Many homeowners choose to invest in a full rewire when they move to a new home which is at least 30 years old; selecting to have all the wire work done before the final plaster and paint, and before their furniture sets foot into the new house. Essentially, a rewiring job is needed when the existing wiring has become worn out or faulty – with dangerous wiring leading to thousands of house fires and accidents every year.
Here are a few indicators that tell you that you should at least get an expert in to assess whether you need a rewiring job:
• If the property is at least 30 years old and still has its original wiring – this likely will not meet with modern standards and will need to be redone.
• If you find you are struggling with the number of plugs and sockets around the house – a complete rewire allows you to add more plug points.
• If your circuit breakers trip regularly – this can be a sign that appliances are becoming overloaded with surges of electricity which can be dangerous.
• Flickering or dimming lights – these indicate that some of the wire is exposed or damaged.
What is involved in a full house rewiring job?
Firstly, provided you bring in an expert electrician to do the job, a full rewiring of your home won’t be nearly as messy and disruptive as you think – after all, these professionals do this kind of work day in day out, and so are experienced in the best ways to complete the job with minimal mess. As such, we advise that customers who need a rewiring simply get in touch and move forward with the project, rather than choosing to wait for a time which is convenient for them.
The two parts of a home rewiring are called the “First Fix” and the “Second Fix”.
The First Fix is what you won’t ever see – the wiring behind the plastering, which needs to be installed to enable electricity to run to your sockets and plug points.
The Second Fix is the bit which connects electric wiring to those sockets, plugs and electric lights.
Finally, a full house rewiring is exactly that – a complete removal of all your existing wiring, replacing it with new wiring. An installation certificate will be presented upon completion of the project, stating the date of the work and all the renovations to the electrics done, with most electricians also throwing in some light plastering work around the main installations. All the decorating however is up to you – and can be started once they are done.
