Do I just need a new consumer unit or a full rewire

[T25surfer]

Hey all,

Have been lurking for a while and have been getting some useful info. Just about to buy my first house with my girlfriend and we are starting to work out a plan for getting some repairs done as we are buying a house that has been rented for the last few years and needs a bit of tidying up.

I have no clue when it comes to electrics and our survey has shown that the electrics are at least 20 years old. My question is are we lloking at a full rewire or just a new consumer unit at the moment. I have included a picture of the consumer unit which shows the wires going in and out, and I think I just need to replace the fuse box with a newer style unit. Can you tell from lloking at the wires if they are the older unsafe TSR versions?
Any help would be appreciated. Thanks

Untitled

• T25surfer
• 6 Jul 2008
• 2

Untitled

• T25surfer
• 6 Jul 2008
• 2

Untitled

• T25surfer
• 6 Jul 2008
• 1

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[Click-Sure]

The ceramic unit on the right, is that redundant, and never got removed or is it still doing something?

A pic of the service incommer with meter would be of use.

Are all the wires coming in and out of that brown wylex visable in that pic, or are some of them buieid inside walls and then come into the back of the unit?

 

[Spark123]

It looks like PVC wires from the outside - how far they go is another matter. The CU looks like an old wooden backed one which it is advisable to have replaced. You only have 4 circuits, not that many for todays needs. No RCD protection etc.
One option is to have a periodic inspection report carried out - this is advisable at change of occupancy anyway. This should highlight any necessary remedial works you need to have carried out on the installation - it will cost you but may give you a better idea as to wether or not a full rewire is more cost effective.

 

[RF Lighting]

It certainly is an olde installation, and some modificatians are required.

Are there many sockets in the house?

It might seem like a bad time to you, but there is not a better time to rewire a house.

You can get all the mressy work out of the way now before you move in, and it doesn't matter about damage to the previouse occupants decorations, as you will no doubt be decorating to your tastes anyway.

Rewiring may sound drastic, but this really is the best time to do it. It gives you the piece of mind to know that everything is new, safe and correctly installed. You can also decide where you want light switches and sockets, and how many you want / need of each. An installation of that age was not designed for the amount of gadgets we have these days, so no doubt you will be wanting extra sockets anyway. Also, who knows what the previous owners have done to that wiring.

From a quick glance, you have no RCD protection, your PEBs appear to be missing, and your main earth is too small, and your meter tails probably are too.

 

[baldelectrician]

It looks partly grim. I begin to have concerns when I see white PVC cable (not lsf cable) as it looks like DIY.

Without seeing more it is hard to tell

I did a visual inspection at a flat 2 weeks ago, and it needed a rewire.
The cost of the inspection will come off the rewire (if the client goes ahead)

 

[Chri5]

That needs sorting, it does work and will continue to do so, but it won't cope.

1st house means that you are likely to buy somewhere that needs remedial work. You may want electric showers, ceramic hobs, dish washers and the general array of electrical kit a modern living standard seems to require. Your pictures indicate that the property hasn't got the basic electrical standard to offer that.

Get the main incomer modernised, get a sparks to provide a new board, sort the earthing, tails and test the existing circuits service.

Then as an interim measure you have the heart of a new electrical system and can add to it as you revamp the property.

If you are feeling a bit upset about the (possibly) unexpected costs then maybe a 50:50 could be settled with the property seller.

A small 3 bed would / should have

Kitchen
downstairs
upstairs
(all ring socket circuits)
lights up
lights down
immersion heater
boiler
cooker
(radial circuits)

That's without think about showers, sheds, ceramic hobs, smoke detectors, alarms. Then there's TV, BT, Sky and cat 5.

A PIR (Periodical Inspection Report) is the best way forward for a professional report on the condition and any suggestions as to improvements that should be made quickly.

As has already been mentioned electrics (as is gas, water, ch and all cabling) is something that must be sorted before thinking about a homes finish- Finish as in flooring, tiling, carpets, plaster and wall paper.

 

[oharaf]

I'm with RF Chri5 on this one, do it all now, get what you need before you make the place now, earth is small, white cable stinks of DIY.

You want a happy safe home, it starts with the gas and electrics.

 

[ceraunic_level]

PEBs whats that

Equipotential Bonding??

 

[Spark123]

PEB = protective equipotential bonding, should also have a main in there, the 17th seems to call the conductors connecting the extraneous conductive parts water main, gas etc) to the MET the Main Protective Bonding Conductors.

 

[RF Lighting]

PEB = Protective equipotential bonding

 

[Click-Sure]

I'd put that tub of B&Q emulsion back in the cupboard for a while, I've been to too many places where the owners have had all the decorating and other modernisation done and left the rewire till last.

Bashing chases through expensive Laura Ashley wallpaper and ripping through newly sanded and finished floorboards was not a great feeling, for me, let alone the householder.

 

[securespark]

Protective Conductor (PE). A conductor used for some measures of protection against electric shock and intended for connecting together any of the following parts:

(i) Exposed-conductive-parts

(ii) Extraneous-conductive-parts

(iii) The main earthing terminal

(iv) Earth electrode(s)

(v) The earthed point of the source, or an artificial neutral.


There seems to be a bewildering array of definitions for earthing conductors, etc...

 

[oharaf]

Secure spark you're telling me!!!! I could not believe how many ways they now refer to earthing!!!

What is wrong with

MEB

SEB

CPC

and what about poor old EEBADS, he has now become ADS apparently

 

[cb9002]

baldelectrician

Why does white T+E make you think DIY?

 

[T25surfer]

Wow
Did not expect so many answers when I got to this today. As I said the property is ex rental so I will try and get some history on the electrics, I would expect the items would have to of been tested at some point?.

Yes as it is a first house, we are expecting to have to do some work, but have already agreed to have a chimnet stacy rebuilt as part of the deal, and we are getting the house for a lot less than its market value as we know it needs work.

To answer some of the questions there do seem to be enough plug sockets for what we need. The shed will not have power, the shower is a pump version that comes off the taps on the bath and we are happy eith that. Only got a washing machine and poss a dishwasher to install and we will not run them both at the same time. And as for cermaic hobs, Man they suck in my opinion, gas is the way to go.

We have had a free electrical check flyer come in through the door from our current provider so may take them up on it, to get an idea of what they think.

For now may go down the route of what Chris5 has said

Get the main incomer modernised, get a sparks to provide a new board, sort the earthing, tails and test the existing circuits service.

Then as an interim measure you have the heart of a new electrical system and can add to it as you revamp the property.

quote]

As it is aout first place our plan was to get bits done as we go, as we cannot afford to rip everything out and replace it all in one hit, so we were going to do bits over the years rather than all in the first few months.