wiring question

apoca6 · 6 Feb 2006

Hi,

i am currently buying my first house, which is all good but one thing i'd like to know is about the electrics.

Rather than being in the wall and rendered over they are in plastic covers on the wall itself. What i would like to know is, will it be possible to hide these external wires so that the sockets are flush and i have no wires in ugly plastic covers (i.e in the wall itself)? is this a project i could attempt myself or is it best to call in someone?

cheers,
rob

Steve · 6 Feb 2006

You can do this yourself. You need a hammer drill (for masonry walls) and a good masonry chisel, and lots of metal back boxes

Basically chisel out the wall with the drill and chisel and sink metal boxes into the walls, make good around the metal box with plaster/filler, and re-fit the cables and socket/switch. Chisel out channels for the cables, making sure they follow designated cable zones (see for reference thread, top of electrics forum)

Adam_151 · 6 Feb 2006

Best to call someone in if you don't know what you are doing, if things need rewiring, its best to have it done now, rather than after you have buried them in the wall, or at least have an electrician carry out a periodic inspection report before you set to work

Another point to note is becuase it looks ****e, there must be a good reason for it to be like that, either someone has been cutting corners (in which case there might be bodges all over), or the walls are made of something as tough as granite...

colport27 · 6 Feb 2006

Or somebody has already rewired it on the cheap.........without all the chasing/making good malarky.

apoca6 · 6 Feb 2006

thanks for the replies, ill get the surveyor to check it for me, its not done in a bad way, its faily tidy but i want some snazzy flush sockets and switches

JohnD · 6 Feb 2006

It will make a lot of dust, and the plaster will need patching and redecorating after. So if you're shortly moving in, now is much the best time to do it - before you've done any carpeting or decorating, or put heavy furniture down. And have plenty of new sockets fitted while you're at it. It'd probably about as expensive to have all the sockets rewired and new fitted, as to chase, move and reconnect everything.

I have a feeling the surveyors report will mumble something vague and advise you to have a professional electrical inspection. You could perhaps merge this with a quote to renew.

ban-all-sheds · 7 Feb 2006

And specify that all buried cables are to be installed in conduit, not capping, or simply plastered over. This will make any future changes a great deal easier.

And as JohnD said, you will never be a better opportunity to install the circuits you need, and the accessories where you want them. So do your planning properly - the items on the list below may not all apply to you, but they are worth looking at to get you thinking:

Upstairs sockets
Downstairs sockets
Kitchen sockets
Circuit for appliances
Cooker circuit
Non-RCD circuit for F/F
Non-RCD circuit for CH boiler
Dedicated circuit for hifi
Dedicated circuit for IT equipment
Upstairs lights
Downstairs lights
Immersion heater
Shower
Alarm
Supply for outside lights
Supply for garden electrics
Supply for shed/garage

Plus any peculiarities brought about by your house layout & construction - e.g. in mine because of solid floors and where the rest of the sockets are, I have a radial just for one socket in the hall, the doorbell and the porch lights.

Plus a few spares on RCD & non-RCD sides for expansion beyond that for future unforeseen needs.

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