First time rewiring

[deptfordbill]

I've just bought a bungalow which needs complete renovation including a total rewiring job.

My best mates doing the technical stuff (he's the builder) I'm the labourer.

He's suggested that I do the wiring with him steering me in the right direction then get it certificated.

So that's the plan.

I've never done any large rewiring jobs before and want to get a bit of a head start.

Can anyone suggest a good, straight forward, book or guide that will give me a better understanding of what's ahead and offer a guide when my mates not around.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

We could all spend a lot of time dancing around the subject, but eventually we will inevitably end up at the same place.

You don't know enough to do the rewire, even with the help of your builder friend, who is clearly not that clued up himself - "then get it certificated"? - It doesn't work like that.

There is a great deal that you have to know to be able to do a complete rewire, and if you've already bought the property and are about to start the renovation then you don't have nearly enough time to learn.

You need to get an electrician.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

Are you one of those people who asks advice but is only interested in hearing that which he likes, and abusively rejects anything which doesn't agree with what he's already decided?

 

[rebuke]

From the sound of your post, I would suspect that you don't have enough knowledge to do a rewire, even with books / reference material (at least not in a short time). Basically, here are a few questions off the top of my head, ask yourself those and decide for yourself:

Do you know the difference between an MCB, RCD/RCCB and RCBO?
Do you know what factors affect the current carrying capacity of a cable?
Do you know what safe zones are?
Do you have an insulation tester, earth loop tester and RCD tester, and the knowledge as to how to use them (including things like testing ring final continuity etc)?
Do you know what circuits/cable installation methods etc require RCD protection?

If you do think you know enough, then there's some info on one of the stickies here about suggested books - I'd personally recommend a copy of BS7671 and the on-site guide: //www.diynot.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=75416#75416

Note that the work would be notifiable under Part P of the building regs (more info on the wiki), which means you would have to notify your LABC (and pay their fee) before doing any work, and they would come in and inspect etc at various stages - if you don't do the job properly, they won't sign off on it and will require you to fix it. Strictly speaking you don't have to do any of the testing yourself, they will do it (or at least are required to), however, for a full rewire it would make sense to do it yourself, as there's bound to be something not quite right (e.g. bad termination somewhere or whatever) so you can find it yourself...

 

[Taylortwocities]

I don't want to add to the negative avalanche.

To make a sucess of this, the work needs to be done properly and afterwards you need to get the necessary documentation in place.

Why?
First of all, its the law. Well we all break the law from time to time - you know doing 80mph on the motorway.

So thats not too bad - the government says that certain electrical work must be notified and you dont notify. So what?

Well, there's safety - maybe one of the cables is undersized and the house catches fire, or you are not aware of the need to install certain bonding or safety trips and your child gets electrocuted in ahte shower you installed.....

Also, when you come to sell the house, the buyer will want to see some documents relating to the house -
included will be the Electrical Installation Certificate for the rewiring work - and you wont have that beacuse you wont have any of what is needed to fill it in.

Also the work will not have been notified to the local authority as having been carried out in a competent and safe way.

If the buyer cant get those documents then you will not be able to sell, end of.

Here's what I suggest you do: find a local registered electrician at www.competentperson.co.uk and work with him.
He will probably be happy that you are going to do all of the grunt work (removing the old wiring, chasing in boxes, etc)
He will want to do the design and oversee the cable installation etc.

If you do that he will do the tricky stuff, certify it all and get the right legal paperwork done.

Registered electricians are only able to notify work they have done themselves (its called self-certifying). Their terms of reference does not allow them to sign off work done by third parties.

 

[david_uk]

A good freind of mine has built his own extension, and had all of the work signed off by building control - except the electrics. To be honest, he's pretty clued up and has done electrical work in the past, incuding rewiring. He's been picking my brains all along, and I've helped him. Unfortunat4ely for him, he's now in the situation whereby he needs to get this signed off, but nobody will. Despite being a good freind, I can't sign it off for several reasons including the fact it needs a new consumer unit, and I believe there are junction boxes lying in wait under floorboards.

I don't know how he's going to get this signed off, and that's the situation you will be in. He's got the advantage of at least having done some competent electrical work in the past.

I rewire properties for a living, and I would thoroughly advise against attempting this unless you are going to act as the grunt work for somebody that is competent to do it, and can sign it off for you.

I know this is a DIY forum, but the bottom line is that electrics are no longer a DIY job, as much of it is notifiable. So you will get the replies here that you should get a competent person involved. To be honest getting a competent person in on this might well save you money and hassle in the long run.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

Has he gone off in a huff?

Perhaps he thinks we've all got our knickers on a bit too tight ...

Did you know, BTW, that if you do a Google image search for tight knickers you find almost nothing suitable for posting here?

 

[david_uk]

Oh, probably

Seriously, I do think that the DIY title of the group might lull people into thinking that they will get help to do this type of job themselves. Also, I think that his builder (who should know better) led him down that path. But I also think that the way to deal with people under serious misunderstandings is not to bite them, but to explain what's involved, why why it isn't a diy job, and the reasons / procedures for notification. If we can give them a better understanding of what's involved and why their very minimal diy knowledge is really, really not going to help it's better for them than to frighten them out of it.

 

[deptfordbill]

Thank all of you for the information.

[removed]

 

[Taylortwocities]

Another satisfied customer.

its always refreshing when someone says thank you. It makes you realise that you are not wasting your own spare time by trying to help people out.

 

[sparkiedave]

I've met the type of builder who would suggest doing things this way, and to be honest, I'd be asking myself how competent the builder is, how would he like it if we started suggesting that he gets down to the library and got himself a book on bricklaying and do the lot on his own, after all, how difficult can it be?
Suggesting that you get an electrician IS constructive advice, you may even find an electrician who is willing to allow you to do the labouring type work for him to keep costs down and you may find that you learn how to do it properly from a professional, throwing abuse at people who don't give the advice you like to hear is, in my view, very immature!

 

[david_uk]

Please note rule 1 (Abusive or unhelpful posts are not welcome.) - See here for the forum rules.

Unfortunately this edit removes the context of the replies.

 

[RF Lighting]

I'm sure we can work out the gist of what was said.

 

[securespark]

I think db may have been ever so slightly acidic about those posters he felt weren't giving him the advice he wanted to hear.

 

[securespark]

I see that he is qualified at this & that and good at the other. He admits he is not so good at plastering.

Right at the bottom of this list (below the "not so good at plastering")comes, "Has also been known to do and have checked off the odd bit of electrical work to.[sic]"

Therein lies the problem.

Your mate is good at some things, not so good at others & has done electrical work & had it "checked off".

But, going right back to the beginning of this thread, I don't think you have the necessaries pull off a rewire.

BTW, I'm not in nappies, nor am I a lady (though I know a damn good female spark). I have 20+ years experience in this industry. However at the end of the day I doubt you care much about that.