (in most cases) that the old cabling ran through.
After the new wiring has been installed the electrician will fit new electrical components including things such as sockets, lights, switches and anything else specified. Please note that if you are having new fittings installed this could mean cutting into walls and ceiling spaces. If you require any further information please contact us here at Venture Electricians Liverpool.
Post-Installation Tests
When your house has been fully rewired you will then need to have all of our installations tested again. This is also known as an Electrical Installation Condition Report or EICR Certificates. If the test finds nothing wrong then you will be issued with an electrical safety certificate to show you comply with the latest regulations. Make sure you keep this certificate safe. This is especially important for rental properties or if you are planning on selling your house.
Electrical Rewires Cost Breakdown
In this section we thought it would be useful to include rough cost breakdowns to help you with planning and budgeting. Prices include labour, materials, final sign-off and building control notification, which you should also take into consideration when requesting quotes. As we’ve said before, please remember that cheap does not mean good when it comes to something as serious your home electrical system and wiring.
