Do Your Electrics Need Re-Wiring?

Did you know that in 2019 over 1380 deaths and injuries were the direct result of electrical fires in the UK alone?

That works out about 27 per week or 4 per day!

54.4% of fires that year were caused by electrical hazards (over 20,000 of them).

Which is why having your electrical installation re-wired should be considered for properties that are over 25 years old.

If you are unsure of the state of the installation and would like to get an accurate report from an experienced professional electrician, then you will need to have an EICR (electrical installation condition report) conducted.

The report would highlight any dangerous/potentially dangerous items that would need attention.

Depending on the amount of work needed to bring the installation up to ‘satisfactory’ status and the age/overall condition of the wiring you would be advised as to whether a re-wire was necessary?

If the cables are less than 50 years old and contain an earth CPC – it may well be possible to simply upgrade the consumer unit (aka fuse board) and install some earth bonding to your water and gas pipework at a fraction of the cost.

Other Reasons For Re-Wire

• You want to modernise your new home.
• Cabling is surface mounted, exposed and clipped along skirting boards etc.
• You are planning to build an extension.
• You are planning to build a loft conversion.
• You have concerns about safety and want to protect your family from the risk of fire or electrocution.
• There are signs of ‘green goo’ (similar looking to washing up liquid) appearing at socket/switch outlets. This is very common for cables that were installed in the 1960’s/70’s and a sign of the cables breaking down.
• You are aware that there are lead cables in use.
• You are aware that there are rubber cables in use.
• Your home has been damaged by a flood.
• Your home has been damaged by a fire.
• You would like multiple, additional circuits to be installed.

Who Can Re-Wire My Home?

If you are carrying out a partial or full re-wire of your electrical installation you will need to notify building control at your local council office.

Kingfisher Electrics Ltd are a fully insured company, we are members of Napit (the national association of professional inspectors and testers) a leading Government approved, UK Accreditation Service.

If you hire us, you can have the peace of mind that the job will be completed to the highest standards by fully qualified professionals who comply with Part P of the building regulations (electrical safety).

Our work is guaranteed for 12 months, we can self-certificate our installations and then notify building control for you, on your behalf.

Planning Ahead

So, you’ve decided to go for a re-wire, what next?

A good place to start would be to walk around your property and discuss/write down the number of sockets or lights you would like in each room.

Things to consider when planning ahead could be:

• Would you like a TV or BT point in the room?
• Will you have a smart TV? If so, you may need a data cable from your modem.
• Would you like downlighters (aka spotlights) or a single ceiling light?
• Would you like wall lights?
• Would you like the lights to be dimmable?
• Would you like USB sockets installed in places?
• How many watts will our oven consume?
• How many watts will our hob consume?
• Would we like under-cabinet lighting in the kitchen?
• Would we like an electric shower installed?
• Will we need an extraction point above our cooker hood?
• Will we need an extraction point in our bathroom/ensuite?
• Would we like an electric towel rail?
• Would we like to install a hard-wired smoke alarm system?
• Would we like to install a speaker system?
• Would we like under floor heating?
• Would we like a backup immersion heater supply to our hot water cylinder?
• Are we having gas central heating, or do we require electric heaters?
• Do we need High heat retention storage heaters to meet EPC regulations? This is for properties without gas.
• Where is our internal mains water stop cock?
• Where is our gas meter?
• Where is our oil supply entering the building?
• Do we want accessories/cables to be ‘chased in’ to the walls and then plastered over later by other contractors?
• What type of finish do we want? White, plastic fittings and fixtures or brushed chrome (for example)?
• Can we vacate the premises whilst the work goes on?
• Can we have the property emptied whilst the work goes on?

The above list is of course not exhaustive, you may have other requirements that you wish to discuss with one of our engineers when they come to visit for a free, no obligation quotation?

The plan is in place, what’s involved?

Electrical re-wires are typically completed in stages, 1^st fix and 2^nd fix are the usual terms used in the trade.

There will of course often be the need for us to work around other contractors.

An example of this would be in the kitchen – the process here is usually something like this;

1. Our engineers disconnect the old wiring in the kitchen and make the room safe to work on for your hired kitchen fitter.
2. The kitchen fitter dismantles the old kitchen cupboards etc. and has them removed.
3. We return and run new cables to all the desired positions (working with a detailed plan provided to us by the customer).
4. The kitchen fitter returns and installs the new cupboards etc.
5. We are notified and then send our engineers back to 2^nd This means to connect all the new sockets, switches and appliances. Once complete, we can test our new wiring an issue you an approved certificate.

If you have decided that you want to have the new cabling ’chased in’ to the walls and plastered over afterwards you will need to be aware that this is a very noisy/dusty job involving loud drilling and lifting of floorboards etc.

You may wish to warn your neighbours? Plan to vacate the premises or have furniture put into storage during these (extremely disruptive) works.

How long does it take?

This of course varies from job to job for any number of reasons. In general, the 1^st fix stage typically lasts between 5-10 working days.

The 2^nd fix usually takes between 1-3 days.

How Much Does It Cost?

Each job is different. If you would like a free, no obligation quotation from one of our experienced, professional engineers then please call Kingfisher Electrics Ltd on 01273 789 276 to discuss your requirements.