When to rewire a house

When to rewire a house?

As a silent contributor to our daily lives, electricity provides light and warmth, and powers our electrical appliances. However, most of us in the UK take electricity in our houses for granted. The cables run inside the walls, and fuse boxes are often hidden away, making it easy to forget that electrical systems do need checking periodically. Cables, switches, socket-outlets and other accessories deteriorate with use and misuse, and require regular checking. All houses should have their electrical systems checked at least every ten years. There are several signs to look out for that indicate the age of your electrical system and whether your property needs rewiring:

Cables coated in black rubber – black rubber was phased out in the UK during the 1960′s. Cables coated in lead or fabric are even older. Modern cables use PVC insulation.
A fusebox with a wooden back, cast iron switches, a haphazard mixture of circuit boxes
Older round pin sockets and round light switches, braided flex hanging from ceiling roses to light fittings, black switches, sockets mounted in skirting boards
Wall mounted light switches in bathrooms
If any of these features are present in your house, your wiring system is probably several decades old. Safety in your home is vital, and we strongly recommend that you choose an NICEIC Approved Contractor to carry out any electrical work.

Part P certified

You should always use a ‘part p’ registered electrician when undertaking a house rewire in the UK. Using a ‘part p’ registered firm has numerous advantages:

The firm deal with all the new rules for you
The firm is qualified to carry out electrical work to BS 7671, the national safety standard
You will receive a certificate to confirm their work follows the new rules
You do not have to pay Building Control charges
You have the option of taking out an insurance-backed guarantee for the work
You have access to a formal complaints procedure if you are not happy with the work

For more information about what you should expect when employing ‘part p’ qualified electricians read below:

What is Part P?

People carrying out electrical work in homes and gardens in England and Wales should follow the rules set out in Part P of the Building Regulations to ensure that they are complying with the law. These rules are designed to ensure that electrical work is safe. Part P was introduced in order to:

Reduce the number of deaths, injuries and fires caused by faulty electrical installations
Make life harder for ‘cowboys’ to leave electrical installations in an unsafe condition

Why should I use Part P certified electrician

A firm registered as part P certified:

Can deal with all the new rules for you
Is qualified to carry out electrical work to BS 7671, the national safety standard
Will give you a certificate to confirm their work follows the new rules

Further more using a part P electrician ensures that:

You do not have to pay Building Control charges
You have the option of taking out an insurance-backed guarantee for the work
You have access to a formal complaints procedure if you are not happy with the work

Checking the Part P certification

Always check a firm’s credentials. You should ask to see a copy of the firm’s Part P registration certificate. This will tell you what scheme the firm is registered with and its registration number. You may wish to visit the website of the particular scheme concerned and, using the firm’s registration number, check that the name and details that appear there correspond to the those being used by the person in front of you. If you are at all worried, confused or have any misgivings about the work to be carried out, or the firm with which you dealing, contact your local authority Building Control department.

Agreeing what is to be done

Don’t forget that when employing a part P certified electrician it should be clear exactly what work is to be undertaken for what price etc.

When to rewire a house

When to rewire a house