Re-Wire - Plan Of Action

[Grinning Grandad]

I am about to start a full re-wire of a small 3 bed semi. The DB is behind a kitchen cupboard (thanks to a kitchen extension) and so I am putting a new one in about 1 metre away to a more accessible place. There are the usual circuits (Ring, Light, Cooker, Immersion, Shower).
I am interested in how some of you more experienced Electricians would go about a simple re-wire like this. Is it personal preference or is there an accepted plan of action. My original plan was to :
Fit the new db,
Pull the main fuse (permission obtained)
Add an isolator
Add a connector
Wire up both old and new db.
Re-wire Downstairs Ring and connect to new DB
Re-wire Immersion, Shower, Cooker and connect to new DB
Re-wire Downstairs lights & upstairs sockets and connect to new DB
Re-wire Upstairs lights & connect to new DB
Remove old DB completely.

I have spoken to a couple of Electricians to get their opinions and they have both come back with different ideas (one said put all the new wiring back to the old DB and replace DB at the end, the other said the opposite and would put all the old wiring into the new DB and replace circuits one at a time)

I am interested in how other people would set about this.

 

[plugwash]

I'm guessing this is an occupied property and so you want to maintain as much of the installation operational as possible during the rewire.

Since you are moving the CU as well your method sounds like the most sensible. On most rewires it won't be practical though since the new CU usually ends up going in a position that overlaps the position of the old one.

The downside to doing the CU swap first is you may have to extend existing cables etc
The downside to doing the CU swap last is you will probablly have a major shortage of circuit positions.

 

[Grinning Grandad]

Thanks Plugwash.

Yes, the house is occupied. The two 'downsides' are definately factors which I would encounter in this instance.

 

[kevinspark]

depends whether or not they want new sockets in old places?

Id normally just wire everything back and do the db at the end, but if there wanting sockets in same places etc its more difficult.

Usually you struggle wiring new circuits into old boards because those old bakerlite wylexs are always crowded anyway

 

[scousespark]

Fit the new db,
Pull the main fuse (permission obtained)
Add an isolator
Add a connector

Not sure who would 'give permission' for you to pull the fuse. this belongs to the DNO.

 

[sparkybird]

I have a made up 'builders' board with a 40A mcb and 30mA RCD unit feeding 3 DSSO's - to plug in extension cables/lights etc. This is the fuseboard and supply during the rewire. It speeds things up as you don't have to faff around keeping old circuits (just rip out all the old stuff!) and also means that you are fully protected as most of the old boards I replace are rewirables.

It also encourages the client to move out for the first few days as they have limited light and power. Thus making the job quicker and life easier for me! Hurrah!

You can then bring all your nice new cables into the new board, test and connect up in one go and neatly at the end of the job.

SB