Moved house - bare wires all over - how can I make them safe

[Taylortwocities]

I cannot stress strongly enough: you need to get a competent electrician in to review the installation. He will to test and check evrything and make it safe.

You must know where there are live cables in your walls. Those detectors are rubbish as you have discovered.

You, and your family, are at risk until this has been done.

Get someone from www.competentperson.co.uk

 

[Michelin]

Hi
That website offers lists of electricians from all these associations
BREC-ECA BRE, BSI, ELECSA, NAPIT, NICEIC

Am I right in thinking that NICEIC is the best to go for? (especially for a full rewire)

Which is right for me 'approved contractor' or 'domestic installer' as both are offered.

I'll get a quote for the rewire and the making safe at the same time
Thanks

 

[bongos]

That website offers lists of electricians from all these associations
BREC-ECA BRE, BSI, ELECSA, NAPIT, NICEIC
Am I right in thinking that NICEIC is the best to go for? (especially for a full rewire)

As far as I am aware they are all as good as each other - just different associations/memberships for sparks to join (although I'm sure someone will be able to say if one particular organisation is any better than another)

Which is right for me 'approved contractor' or 'domestic installer' as both are offered.

I'll get a quote for the rewire and the making safe at the same time
Thanks

Most people on the forum suggest to ask around family or friends who have recently used a good sparky and to then give them a call (making sure they are on the list of one of the above mentioned memberships).

Obviously your first priority is making sure all the circuits are operating safely and are not a danger to anyone as well. It may be that you can escape the need for an immediate rewire if everythings made safe (but I couldn't say for definate)

 

[Adam_151]

NICEIC are the most well known, not sure about the best, they will all have some bad apples...

Domestic installer is the registration they need to to notfiy electrical works in dwellings, generally its easier to get resgistered as a DI than an AP

Approved contractor pre-dates the changes to the building regulations that happened 3 years back, and while there is no particular requirement to do so, is the requirement that a lot of commerical clients look for.

Best advice is probably to look for an approved contractor who is also on the register as a domestic installer (an approved contractor can register as a DI as well by just signing an extra form, theres no extra cost - so any APs that arn't also DIs are probably that way because they just have no interest in taking on domestic work)

Someone who is just a DI cannot do periodic inspection and tests either... or at least can only do them in a very limited capacity

Even better advice is to ask for recommendation from friends and family

 

[ban-all-sheds]

Am I right in thinking that NICEIC is the best to go for? (especially for a full rewire)

No - if for no other reason than their cynical and venal hypocrisy in inventing the 5-day "domestic installer". There's also the fact that with a firm that has employees there might only be 1 qualified one, and the rest all knuckle-draggers. AFAIK, NAPIT registration is on an individual basis, unless they've also had to prostitute themselves to compete.

Which is right for me 'approved contractor' or 'domestic installer' as both are offered.

A Domestic Installer may have undergone only 5 days of training...