Electrics

[KarenN]

I hope this entry is in the correct place this time!

My electrics are in good order - so no re-wiring needed. But, light switches and sockets are in the wrong places and there are currently no electric heater sockets.

So, I will be getting an electrician in to re-locate sockets etc... and what I would like to know is:

a) what is the procedure for putting new sockets / switches in and how much damage will it do to the walls

b) is the procedure any different if the wall is to be dry lined afterwards?

Thanks for any advice Karen

 

[Steve]

there are currently no electric heater sockets.

This part worries me. There are normally no "electric heater sockets" because there is another form of heating installed. Is this the case? Sockets aren't usually put in for fixed heaters either, its normally a fused switch, and in these cases they are on dedicated circuits because electric heating is a heavy load (and vastly expensive to run)

Moving switches and sockets is messy. And can unveil hidden problems. Whole cable runs may need replacing if the sparks doing his job right, as hidden junction boxes are not allowed.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

b) It's a lot quicker and easier (and therefore cheaper), as the cables can just be clipped to the walls and then boarded over.

I take it it's just dry-lining, not insulation as well?

 

[KarenN]

Thanks for the advice...

The property is 1920s build and only had a storage heater and coal fires prior to purchase.

There is no other form of heating!

I don't do GAS! and I plan to have storage and electric heaters installed.

The walls will be either plastered or dry lined after the electrics are complete.

Just wanted to know the easiest / cheapest way of doing it all! Karen

 

[ColJack]

why don't you do gas?
it's much more efficient than electric heating..

 

[ban-all-sheds]

Dunno about efficiency, but it's a lot cheaper - electricity is about 4x the price of gas for the same energy.

Plus gas CH is a lot more flexible - storage heaters are not much use if you're out all day and don't want to go to bed early when the weather is really cold.

Seriously - I can't imagine anyone choosing storage heaters in preference to gas CH.

 

[ericmark]

What is cheap! If something can you something which already exists then that makes that cheap but if you fit electric cables, water pipes or gas pipes installation costs will increase as since most of the bill is labour not that much between them.

So running costs anything which needs other than balanced flue (Balanced flues also draw air in from outside) then any system with a flue causes drafts.

Anything which has poor control will cost more than system which only heats when required.

With Electric any heating without storage will cost more than that with storage to an extent until control means you waist too much.

So a wet system with thermostatic radiator valves and timed control is the cheapest to run but to use this with electric means a large storage vessel and in general far more expensive to install than gas and the electric costs more.

Using a non central system like gas fires or storage radiators (Can't see how anyone can call storage radiators a "central" heating system) can be cheaper to install but not to run. Also grants are not as easy to get for non central systems.

There is also speed. If a room is only used on odd time but when it is you get little warning then a radiant heater may still be best option many churches use these as they heat the people not the air.

But in general a wet system can be made to run on multi-fuels and this includes back boilers, gas, solid fuel, oil, and electric. I stand to be corrected but I have not seen any gas fires which are thermostat controlled if they were then these could be the answer in many small houses but my son ripped out all the gas heaters in his house and replaced with a central heating boiler which gave better automated control and reduced drafts.

Each house is different and I think too often we try to use one system fits all approach. A person who arrives home at 7pm and leaves at 7am will not find a storage radiator much good but some one who is in house all day may find them OK.

So look here for some of the alternative methods to use electric storage but I would use gas far cheaper.

 

[KarenN]

Whether I use gas or electric is beside the point. Can anyone tell me how the wiring / sockets / switches are re-located on the different wall surfaces (walls which are to be plastered over and walls that will be 'dry lined')?

I need to know this info before my electrician quotes me, so I'm aware of the work involved.

Thank you Karen

 

[PrenticeBoyofDerry]

Check out this link may help your understanding. //www.diynot.com/wiki/electrics

 

[flameport]

Walls to be plastered: channels cut into the walls for cables, boxes for sockets and switches recessed into the wall. Lots of mess and takes a significant amount of time.

Walls to be lined: cables and boxes clipped to the surface. Boards fixed over the top. Much quicker and therefore the electrical work costs less.

Either way, floorboards will need to be lifted in all of the rooms where work is being done.

You really don't want storage heaters. Fitting them could easily cost as much as having a gas heating system installed. It will cost far more to run, won't provide heat when you want it, and on top of that, all of your other electricity used in the daytime will cost more than normal.

 

[mikhailfaradayski]

Hi Karen,

I don't wish to be rude or try to alter your mind re electric over gas heating but would you indulge me a little as to why you feel this way?

This is a genuine question as i have lived in houses with both systems and i have devoloped my own personal feelings about this for my own reasons.

Do you live in a remote area where gas cannot be supplied by pipe ans don't want an unslightly tank plonked outside your house?

I would be interested to hear your point of view.

 

[londonboy]

Remember you can now get electric boilers and link them to solar panels or heat pumps.

 

[KarenN]

Hi Karen,

I don't wish to be rude or try to alter your mind re electric over gas heating but would you indulge me a little as to why you feel this way?

This is a genuine question as i have lived in houses with both systems and i have devoloped my own personal feelings about this for my own reasons.

Do you live in a remote area where gas cannot be supplied by pipe ans don't want an unslightly tank plonked outside your house?

I would be interested to hear your point of view.

The property has no gas supply. The hassle of fitting water pipes and radiators throughout. The cost of maintaining a gas system/boiler. The possibility of water leaks from radiators....just afew things that don't appeal.

 

[electronicsuk]

The property has no gas supply. The hassle of fitting water pipes and radiators throughout. The cost of maintaining a gas system/boiler. The possibility of water leaks from radiators....just afew things that don't appeal.

Fair enough, although worth pointing out that most of these are moot points. Central heating systems almost always run the heating circuit at a lower water pressure than your mains water supply, so if you don't lose sleep at night over your hot/cold water pipework bursting, there's even less need to worry about heating pipes.

A properly installed and maintained system will provide tens of years of leak free service, and the maintenance and running costs (if you install a good quality boiler) will be far lower, year on year, compared to electric storage heaters, because the cost of the 'fuel' is much less.

The hassle of fitting pipework will surely be little more than the hassle of installing new wiring for your storage heaters?

If you're still sure about wanting electric heating, then flameport has already provided all the info you asked for in your original post.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

Karen - if you don't buy a CH system now, you'll still have to pay for one when you sell, in the form of a reduced price for the property.