Making things safe with a collaborative rewire

Electricity and plumbing

Having recently moved into a two-story Victorian terraced house the homeowner was keen to embark on a comprehensive, room by room refurbishment. Concerned that the old wiring could make the house not only unsafe to live in, but more importantly unsafe to work on. Additionally, a leaky roof in the bathroom was leaving some electrical components dangerously exposed to the elements! Fitting a modern RCD consumer unit was made a priority.

An inspection found that not only was the wiring outdated but there were no existing means of Earthing at all!

The house was in need of complete rewire. A very daunting prospect indeed, especially with the inherent cost, time and planning involved for such a project but after stepping back and reassessing their current power needs it was decided that a limited surface mounted electrical system would be put in place allowing for both safety and continued renovations. After contracting the power distributor to install a modern Earthing system and Isolator, a seven-day collaborative project began. Working collaboratively with the homeowner the property was,

  • Old wiring was removed
  • Fitted with two complete lighting circuits
  • Fitted with one socket circuit per room to meet power requirements and allow for pinpoint isolation
  • Installed with a new consumer unit providing modernised protection throughout

All cables were surface mounted to allow for bio aggregate and plastering work to be completed at a later date.

In a little over a week, we established a safe method of powering the house that was low cost and informed behaviour. By being involved in the process, collaborating and future proofing the homeowner now has a fuller understanding of how the electrics work in her home. Vital to promoting safe and energy efficient use, mirroring many lessons taught throughout the Neighbourhood Construction framework of systems.

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