When do houses need to be re-wired?

[jones750]

Hi all, this is my very first thread.

I am currently living at home and we are decorating and putting in a new kitchen and bathroom. I have an old fuse board (rewire-able) and the electrics are in generally bad shape. i.e there is no fuse for the cooker and its not on with the shower :O. I know work is needed to be done on the wiring but is there anything that states when a house needs to be rewired?

Also, am i correct in saying that you cannot add new wiring to and old board? you have to change the board at least?

Thanks for any one who replies.

I am qualified btw, i'm just not used to having the regs beside me as the work i install is generally fire alarms so have lost touch with anything 230v!

Thank you.

 

[telectrix]

you need the installation testing and an EICR preparing, to determine what needs doing to make it safe for continued use. you may well find that a new CU and some remedial work is all that is rquired.

 

[Spoon]

How old is the house? Is the wire PVC? Just because you have an old CU doesn't automatically mean that the whole house needs to be rewired if you want any word done. A small up-to-date CU can be added next to the old one for any additional circuits or repairs.
The best thing to do is get someone round to check your existing wiring properly and then you can decide what to do from there.

 

[Guest111]

There are various things to consider and age is not necessarily one of them,firstly a visual examination of the wiring,if it,s lead or rubber then it will be well due a rewire,after this if its pvc then check the condition of it,any damage to cable any green goo at cable ends condition of accessories,then IR test on all cables and check these against what they should be.also bear in mind the number of sockets in the property as if they are few in number then it may be better to rewire that circuit rather than add more to the wiring.Age of installation does not always mean a rewire there are installations wired in MICC from over 40 years ago that are still fit for use.The term "fit for continued service" comes into play here. also the condition of earthing and CU I was an industrial spark for many years but some of the domestic lads on here may give you more information on this.

 

[jones750]

Thanks all. The wiring is mainly black rubber but has PVC red and black to. I know some safety checks will definitely fail, like i mentioned with the cooker having no CB. The kitchen is going to have new wiring in for new sockets and the rest of it, would anybody recommend having a new "sub board" for this or just change the full board for safety reasons?

 

[telectrix]

sounds like a rewire is on the cards if you have rubber insulated cable . i'll be happy to give you a quote.

 

[bigbaddave]

As Tel said. Black rubber cables are not good. I suspect they will most defiantly fail a IR test. At this age you will find the cable very brittle.

 

[Engineer54]

there are installations wired in MICC from over 40 years ago that are still fit for use.

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And the Rest!!! ...MICC installations will generally out live the installer and his kids!! ...lol!!

 

[Engineer54]

As Tel said. Black rubber cables are not good. I suspect they will most defiantly fail a IR test. At this age you will find the cable very brittle.

Only at the terminated ends, will you see heat damage from incandescent lamps, or sockets where they have been continually over loaded etc. The rest of the cable runs will in all probability be as good as the day they were installed if they haven't been stressed.

Many years ago when i rewired my parents house, i used the stripped out TRS 7/029 T&E to wire up the garage sockets, it was supposed to be temporary, but 18 years later when the house was sold they were still in place, and still more than fit for service!! The same couldn't be said for the MK metal-clad socket outlets!! ...lol!!

 

[Knobhead]

I often wonder how many of the temporary jobs I did years back are still in daily use.

 

[Paul.M]

The kitchen is going to have new wiring in for new sockets and the rest of it, would anybody recommend having a new "sub board" for this or just change the full board for safety reasons?

New circuits need to be on an rcd, so this would mean a sub board or a new board. If your having all this work done, I would say a cu change is the better option. The electrician will (should) test every circuit and tell you what condition it is in.
As already said above, it may only need remedial work or a part rewire and not a full rewire, only the test results can say. Do it before you decorate and renovate the kitchen and bathroom.