Clean Sheet hints please

[Kistelek]

In the process of specifying works for our bungalow refurb. It needs a pretty much full rewire and we're keen to do our best to future proof it. What home automation we currently have is Alexa and some wifi light bulbs and sockets so nothing much.

So my question is, what do I need to be spec'ing in terms of wiring for the sparks? Permanent neutral to light switches is the only thing that leaps out to me but I'm sure there's a bunch of stuff I could be asking for now that are better done now that retrospectively later.

 

[SpecialK]

CCTV wiring
Permanent doorbell power / network cable
Network cables for ceiling mounted wifi access points
Deep light switch backboxes so you can fit a shelly 1
PIR wiring
Door/window contact wiring
Media wiring (speaker set/network cables to tvs going to a place to put a media server)

 

[Diver Fred]

Put plenty of LAN (Network cables in place) e.g.
Television points - by the aerial sockets; at least 1 & 2 in the lounge;
Every bedroom, 1 or 2;
2 or 3 in the 'study' or home office if you have one;
every where you might want a (fixed) telephone - you can use the LAN cable as internal telephone cable.

A network 'patch panel' will sort out connection to the router either direct or via a 'Hub'.

Also if you are planning to have home security (alarms and CCTV) get those cabled up with network cable.

You will never regret the cost today.

 

[Kistelek]

I should have mentioned I’m a network security architect so network cabling will be extensive, to every room, all terminated in a cabinet in the loft, and wired to the garage, and loft point for cctv and WiFi. The deep back boxes is a new one. Any more?

 

[sparkymarka]

4K hdmi leads to tv point from cctv ....

 

[Kistelek]

4K hdmi leads to tv point from cctv ....

I was planning on cctv over IP. Any reason not to?

 

[sparkymarka]

No NVR ?

 

[Kistelek]

No NVR ?

You can do it on a server. I do that now with my existing analog system. I take the IP feed out of the NVR and use I-Spy on the server. Far better than the dodgy software in the NVR. Does better motion sensing and let’s me go to specific date and time more easily. Also let’s me send videos captured easily to, for example, the constabulary.

 

[ericmark]

Deep back boxes, as you have said extra core to light switches to use as neutral, but I have through time done what I thought was future proof, and so has my son, so I fitted double telephone sockets one direct and one internal so the fax machine could turn off telephones when a fax came in, today we don't have a fax machine.

My son put a LAN socket at every radiator to control the TRV, today you can only get wifi TRV heads so that was also a waste of time.

I have found wireless thermostats not reliable so would want wires to thermostat, at least 5 cores, earth, line, neutral, OT1 and OT2 or on/off if cheaper system used.

In bedrooms where you may want 2 way switching you may need also 4 cores and earth, again earth, neutral, permanent line, switched line and S (slave) to the other two way switch.

A LAN cable from where the telephone comes in to some point for a repeater for the wifi, and may be so cable to where is going to be the office for old equipment, but would not go mad, as likely will not be used.

I had a lovely door bell, one button at front door, and one at back door, plus two sounders, but since that time every one seems different and never reused cables.

All the extras cost, and it is a balance, it sounds great, until you see the re-wire bill double.

 

[Mottie]

Seeing the title, I was going to say shower before bed and make sure you’ve wiped yer bum properly.

 

[Kistelek]

Seeing the title, I was going to say shower before bed and make sure you’ve wiped yer bum properly.

Always

 

[MeldrewsMate]

No specifics on what to add, just a little on how to help you add those bits you never thought you'd need...until you need them.

Thinking of a bungalow, I suspect much of your wiring will go through the loft; a loft that will soon be a foot deep in insulation, so here are my tips:-

1. Run the lighting loop-in wiring along a 2" x 1" batten (roof tile battens are cheap) to junction boxes where you can get to them after the insulation is laid. Then drop a twin & E to each light fitting from its JB. Label the JBs!
2. Run 32mm waste pipe across the ceiling, from one end to the other. This way you can add cables for further upgrades and mods without wading through fibreglass. Use a stopper at each end - mice love tubes in lofts, almost as much as they enjoy chewing the cables within them!
3. Similarly, run overflow pipe for the Ethernet runs so these cables can be replaced easily later (for fibre-optics, perhaps?).
4. Add a 300mm high raised section of hard flooring in the loft, packing cases on the top, packed space with insulation underneath.
5. Consider adding solar PV panels, as many as you can get, then add cabling to where their inverter will go, and think about where the battery back-up storage will be. Battery back-up is in its infancy still, but it'll come.

And finally - it's very very hard to waste money on insulation (with very few exceptions), especially in a bungalow.

MM