My Complete DIY Rewire

[ban-all-sheds]

I'll be testing continuity of the existing runs soon

What with?

I'm here for advice and support

No you are not.

not judgement.

It's somewhat inevitable that you will be "judged" when you come here spouting a load of nonsense and rejecting all advice which doesn't fit with what you'd already decided to do.

So please, if you don't have something constructive to add, please just refrain from posting. If the advice is "don't do it yourself", this advice has already been offered, thank you.

Please understand that I have no intention of doing this lawfully, I have no intention of regarding incompetence and ignorance as reasons why I should not fiddle with electrics, and I have no intention of taking any notice of anybody who does not support me in my stupid endeavour.

 

[Risteard]

normally much more grey insulation would be removed.

The sheath is NOT rated as insulation - it is for mechanical protection. Hence insulated and sheathed cable.

 

[skotl]

normally much more grey insulation would be removed.

The sheath is NOT rated as insulation - it is for mechanical protection. Hence insulated and sheathed cable.

In the eight pages of this thread, that seems an odd point to pick up on, when there's so much more worthy material

There's this, for example;

I've also been securing wires in chases, I went with hot glue which seems to be working very well.

Or perhaps this (I'm assuming he means 1.5mm for sockets?);

I ran a 1.5mm cable through a very very fiddly route including running through a beam. It took a while but the result is far better than the original cable route.

 

[PreferNotToDieOrBurn]

I'm here for advice and support

No you are not.

Ok, you are not adding any value to this thread. Please don't waste your time replying. I have gratefully received and accepted advice from others.

 

[PreferNotToDieOrBurn]

normally much more grey insulation would be removed.

and more spare slack on the wires.

It's a bit of a give away that an electrician hasn't done it!

But it looks tidy and safe. (well maybe the wires are too tight)

Thanks Andy, appreciate the feedback. Perhaps I've tried to be a little too tidy. How much grey "matter" would you normally remove? Are you suggesting I should leave additional slack in both the core wires and the grey insulated wire? Or just one (or the other).

Again, thank you, there seems to be a barrage of negative responses (some warranted, most not) so your feedback is very very much appreciated.

 

[PreferNotToDieOrBurn]

I've also been securing wires in chases, I went with hot glue which seems to be working very well.

Or perhaps this (I'm assuming he means 1.5mm for sockets?);

I ran a 1.5mm cable through a very very fiddly route including running through a beam. It took a while but the result is far better than the original cable route.

I realise hot glue isn't perfect, but it is works and is safe.

1.5mm is a lighting circuit, give me a little more credit than that for crying out loud.

 

[AndyPRK]

In the eight pages of this thread, that seems an odd point to pick up on, when there's so much more worthy material icon_mrgreen.gif

I was only referring to the recent post.

Regarding glue, I think he's already been told about this!

I recall he is using 1.5mm for lighting not sockets, so no need to be concerned about that.

 

[AndyPRK]

Thanks Andy, appreciate the feedback. Perhaps I've tried to be a little too tidy. How much grey "matter" would you normally remove? Are you suggesting I should leave additional slack in both the core wires and the grey insulated wire? Or just one (or the other).

Usually the grey should enter the back box by only 1cm max.

There should be spare slack in the brown & blue wires.

Enough to pull the socket away from the wall and make connections.
Not too much that its a pain when screwing it back to the wall.

Have a look at the existing sockets in your house. These maybe a good example

If in future you need to change the sockets (and use a different brand) the wires would not be long enough to reach.

Just as well your using MK!

If I was preparing a cable to come into the socket, I would leave enough cable so that it would reach the far corner of the back box.
Once the grey is removed, there would be enough wire left for slack etc.

 

[flameport]

I had a weekend off last weekend. Somebody requested a picture of how I'm wiring the sockets. Here we go:

Untitled

• PreferNotToDieOrBurn
• 8 Feb 2015
• 2

Wires are far too short.
The brown insulation is damaged.

 

[333rocky333]

. The reason I haven't run an additional ground wire to the backbox is that these sockets (MK Logic Plus) don't seem to hold 3 wires securely. They do, eventually, but they are a massive faff and it's very hit and miss. The backbox is, however, grounded via the faceplate screws.

.

Very few do that nowadays
As said theres too much grey sheathing, hence the trouble your having getting them in.
Mk easily takes 3 earths, as there small its sometimes better too double them over for a more secure fit.
I also find it easier and neater to use 2mm earth sleeving
However regs allow you to ommit the flylead

 

[ban-all-sheds]

Ok, you are not adding any value to this thread.

I'm adding more value to this thread than you have the intelligence to recognise.

I have gratefully received and accepted advice from others.

The advice you want is not the advice you need.

And the advice you need is not the advice you want.

The "helpful" and "constructive" advice which you have gratefully received and accepted from others is absolutely not in your best interests, but you don't have the sense to realise that.

Given your lack of competence, your lack of intelligence and your lack of common sense, for anybody here to do anything to assist or encourage you in your DIY electrical endeavours is grossly irresponsible.

 

[jamesmcbride]

I had a weekend off last weekend. Somebody requested a picture of how I'm wiring the sockets. Here we go:

Untitled

• PreferNotToDieOrBurn
• 8 Feb 2015
• 2

Before someone says the back box isn't grounded, it is. The reason I haven't run an additional ground wire to the backbox is that these sockets (MK Logic Plus) don't seem to hold 3 wires securely. They do, eventually, but they are a massive faff and it's very hit and miss. The backbox is, however, grounded via the faceplate screws.

I've also been securing wires in chases, I went with hot glue which seems to be working very well. They'll be further secured with plaster once we patch up.

I ran a 1.5mm cable through a very very fiddly route including running through a beam. It took a while but the result is far better than the original cable route.

A few more sockets are in, and 1/3rd of the house is a few hours away from being done.

I'll be testing continuity of the existing runs soon, and then moving on to the next section of the house.

Nothing is connected, it's all still just decorative wiring.

I'm here for advice and support, not judgement. So please, if you don't have something constructive to add, please just refrain from posting. If the advice is "don't do it yourself", this advice has already been offered, thank you.

Thank you to those who are providing constructive criticism! It is very valuable to me.

As others have said, you really want a lot more of the grey sheathing removed - generally back to the point that the cables enter the box (through a grommet).

 

[IJWS15]

Prerfernottoburn . . . .

As a DIYer who has been in your position and rewired a whole house (including CU) please take notice of the questions you are being asked about testing.

When I did it in the 1990s the system was very different and the electricity supply company tested the complete but unconnected installation before connecting it. Yes we had a house with 2 CUs (one dead) for a while and the wife kept trying to use the dead sockets . . . .

Now in the deregulated world they don't do it that way.

I presume that at some point you will want to sell the house and one of the questions you will be asked is "has there been any DIY work done on the house". They will also ask for recent electrical test certificates.

If you have an untested and un certified DIY install the house may be unsaleable and as a minimum its value will be reduced. Head in sand doesn't help and if it is not tested properly how do you know it is safer - it might actually be more dangerous than your present set up if an earth impedance is wrong or you have a loose connection in one of the unnecessary junction boxes.

I have leaned a lot from these guys (one or two exceptions) so listen to them and take account of what you are being told.

 

[skotl]

Well put, IJWS.

It's a shame that b-a-s, who had been going through a pretty good patch in terms of patience in dealing with people recently, seems to have reverted back to his original behaviour and couldn't have put his point in as clear and concise a manner as you did.

And to prefernottodieorburn, IJWS is correct - it's no longer a case of just getting someone to sign it off. There are a lot of very experienced people on this forum (I'm not one of them) who are willing to give advice for free; you'd be well served to listen to them.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

It's a shame that b-a-s, who had been going through a pretty good patch in terms of patience in dealing with people recently, seems to have reverted back to his original behaviour and couldn't have put his point in as clear and concise a manner as you did.

The more I read, the more I'm convinced that you are not yet competent to be tackling a complete rewire.

That's pretty clear and concise.

The thing is, rewiring a house and installing a new CUs etc is not a trivial job, and I can assure you that it involves knowing far more than you think it does.

Asking questions here can be a useful part of a learning process, but they are not a substitute for proper structured studying. The key term there is "learning process" - you cannot learn all the things you need to know just by asking questions here. It isn't structured enough - it won't provide you with a way to progress where each step builds on what you learned before.

You can't carry out a job of this magnitude by asking whatever random questions happen to occur to you. You've already shown that you have some dodgy misconceptions - what if you get something wrong because you have no idea your knowledge is wrong? What if you miss something because you simply have no idea it even exists, and just don't realise you don't know it?

So is that.

And this:

I'm asking for advice, I'm not asking to be told not to do it myself.

You are asking for advice.

The advice you are being given is "don't do it yourself".

I don't have a choice in the matter.

Nonsense.

Which came after 5 or 6 pages of posts clearly showing that he was in no way competent and had absolutely no intention of regarding his lack of competence as a good reason not to carry on blundering and bodging, and that to his mind the only "good" or "helpful" advice was that which did not tell him to put a stop to his irresponsible behaviour.

And to prefernottodieorburn, IJWS is correct - it's no longer a case of just getting someone to sign it off.

I would not be surprised if it turned out that there isn't going to be any involvement of an electrician at any point.