Electric Rewire

[chillout]

Im having my house rewired. What should I consider in relation to the work. Is it best to get the sparki to run cables for Sky etc or let Sky etc do it, walls will be skimmed though after sparkis bin.

Having downlighters upstairs, all transformers. Is this the best option, I know they are brighter.

 

[ericmark]

1) Consider running cables to freezer, fridge, cooker in Ali-tube so they do not need RCD protection.
2) Consider using RCBO's rather than twin RCD's to reduce unwanted tripping.
3) Sky will not bury cables so running three or four cables main room to loft and loft to other rooms may be an advantage. Do remember Sky+ needs twin feeds.
4) Same with phone and LAN cables although wireless is used a lot now.
5) Also door bells
6) If RCBO's are not used consider running down stairs lights in Ali-tube so they don't have to be on RCD.
7) Consider isolator switches in kitchen so you can turn of washing machine especially without dragging it out first.

I am not saying do any of these things but consider the pros and cons and talk with your electrician about them.

 

[oharaf]

All good advice from Ericmark I would add;

1. consider how many sockets you require particularly the kitchen and where you are likely to place your home entertainment system.

For example if you have 4 work top appliances in the kitchen then consider having 4 2 gang sockets

Home entertainment systems, we have a bank of 4 2gang bouble sockets

2. The master bedroom or bedrooms, as my wife could not decide where she wanted the bed I placed 2 gang sockets either side of the bed width where ever I thought she may wish to have the bed, it has been fool proof since!!!

3. Think about everything you might want, i.e. outside sockets, lights etc and have these put in even if you are not going to use them right away.

4. Down lighters - Mmmm not popular with us sparks. I tend to go toward 240v fittings as low voltage fittings have transformers and they are renowned for breaking, you can fit the 240v with low voltage of led.

Plan what you want and talk it through with your sparks, get a few quotes and check them out at www.competentperson.co.uk

 

[chillout]

Cheers guys, all good advice. Not sure hat RCBOs are tho and 'ali-tube'. Not sure if im getting Sky or virgin. Sky seems better, but dont fancy a dish on the wall though. Is it best to run a plastic tubing channelled into the wall ready for wires as I dont know whats going in yet and any reasn why into the loft?

Cheers.
ps Id like to have a tv system in lounge of course but also in bedrooms (main power leads buried in wall)

 

[ericmark]

An RCD + MCB in one unit is called RBCO
Ali-tube is cable designed to go into stud walls click here for more info
As to loft it is common to use loft boxes to distribute TV to all rooms click on image for more info. All sky and TV use same type of cable I would use sky as better quality you can get twin which is easy to install.

 

[LiamPope]

Also consider a circuit for mains powered interlinked smoke/heat/co alarms.

I'm installing a Labgear distribution box in the loft which handles sky, normal TV, FM, DAB. I guess they are probably all similar, but choose one and see how it needs to be wired up. My labgear requires 3x coax plus a phone line to a double backbox in the main location (lounge) to support sky, sky+ and an uplink back to the distribution box which then sends the sky or whatever to the other locations. Other locations (bedrooms + kitchen) just have single coax to a single backbox.

I've not bothered with hi-fi audio distribution but that's another thing to consider. As is HDMI to potential wall mounted TV location. For me, those and anything else in the future can just go under the carpets or I'll be installing what-if cabling in the walls forever!

Liam

 

[chillout]

Great advice. Many thanks