installation advice very old property

[Smithwrecker]

Hi All,
I need some advice........please don’t rip me to bits!!!.
I’m a newly qualified domestic installer, been in the electrical game for 30 years as an appliance engineer so have some background knowledge.
I want to register with one of the schemes, probably nic or Stroma however, I haven’t done any notifiable jobs yet so my plan is, as I’ve just moved house, as the CU is seriously out of date, I’ll fit a new board and use that as my assessment job.
This is where I’m struggling, my “house” is a 300 year old stone cottage, bare stone wall, exposed beam ceilings etc. All cabling is clipped direct and exposed.....no trunking due to the rough nature of the walls. No RCD protection, no bonding.......the list goes on!!! My plan is to update what I can....reasonably I.e. adding bonding, new board, RCD protection to all circuits, I’m just concerned that the rest of the wiring is so out of date(old colours, premature collapse etc) that there is no way I’ll get passed? Any advice or opinions gratefully received!!!

 

[marconi]

See #8 of:

Show us your best installs - https://www.electriciansforums.co.uk/threads/show-us-your-best-installs.111618/#post-1198451

Then think about asking Davesparks for a masterclass in MICC installations.

 

[The Ghost]

So test the existing installation with a view to establishing that it will be able to operate with RCD/bonding etc. If it does meet specs. then replace the box for your assessment. It may be there are such faults that it could be a nightmare in terms of tracking down faults if you don't check it all out beforehand. In the back of my mind there is a nagging feeling that a box change cannot be used for assessment I am not sure on this but best to check with the scheme you are going for first. So like an EICR or close to it before proceeding with the box change to assess the state of the cabling in the installation first. Is the installation TT? or???

 

[telectrix]

first check condition of all cables. are they rubber? if so, then a rewire is advisable. if pvc then do dead tests, continuity, IR etc. if all good, then existing wiring can be left alone and connected into new CU.

whereabouts in Wales???

 

[Wilko]

Hello and Welcome to the Forum .
Starting at the start - what's the suppliers intake like? Being an old installation it may need attention too and you can perhaps get an isolation switch to help you down the road.

 

[Smithwrecker]

All cabling is pvc T&E, I’ve done continuity, IR, and all well within regs. As for earthing system.......well, the cottage is literally in the middle of nowhere, 2 miles from nearest road, I’m fed from a small transformer on a pole approx’ 60 meters from the house, an overhead cable comes to the table and is then split into 3, 25mm2 cables that run down the wall and into the house so I would say it’s TN-C-S?, however, in the MET there is another earth cable going out to an earth rod??!
If I remove the main earth from the pole and do a Ze, I’m getting 0.3 ohms, so I’m confused by the earth rod.

 

[Smithwrecker]

I’ve attached a couple of pics

 

[Gavin John Hyde]

In the back of my mind there is a nagging feeling that a box change cannot be used for assessment I am not sure on this but best to check with the scheme you are going for first

When I joined niceic few years back i used my own cu change for the 1st assessment as its chicken and egg scenario. Not sure for other schemes but the certsure lot will accept work in your own home on first assessment.

 

[Midwest]

All cabling is pvc T&E, I’ve done continuity, IR, and all well within regs. As for earthing system.......well, the cottage is literally in the middle of nowhere, 2 miles from nearest road, I’m fed from a small transformer on a pole approx’ 60 meters from the house, an overhead cable comes to the table and is then split into 3, 25mm2 cables that run down the wall and into the house so I would say it’s TN-C-S?, however, in the MET there is another earth cable going out to an earth rod??!
If I remove the main earth from the pole and do a Ze, I’m getting 0.3 ohms, so I’m confused by the earth rod.

Possible that it was originally TT, then DNO converted it to PME. You would have to ask to be sure, but your Ze would suggest it is.

 

[mhar]

There is another possibility sometimes encountered on remote, end of line transformers serving one property, PNB. A phone call to your DNO sounds as if it is in order.

 

[MJPD29]

That looks like a class looking house, won't be much drilling walls going through them stones!