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An inspection found that not only was the wiring outdated but there were no existing means of Earthing at all!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