- Jan 3, 2017
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- SparkyChick
Hi all,
I went to quote for some small changes this morning mainly lighting (removal of roses and replacement with wall lights, plus some additions and some socket moves). Sounded easy enough, but here's some background:-
Before I even start looking at the lighting changes and socket moves, I need to address the lack of CPCs in the two affected lighting circuits and lack of RCD protection (because I'll be burying cables in walls less than 50mm deep and carrying out major changes to the circuits that supply the sockets so I need to add RCD to comply). The bulk of the existing CU seems to be taken up with lighting, so I'm guessing the issue of a lack of CPCs has bitten the previous owners before.
Possible solutions are:-
All in all, neither of those two options gives me a warm fuzzy feeling and I'm not sure I'd be happy sticking my moniker on an EIC for the whole place if I changed the consumer unit. I know it's limited to the CU change, but you've still got to get the rest of the circuits up to snuff and that could be a pain in the posterior (not least because there are 3 unknown circuits - which Mr. EICR left connected for some reason).
The guy who did the EICR recommended a 5 year inspection period and I concur with that, based on what I saw I may well have even said 3 years (by virtue of the fact there are no IR readings, it's impossible to say).
I have one other option. The new owners moved in recently and are blitzing the place, so I could recommend a full rewire, especially as it seems like they aren't planning on moving again and are clearly spending on decorating and furnishing? If it was my place, that's what I would do. If it was family or a friend who'd bought it, that's what I'd recommend.
So the advice I need is mainly around timescales. It's a reasonably sized 4 bed (I think) built in the 50s, so most of it is proper brick and mortar, with real floorboards. CU in garage, looks to me like much of the wiring uses the cavity to get up to the first floor. But, it's been extended and certainly the ceiling of the bathroom on the first floor of the above garage extension is not exactly accessible. Suffice to say it's unlikely I'll be getting into that particular loft void, but it would be easily accessed with cable rods and a bit of fishing. The rest of the loft is boarded which hampers things and there is quite a nice office room up there as well, which further hampers access.
I have no one to help me and I know what a pig cable routing is, so my question is to all you guys who fly solo, how long would you think is reasonable to rewire the place? I know it's very hard without first hand knowledge and I would never quote a customer without seeing the job myself, but I'm just after a rough idea of whether the figure I have in my head is in the right ball park or not before I go back to the customer with their options. Also, would you do this solo? I could potentially get help from a subby, but then I've got the baggage of the CIS (is it?) tax rules and such like, which I have zero clue about.
Sorry for the lengthy post, but figured it best to provide a lot of the background. Also, am happy to be corrected if my assumptions about having to add RCD protection to the affected circuits is wrong.
I went to quote for some small changes this morning mainly lighting (removal of roses and replacement with wall lights, plus some additions and some socket moves). Sounded easy enough, but here's some background:-
- EICR done before the property was purchased, unsatisfactory - No CPCs on original lighting circuits (the one's I'd be working on), possible aluminium cable (although I'm not convinced - I think based on what I saw it's tinned copper imperial), no RCD protection on anything other than showers (40A MCB -> RCD -> One Shower and 40A MCB which supplies a second shower)
- Looks like some of the sockets being moved are spur off spur off spur (possibly with buried ring final connections or hidden JBs)
- No room in CU for RCDs (can't split load it) or RCBOs due to volume of wiring (several MCBs have multiple connections)
- No room around CU for replacement with bigger board due to electricity meter and gas meter locations
- Householder has expressed the view they won't be moving again
Before I even start looking at the lighting changes and socket moves, I need to address the lack of CPCs in the two affected lighting circuits and lack of RCD protection (because I'll be burying cables in walls less than 50mm deep and carrying out major changes to the circuits that supply the sockets so I need to add RCD to comply). The bulk of the existing CU seems to be taken up with lighting, so I'm guessing the issue of a lack of CPCs has bitten the previous owners before.
Possible solutions are:-
- Install a second CU with RCD protection and move circuits I work on to that
- Install a new CU and move everything to that (enclosure where current one is, DIN terminals, trunking to new, wire in singles) and then worry about other possible issues (not convinced the EICR is good, very limited IR testing done with the excuse of sensitive devices and some figures just don't add up)Under either of those, I'm pretty much going to have to rewire the up and downstairs lighting anyway because of the lack of CPC and work out the kinks in the ring final that is supposed to supply the sockets I'll be moving. And then I'd have to do the changes that hadn't been accommodated by the rewire of the lighting circuit.
All in all, neither of those two options gives me a warm fuzzy feeling and I'm not sure I'd be happy sticking my moniker on an EIC for the whole place if I changed the consumer unit. I know it's limited to the CU change, but you've still got to get the rest of the circuits up to snuff and that could be a pain in the posterior (not least because there are 3 unknown circuits - which Mr. EICR left connected for some reason).
The guy who did the EICR recommended a 5 year inspection period and I concur with that, based on what I saw I may well have even said 3 years (by virtue of the fact there are no IR readings, it's impossible to say).
I have one other option. The new owners moved in recently and are blitzing the place, so I could recommend a full rewire, especially as it seems like they aren't planning on moving again and are clearly spending on decorating and furnishing? If it was my place, that's what I would do. If it was family or a friend who'd bought it, that's what I'd recommend.
So the advice I need is mainly around timescales. It's a reasonably sized 4 bed (I think) built in the 50s, so most of it is proper brick and mortar, with real floorboards. CU in garage, looks to me like much of the wiring uses the cavity to get up to the first floor. But, it's been extended and certainly the ceiling of the bathroom on the first floor of the above garage extension is not exactly accessible. Suffice to say it's unlikely I'll be getting into that particular loft void, but it would be easily accessed with cable rods and a bit of fishing. The rest of the loft is boarded which hampers things and there is quite a nice office room up there as well, which further hampers access.
I have no one to help me and I know what a pig cable routing is, so my question is to all you guys who fly solo, how long would you think is reasonable to rewire the place? I know it's very hard without first hand knowledge and I would never quote a customer without seeing the job myself, but I'm just after a rough idea of whether the figure I have in my head is in the right ball park or not before I go back to the customer with their options. Also, would you do this solo? I could potentially get help from a subby, but then I've got the baggage of the CIS (is it?) tax rules and such like, which I have zero clue about.
Sorry for the lengthy post, but figured it best to provide a lot of the background. Also, am happy to be corrected if my assumptions about having to add RCD protection to the affected circuits is wrong.