NEW REWIRE ANY TIPS PLEAASE !!!

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hi,
im just about to under take a rewire of my new house, ive got C&G part 1&2 but no part P, i have not touched any wiring for about 10 years and abit behind the latest regs has anyone got a check list or any tips before i get started, many thanks
 
Why not tell us how you are planning to rewire your house and we may be able to guide you if you are going wrong.

Do you have a copy of the current regulations or the On Site Guide?
 
Also the electricians guide to the building regs is worth a read. Re Part P if you are feeling confident in doing this yourself then to remain within the law you need to notify your local area building control office and pay a fee before you start, they will then oversee compliance with Part P.
 
well ive just about done all chasing out, i thought id start with house ringmain not a big house so id gonna do all sockets on that except kitchen, then 2 lighting circuits up and down. i hear that fire alarms are a must now is that right? and can they be wire of a lighting circuit or dose it need a separate mcb?
 
unclebuck001 said:
i hear that fire alarms are a must now is that right? and can they be wire of a lighting circuit or dose it need a separate mcb?

You don't have to install mains smoke alarms nor do you need to mount sockets and switches in the new 1200-450 zone. However, as you're re-wiring mains smoke alarms are the way to go and sockets at 450mm are great (once you get used to them)

Personally, I would use battery backed smoke/heat sensors wired on there own CCT because some can be affected by dimers.

Are you competent to test your work and complete the test certs?(samples in the PP document)
 
If house it quite small then suggest one ring for kitchen&utility and another ring for rest of house.

Re testing. you will need proper test equipment that will allow you to produce accurate results to go on your Electrical Installation Certificate.
Be prepared to fork out up to £700 for that........
You could see if your local authority will do the testing for you. They are supposed if u pay the building regs fee but not most will expect you or a qualified spark to do it.

TTC
 
thanks for your advise guys!!, i now think I'm gonna do a ring up and a ring down which includes the kitchen and do a 6a circuit for the smokes, pensdown can i ask what is the 1200-450 zone?

as for testing my work i have a yellow robin loop tester, which is good of me but the building regs i dont know.
 
In new build and fully refurbished dwellings all electrical accesories have to be mounted between 450mm and 1200mm above FFL, due to the DDA regs.

You will need more than just a loop tester to fully test your installation. You will need to also test for continuity, RCD trip times & IR values.
 
I spoke to my local friendly building control office. They informd me, incorrectly, that I can rewire my house myself, but must get it checked by a qualified electrician when I'm finished. I'm going to send them a plan for what I intend doing which wil include what is going in each room and what its connected to. I'm assuming that this will be enough for them to let me go ahead and then get a spark to check work after the install is finshed. Yes? No?

Cheers and happy new year!!
Ian
 
No, This is a bit of a grey area but you will find most councils as in NIC and Elecsa dont allow there members just to test other peoples work.

Tho haveing said that it does go on.

Typical Part P mess :roll:
 
No, This is a bit of a grey area but you will find most councils as in NIC and Elecsa dont allow there members just to test other peoples work.

Some LABCs will accept a PIR from a registered spark

I have certified work for a kitchen fitter I know but only if I have seen 1st and 2nd fix and carried out a full inspection and test
 
A few suggestions:

In the kitchen, run the ring 150mm above worktop height all round the room (just chase it out horizontally and mount LOTS of sockets in a row). Wherever you think anybody might ever want an appliance under the counter, mount a 20A DP switch above feeding a single 13A unswitched socket below. Don't use double sockets where someone might plug in two big undercounter appliances, such as a washing machine, dishwasher, tumble-drier or oven - a double socket will overheat if you put two big appliances through it.

Put the FCU for the cooker hood in the same row, feeding a flex outlet up high where it will not be noticed. Run all your chases vertically or horizontally, never in curves or diagonals. Put in more sockets than you think any reasonable person would want - 600mm intervals is not excessive.

Give yourself a cooker circuit, and a separate (non-RCD) 16A radial for the freezer to avoid spoilage of food due to a fault on another circuit.

In the living rooms, have (at least) a double socket in every corner, and at 2M intervals along the walls (spaced symmetrically). In a workroom or study, put sockets at worktop height as in the kitchen.

Chase out for your TV Co-ax, telephone, broadband etc even if you only put in the boxes and conduit ready for future use.

If you can afford it, use RCBOs on your socket circuits instead of a split-load. Buy good quality - Crabtree or MEM for the CU, them or MK for sockets and switches. There are some ultra-cheap brands that will save you a few pounds of money but cause you a lot of grief.
 
thanks for advise guys, also is it ok to bond the bathroom pull switch and light to the gas pipe which is in the loft above??
 
Does the gas pipe run through the bathroom? Is the gas pipe main equipotentially bonded within 600mm of entry into the building or on your side of the meter?
 

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