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Hi, I would really appreciate the advice of more qualified/knowledgeable people than me about how to go about our house's electrical updating- thanks in advance!
We have a c1860s cottage with c1900 and c1960/70 extensions. At present there are two traditional fuseboxes which look like they are from the 60/70s (am assuming that was done when the last extension was built). The first one after the meter is a Wylex box with a single 60A fuse, no other fuseways. from this a cable runs about 4 metres to another main fusebox which houses 4 fuses; Mains, Lights, Cooker, Garage. The mains is one radial circuit for the entire building, (which I am planning on changing to two ring mains at a later date when lifting floors etc for new central heating). All wiring is PVC insulated. I don't know why there are two fuseboxes, unless it was considered necessary to fuse down to 60A from the 100A coming into the house before it went to the next fusebox . All the fuses in both boxes are cartridge wire type ones which I don't like, I'd rather have MCBs.
So what I want to do is have ONE modern split load consumer unit put in AND certified properly by a qualified electrician, making the whole lot modern, safer, giving scope for future circuits, etc. However as he/she would have to connect all the existing circuits to the new CU would the existing radial main circuit have to be replaced to modern standards - ie replaced by 2+ new rings? Do all circuits have to be tested before they are allowed to be connected to a new CU?
My second question is, I have run new 2.5mm2 cable around for a downstairs ring in the living room and dining room and fitted the knockout boxes for sockets. This was so that we could have the walls replastered neatly following damp proofing - I disconnected at the various junction boxes (radial circuit) and removed all the old downstairs single rusty socket boxes as it was pointless having them plastered back in, and didn't want to create work and have to patch the new plaster after chasing the new socket boxes and cables in. No socket faces have been connected, and the tails/ends of the ring are coiled up safely out of the way waiting to be connected to a new CU one day. NO new electrical connections whatsoever have been made, only disconnections of old sockets. Having read numourous posts on the Part P regs, I think I've probably broken the law already as I haven't told the building inspector or my local authority about the new ring that's partly been installed, plus I've done it and I'm not qualified or certified, merely competent to run cables and fit boxes.. But is there any way I would be able to get the wiring runs tested & ok'd and then all the electrical connections made by an electician and therefore certified? Or should I expect any electrician I ask to put in the new CU to rip it out and start again? I'd like to know what to expect before I talk to any electricians.
We have a c1860s cottage with c1900 and c1960/70 extensions. At present there are two traditional fuseboxes which look like they are from the 60/70s (am assuming that was done when the last extension was built). The first one after the meter is a Wylex box with a single 60A fuse, no other fuseways. from this a cable runs about 4 metres to another main fusebox which houses 4 fuses; Mains, Lights, Cooker, Garage. The mains is one radial circuit for the entire building, (which I am planning on changing to two ring mains at a later date when lifting floors etc for new central heating). All wiring is PVC insulated. I don't know why there are two fuseboxes, unless it was considered necessary to fuse down to 60A from the 100A coming into the house before it went to the next fusebox . All the fuses in both boxes are cartridge wire type ones which I don't like, I'd rather have MCBs.
So what I want to do is have ONE modern split load consumer unit put in AND certified properly by a qualified electrician, making the whole lot modern, safer, giving scope for future circuits, etc. However as he/she would have to connect all the existing circuits to the new CU would the existing radial main circuit have to be replaced to modern standards - ie replaced by 2+ new rings? Do all circuits have to be tested before they are allowed to be connected to a new CU?
My second question is, I have run new 2.5mm2 cable around for a downstairs ring in the living room and dining room and fitted the knockout boxes for sockets. This was so that we could have the walls replastered neatly following damp proofing - I disconnected at the various junction boxes (radial circuit) and removed all the old downstairs single rusty socket boxes as it was pointless having them plastered back in, and didn't want to create work and have to patch the new plaster after chasing the new socket boxes and cables in. No socket faces have been connected, and the tails/ends of the ring are coiled up safely out of the way waiting to be connected to a new CU one day. NO new electrical connections whatsoever have been made, only disconnections of old sockets. Having read numourous posts on the Part P regs, I think I've probably broken the law already as I haven't told the building inspector or my local authority about the new ring that's partly been installed, plus I've done it and I'm not qualified or certified, merely competent to run cables and fit boxes.. But is there any way I would be able to get the wiring runs tested & ok'd and then all the electrical connections made by an electician and therefore certified? Or should I expect any electrician I ask to put in the new CU to rip it out and start again? I'd like to know what to expect before I talk to any electricians.