Help required re new sockets and light switch plates etc.

[STENDEC]

Hi

I've had a few electricians around to price up re-wiring my kitchen (Essential work due to re-designing the kitchen layout).

The problem is that they have identified there is no Earth in the lighting cable. They say this wouldnt be a problem if I didnt have metal light fittings (Brass switch plates etc). I have them and also metal socket plates - which are apparently earthed and OK, all over the house!!! Someone put them in before we moved in.

My question is this. Where can I buy plastic switch plates that look like metal ones (Ie silver or brass effect plastic / resin) Both my wife and I really hate white plastic switches and they wouldnt match with the metal socket plates that we dont need to replace anyway. It could make the job look really bad if we had mis-matching sockets and switches around the whole house

I cant seem to find any about. Please help!

 

[Gary0]

If you are rewiring the kitchen anyway, how much additional cost would it be to replace the existing lighting circuits elsewhere with an earthed one ?

think that'd be my first thought.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

The cause is no earth in the lighting circuit.

The symptom is inability to use metal switches.

The answer is to address the cause, not the symptom.

 

[STENDEC]

Right - so not much help then.

The reason why I dont want to rewire the whole house is I want out of this dump quickly and dont want to spend any more money than required.

The kitchen is the only room that needs real work done, the others have already been re-decorated and the wiring was not something that I was aware of. Spending more time re-doing the work I have just done isnt much of a thought to look forward to. I aint paying the extra in time effort and money to get the whole house rewired for the sake of some switchplates - when someone else will be getting the benefit when I sell up.

The easiest thing would be to replace the switchplates and let someone else have the expense when they buy the place.

Looks like it plastic white ones then.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

Right - so not much help then.

Not much help to someone who wanted to be told it was OK to cover up a problem.

A great deal of help to someone who wanted to be told the right thing to do.

The reason why I dont want to rewire the whole house is I want out of this dump quickly and dont want to spend any more money than required.

<shrug>

The kitchen is the only room that needs real work done, the others have already been re-decorated and the wiring was not something that I was aware of. Spending more time re-doing the work I have just done isnt much of a thought to look forward to. I aint paying the extra in time effort and money to get the whole house rewired for the sake of some switchplates - when someone else will be getting the benefit when I sell up.

What you mean is that you are more concerned with superficial appearances than underlying safety and soundness, and you tarted the place up without doing a proper investigation into what the priorities really were.

The easiest thing would be to replace the switchplates and let someone else have the expense when they buy the place.

Yup.

If they ask for a PIR, be prepared to drop the price...

Looks like it plastic white ones then.

Not everyone feels like you do about them...

 

[STENDEC]

I meant the comments were not much help to my original question. I didnt make that clear. Sorry.

I wasnt commenting on what was your very sound advice about what I SHOULD do. I know what I SHOULD do...but I'm not going to. It will be a problem for someone else.

You make assumptions on what work I have done here ie "tarting up".

Not really the basic level of effort I would place the work at. So far this place has involved Building Regs, changing entrances and exit points, replacing windows, Replumbing kitchen and bathroom. Replacing and treating skirting board. Replacing radiators and heating system, plastering walls and - oh yes, removing an entire chimney breast....I could go on. None of this work exposed the bad wiring in the kitchen. The wiring in the rest of the house appeared to be sound and reasonably modern when I checked it in the circuit box and under the floorboards upstairs. We had originally not intended to do any work to the electrics...hence why we had left them alone until the wiring in the kitchen was exposed for what it really was when we pulled the ceiling down. At that point I got professional advice.

I hope that explains why I am reluctant to get the whole place re-wired too. There are other factors which are important and are encouraging me to move sooner rather than later. In an ideal world the problems would all present themselves in a nice chronological order and the budget and time would be there for the re-wiring of the whole house, but its not.

I also need no advice on marketing thanks. It'll all be factored into the listing price of the property and I will advise the buyers to have a full survey and that they cant put metal switchplates on etc. Believe you me. This house is in a far more sound condition now than it was when we bought it!!

You know, sometimes you just want to walk away from a job...thats how I feel about this house.

Thanks for being so rude by the way!