We had a phone call from the customer originally because of the electrics tripping off - Fault 3. The RCD had tripped, and to get it to come back on, the sockets for the upstairs and downstairs had to be left off.
So I attended with the view to find the fault and get the power back on. Sadly however, it was evident that the house had been poorly flipped before it had been sold, and the electrics were no exception.
Because of the way in which the power circuit had been wired, I wasn’t able to break the circuit or remove sections of it without lifting floors. Easy to do when its carpets, but this house had fitted wood floors, and as such, I couldn’t access any of the junction boxes we would later find.
Disaster: The wiring was faulty, there were junction boxes under the floors, and the conclusion was to renew the wiring.
We needed to establish the condition of the rest of the wiring first, so we tested the lighting and the cooker circuits. We found the lighting had no earth cable, but the cooker, whilst quite old, was still serviceable.
The rewire was fairly standard; new socket were added, and the lighting system renewed. To keep the installation time down we opted for wireless switching, and because the house was quite small, a simple radial circuit for the sockets on each floor was installed.
The consumer unit was also changed from the RCD variety to an RCBO board.
This rewire took around a week, all rubbish, packaging, and old cabling was removed from site, and the walls were bonded up ready for the customer to use the house safely.
A few extra lights were put in; a porch light and a garden light, which were both effortless controlled with a wireless switch.
The customer was happy, the power was restored, and we found the whole project a pleasure.
The nature of why this rewire became necessary:
Sockets are often installed on a ring final circuit. Essentially, there is a loop around all the circuits that start and end at the consumer unit. The cable that exists from point to point can develop a fault, and when this happens, the custom is to disconnect the cable from the 2 points it is connected to, thus, removing the section of the cable with the fault.
In this installation, the points that the ring final were connected to were junction boxes mounted in the floor. This meant that disconnecting these wires wasn’t possible without lifting the floors or cutting into ceilings. It was evident that the wiring had been botched, and that the new cables that we saw behind the sockets were just connected to the old and failing wiring system.
This is almost impossible to spot without test instruments and manual inspection of the outlets. These inspections should be done during an EICR, however in recent years, these inspections have been omitted in an effort to save time or deliver the report at a lower cost.
If you believe there is a problem, or could be concerns around the wiring in a house that you are looking to buy, you are within your right to send in an inspector to assess the condition of the current installation and ascertain if there are any concerns around its safety.
Rewiring is expensive, destructive, and can leave a sour taste in your mouth if its revealed to you after you have brought a house. Don’t get burned, get it tested, and know where you stand.
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Meet Benjamin Grant, a career electrician with two decades of experience in the field. Benjamin is not your typical tradesman; he's a consumer-focused visionary who understands that your home is more than just a structure; it's an expression of your unique lifestyle and personality.
With a passion for helping customers realize their vision for the perfect home environment, Benjamin is committed to harnessing the power of electricity in smart and thoughtful ways. His goal is to make your home not just functional but a haven that reflects your dreams and aspirations. Whether it's creating ambient lighting, integrating cutting-edge technology, or optimizing energy efficiency, Benjamin brings a wealth of knowledge and innovation to every project.
So, when you embark on your next home renovation journey, remember that Benjamin Grant is your trusted partner, ready to turn your electrical dreams into reality. With his expertise and dedication, your vision for the perfect home is closer than you think.