Rewire to include ceiling demolition??!

[spondee]

Hi all,
Really need good advice on a rewiring issue. This is my first post, and I’m not an electrician, so please bear with me if my concerns seem daft.

I’m refurbing my small ex-council flat – built in the late 60’s /early 70’s - and suspect that I might need a rewire, as I notice the cabling uses the old colouring system (red for live, etc). All the wiring runs from the loft, where it is stapled to the inside of the joists, and over them in some places. A mate has said he thinks that all my plasterboard ceilings would have to come down, due to the fact that there isn’t room to stand upright, and that, once the mains supply has been cut off, there would be no light to work in. He doubts that electricians could do the work by torchlight.

Will there really be a need for such drastic action? The cost would probably put the job well out of my reach, as I’m recently retired and living on a modest pension.

Any advice would be really appreciated. Thanks all.

 

[Superspark23]

I doubt that your celings would have to come down, unless your electrician slips and put a foot through the ceilings! I do most of my rewires just using an headtorch, you'd be suprised how much you can see when your eyes adjust to the use of the head torch.

 

[nikmet]

its all about access, if we can get in we can do it maybe possible to use cable rods as well? but if not, cielings down or surface trunking !! :-(

 

[TPES]

Have any tests been done on any circuits??

Just because it's black and red and cables clipped over the top if joists doesn't mean it needs a rewire.

It maybe worth getting a PIR done If your concerned, you'll know where you stand then.. May not be as bad as you think

 

[Superspark23]

Ive only ever been in one flat where i couldn't get to half the loft space with rod or anything, opted to use ct2, instead, once painted it looks like normal coving if you auger the corners properly, instead of using those ugly corners.

 

[telectrix]

as TPES says. don't automatically think you need a rewire without first having the installation checked over. we have only been using the silly colours since 2006, and red/black pvc cable is good for many years. the older imperial stranded cable is superior to the modern solid rubbish anyway. if you can post a pic of your consumer unit, it will give an idea of the age of the installation ( not always, as that may have been replaced and the wiring original ). i'm sure if you post your area there will be a member near to you who could pop in and have a look for a sensible fee.

 

[spondee]

Thanks all for your amazingly quick replies. I popped back up into the loft, and don't think that access to the wiring will really be a problem frankly. I'm glad to be reassured that lighting isn't an issue. Pity I didn't take the trouble when my (electrician) Dad was alive to ask him a few basic questions! Thanks again, you're a great bunch.

 

[DNS1]

Taking the ceilings down seems very ott!

If it's accessible, even if it means hands and knees with a headtorch than I'd have thought the any job would be do-able.

By the way, I know a sparks who carries around a wooden board with a small consumer unit (just 1 breaker + RCD) and a 13A socket attached. When doing a CU change or rewire, he simply pops the tails into his set up, so he's got a socket for lamps/kettle etc.

Is this normal practice?

 

[Geordie Spark]

Taking the ceilings down seems very ott!

If it's accessible, even if it means hands and knees with a headtorch than I'd have thought the any job would be do-able.

By the way, I know a sparks who carries around a wooden board with a small consumer unit (just 1 breaker + RCD) and a 13A socket attached. When doing a CU change or rewire, he simply pops the tails into his set up, so he's got a socket for lamps/kettle etc.

Is this normal practice?

I usually installed the new CU alongside the old one & fed it from split tails via a Henley Block.

Then it was just a matter of removing the circuits one at a time from the old board, testing them, then fitting them into the new one & testing again to make sure the RCD held.

Once all the circuits were transferred into the new CU, the Henley Block & old CU was removed.

 

[Des 56]

Taking the ceilings down seems very ott!


By the way, I know a sparks who carries around a wooden board with a small consumer unit (just 1 breaker + RCD) and a 13A socket attached. When doing a CU change or rewire, he simply pops the tails into his set up, so he's got a socket for lamps/kettle etc.

Is this normal practice?

I would say yes it is,I go one better than that
I have a an Rcd cons unit mounted on a wayroc board with 2 ways,power and lights
The connections to the unit are made with henley bloocks mounted on the board,as is the earth connection

The boards is quickly fixed to the wall and the householders connections very easily swapped over to it
The power mcb supplies 2xdouble sockets again mounted on the board
The lighting + power mcbs supply a pattress with blank plate with connectors inside

Once any lighting or power is ready for connection,its just a matter of popping the cable into the box and away to go,it saves having to open the rcd unit when a cable needs connecting

 

[Richard]

Has your mate ever heard of a lead light? Basically an flourecent light with a long flex on it that you plug into a tempory socket underneath the DB. If theres access, then unless it's rediculiously small he should be able to do something. Out of interest, what is the state of the current ceiling?

Rich

 

[1shortcircuit]

I have two led lamps that are rechargeable and last upto 6 hours supposedly. Great for these situations

Just need a rechargeable battery powered kettle now

I will say though, fair-play to the OP for seriously considering demolition of the ceiling but a good spark or even someone with good common sense will find a way around this for you:thumbsup