Old house

[romchik]

Hi guys. I am glad that i found this forum.Sorry for my bad english.
We planning to renovate our house(1920...ish) and i would like to start from rewiring. I understand that you all against the DIYers but my budget is very tight so i wanted to do some bits myself.The house has three bedrooms,kitchen,dinning room(small),siting room and this all is upstairs an downstairs.
I assume that i need 12 way CU, two lighting circuits and three ring circuits.
could anyone please tell me is it possible to do it yourself if you are comfortable with electrics but not a electrician and if it is direct me on the right way.
Thank you
Roman

 

[breezer]

read this forum, it is helpful

you can do most of it your self but not changing the consumers unit. for that you will have to get an electrician

 

[romchik]

This is what we are planning to put:
1.Upstairs- 6 bulbs
2.Downstairs-9 bulbs
3.upstairs-9 sockets
4.Downstairs-9 sockets
5.Combi boiler
6.Dishwasher
7.Washing machine
8.Electric Hob for cooker
Can you advice me on rewiring?
CU-which one?
Cables-what size?
How many RCD and MCB?
sorry for many questions...
Thank you

 

[breezer]

How many RCD and MCB?

sorry, but seeing as i have already suggested you read the forums, i would suggest you get an electrician in as you do not know what you are doing.

electricity has no prejudices, it kills anyone

to save money you could offer to "navy" for the electrician

 

[romchik]

Thanx for your help.You are very HELPFUL!
It is good of you to care for you mates-electricians.It is so many of you know about, that is not easy to find anyone who are really electrician and not a COWBOY.
Regards

 

[breezer]

i offered you advice (read forum) you did not take it, i do care what happens to you even though you have a bad attitude, i just do not want to see you get killed, house burnt down etc through your lack of knowledge /understanding, how would i gain from you getting in an electrician? answer i don't, as i said i just don't want to be responsible for your death, injury through YOUR lack of understanding

 

[romchik]

Thank you breezer.Nothing is wrong with my attitude.I was asking for advice and i was not claiming that i know a lot about electrics.But providing that i have right info about cables , fuses .......
i could do it myself.That is why i am here in this forum,but instead of help i get simple answer MATE GET AN ELECTRICIAN.No one was asking you to be a responsible for my death.
Can anyone support me in my decision to do it myself ?
Thank you

 

[ban-all-sheds]

Can anyone support me in my decision to do it myself ?
Thank you

How long have you got?

The problem is that there is so much you need to know, and learn. Yes, you can learn it - any DIYer ought to be capable of learning it, but it takes time, and you won't find it out what you need by asking whatever questions come into your head right now, like

Can you advice me on rewiring?
CU-which one?
Cables-what size?
How many RCD and MCB?

Each of those turns into 2 or 3 questions back at you, as they are not simple or unrelated.

The first thing you must do is to buy a copy of these books:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0852028172

http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0863413749

http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0953788539

http://www.iee.org/Publish/Books/WireAssoc/index.cfm?book=WR 234

http://www.iee.org/Publish/Books/WireAssoc/index.cfm?book=WR 235

http://www.iee.org/Publish/Books/WireAssoc/index.cfm?book=WR 238

http://www.iee.org/Publish/Books/WireAssoc/index.cfm?book=WR 239

http://www.iee.org/Publish/Books/WireAssoc/index.cfm?book=WR 240

and read them. Ask questions here about things you don't understand. Read other people's questions here, and see if you would have known the answers.

I guarantee that after a few months of that you will realise that what you knew now was nowhere near enough.

You'll also need tools, and as well as the obvious ones you must buy a multimeter, and I would strongly advise also getting an insulation tester-low impedance ohmmeter (commonly known as a megger, although this is a bit confusing, as Megger are also a make of test equipment). eBay is a good source for second-hand ones.

One immediate problem, though - if your house is 1920's do you know how old the wiring is, and what condition it is in? You may not have the time that you need to learn things, nor the luxury of taking things slowly once you start work.

 

[Gus220]

Hi romchik.

I will help you as everyone else seems to be trying to show you how hard it all is. It is easy, and you do not need all the books described eariler.

This is ment to be a DIY forum to help people.

Use MK Split load CU.
1.5mm2 cable for lighting cct
2.5mm2 for rng cct
Split load means some ccts are RCD eg sockets and lighting etc are not on the RCD side. You do need to find out what earthing arrangement you have as that may alter the RCD arrangement.

The first book offered by ban-all-sheds is very good and will help you alot.

Wicks also use to do a re-wiring leaflet for free, not sure if they still do. I have to work now so if you need more info then please ask.

To everyone else either help or shutup!

 

[breezer]

To everyone else either help or shutup!

If you were to read my origonal post, i did actually suggest that all posts be read relating to electrical work, i never said it was hard, any one can put in a cable, question is do you know why it is that cable? and waht else is required?

If some one asks about changing a light, or a switch or adding a socket i will gladly help, but to know NOTHING (as origonal poster does) and to go for a complete rewire, to me that is asking for trouble.

Its like saying i know what a bridge is, i think i will build one, sounds daft but it is the same principal, little knowledge dangerous idea.

But i also pointed out that to save money perhaps poster could "navy" (thats help out) for electrician.


to those who know how to do ANY job it is easy, but to those who have never done it its hard. and so you should start "at the shallow end" not "the deep end"

 

[romchik]

Thank you ban-all-sheds.I have about 1 month before i start on rewiring.The rewiring in a house was done about 15-20 years not sure.Each room has only 1 double sockets wich is redicualas.The sockets are in wrong places.So i decided that it will be easy to rewire than try to move old one and add some other 1or2 rings.The CU and clock are in the hall but i want to move them under stairs every wire need to be moved under stairs.That is why i decided to rewire.
unfortunately i can not read all that books.That is why i am here and i thought that on this forum i could get help.I need to rewire only one my house and i can not learn all of it for one month.I assumed that i could asked here.But all i get is -read yourself and learn.Any way it is a long story....
Thank you

 

[romchik]

Hi Gus220.
Thank you for your support . I will start planning my house and will be back with more questions.

 

[2scoops0406]

if the wiring is 10-15 years old there is a good chance you don''t need to rewire. Moving a few sockets has got to be preferable

 

[gooders]

Thank you ban-all-sheds.I have about 1 month before i start on rewiring.The rewiring in a house was done about 15-20 years not sure.Each room has only 1 double sockets wich is redicualas.The sockets are in wrong places.So i decided that it will be easy to rewire than try to move old one and add some other 1or2 rings.The CU and clock are in the hall but i want to move them under stairs every wire need to be moved under stairs.That is why i decided to rewire.
unfortunately i can not read all that books.That is why i am here and i thought that on this forum i could get help.I need to rewire only one my house and i can not learn all of it for one month.I assumed that i could asked here.But all i get is -read yourself and learn.Any way it is a long story....
Thank you

Romchik

Hi, sounds like alot of work. I'm a DIYer and have become pretty knowledgeable on electrics/plumbing etc etc over the past 4 years after renovating an old house. I don't want to put you off but I would seriously consider at least get an electrician around to give you a quote. If you are wanting to move the 'clock' ( - I presume you mean meter?) and the CU you'll definately need an electrician anyway to pull the main fuse and for regulations.

Unless you re-wire strictly with regulations I'm not sure how your insurer would view things if there were any subsequent problems.

Sorry to sounds negative, I too was on a tight budget, but there's a serious safety concern with electrics and this is one area not to be scrimped on.

wishing you luck.

 

[securespark]

Gus:

You might think you are helping, but think about this:

You tell someone it is easy. You tell them use A B C & D and connect it together in 123 fashion.

But you don't know the full story, either about the installation or the skill level of the poster (absolutely no offence to anyone intended here btw).

What if you gave your advice to someone but they missed something out or forgot to mention something important or you didn't have all the relevant info. at your disposal, and they ended up with a dangerous installation?

A blanket statement like "it is easy" may well give someone who otherwise would have asked for advice the OK to do it without, and that is not what we want.