D.I.Y. REWIRE-- A Step By Step Guide.

[telectrix]

1. Remove all heavy furniture from upstairs. Place in Storage.

2. Roll up all upstairs carpets. Ditto.

3. Lift floorboards to enable cable routing (not the ones that the plumber has wrecked, fitting central heating)

4. Move all downstairs furniture to centre of rooms and cover with dust sheets.

5. Cover all ground floor carpets with polythene sheeting.

6. Chase out from ground floor ceiling vertically to every point you require a fitting/accessory.

7. Now that you've realised that you are totally out of your depth, get on the phone to a qualified Sparks.

 

[GLENNSPARK]

LOL! Isn`t there a book going round called "part p doctor"? Havn`t looked at it though so i cant comment on the contents........

 

[millwall ken]

1. Remove all heavy furniture from upstairs. Place in Storage.

2. Roll up all upstairs carpets. Ditto.

3. Lift floorboards to enable cable routing (not the ones that the plumber has wrecked, fitting central heating)

4. Move all downstairs furniture to centre of rooms and cover with dust sheets.

5. Cover all ground floor carpets with polythene sheeting.

6. Chase out from ground floor ceiling vertically to every point you require a fitting/accessory.

7. Now that you've realised that you are totally out of your depth, get on the phone to a qualified Sparks.[/QUOTE]


That was gonna be the extent of my contribution...

 

[GLENNSPARK]

Well the more diy stuff homeowners do.....the more work for us (putting it right)......

 

[truckster]

Tel you missed 6a

Remove all light fittings and don't mark cables

 

[rsmck]

I somehow thought this wasn't going to be a 'helpful' thread...

Whilst I accept there are a lot of botched and potentially dangerous DIY jobs around there are also people perfectly capable of rewiring safely and legally in compliance with the relevant regulations.

As some of those reading this will know I have recently started a DIY rewire of my own, this is being done in compliance with relevant regulations and I really appreciate the advice and assistance offered by forum members, here and elsewhere both in the public forum and outwith it.

The attitude that no-one other than an electrician is capable of rewiring a house, installing a new circuit, adding an outlet to an existing ring final circuit, changing a light fitting etc is not helpful. DIYers coming here and asking questions are doing one thing right for starters - they accept they *don't* know exactly what to do and for that reason are asking advice.

My view is that you can dismiss these people with 'call an electrician' and, in many cases, they'll try and undertake the work themselves anyway.. or you can offer guidance and advice.

Teach a man to fish and all that...

 

[GLENNSPARK]

All the members on here will offer advice and help if asked and thats what makes this forum as good as it is but if people want to go it alone without any background knowledge.....then its entirely up to them but most work is notifyable now which means either a part p competent person or buildings control.........Its when you come to sell a property that all the certs kick in.....

 

[rsmck]

All the members on here will offer advice and help if asked and thats what makes this forum as good as it is

Not all sadly... but to those who do, it is really appreciated

but most work is notifyable now which means either a part p competent person or buildings control.........Its when you come to sell a property that all the certs kick in.....

Some of us live north of the border

 

[Des 56]

The problem with diy rewiring, where no formal training has been undertaken,is that even though it may work,"working" and "working where there is no danger" of fire or injury, is on the whole, way out of range for the diyer to assertain

Installation can be carried out,but testing, and verifying the results of that testing, to ensure safe dis connection times by calculation and reference requires underpinning knowlege to interprit those results,it is not a diy capability

Even if you are rewiring your own installation, and even though you are doing it by the book,unless a trained electrician. capable of understanding and carrying out the testing. is used to confirm those results,your installation and those of all diyers are potential death traps until those results are verified as adequate

The problem with diy electrical work is not the complexity of the installing,but the in ability to understand the dangers of what may have been installed
Underestimating that lack of understanding could cause the death of the diyer or someone unfortunate to come into contact with their efforts
That can't be said of painting and decorating or laying some tiles,there lies the reason that "get an electrician in" is oft used on a forum where that danger is very evident

 

[millwall ken]

I somehow thought this wasn't going to be a 'helpful' thread...

Whilst I accept there are a lot of botched and potentially dangerous DIY jobs around there are also people perfectly capable of rewiring safely and legally in compliance with the relevant regulations.

As some of those reading this will know I have recently started a DIY rewire of my own, this is being done in compliance with relevant regulations and I really appreciate the advice and assistance offered by forum members, here and elsewhere both in the public forum and outwith it.

The attitude that no-one other than an electrician is capable of rewiring a house, installing a new circuit, adding an outlet to an existing ring final circuit, changing a light fitting etc is not helpful. DIYers coming here and asking questions are doing one thing right for starters - they accept they *don't* know exactly what to do and for that reason are asking advice.

My view is that you can dismiss these people with 'call an electrician' and, in many cases, they'll try and undertake the work themselves anyway.. or you can offer guidance and advice.

Teach a man to fish and all that...

Look mate, sorry to burst your bubble but 99% of DIY sparkies ain't got a scoobie what they're doing. Its as simple as that. Sure they may be able to follow a nice wiring diagram but they won't have a clue when it comes to testing, safe zones for a bathroom, cable calcs etc etc. So whilst you may be able to convince your missus that you are saving a few quid - you are mugging yourself off at the same time. If DIY electrics was such an easy thing then it wouldn't be banned in most countries. However enjoy your DIY electrics whilst you can, because it will be banned here soon as well. Part P - Do you know what this is by the way? Is the first step to stopping Mr DIYer.
Sorry mate, but amateur electrics kill.

 

[telectrix]

I somehow thought this wasn't going to be a 'helpful' thread...

Whilst I accept there are a lot of botched and potentially dangerous DIY jobs around there are also people perfectly capable of rewiring safely and legally in compliance with the relevant regulations.

As some of those reading this will know I have recently started a DIY rewire of my own, this is being done in compliance with relevant regulations and I really appreciate the advice and assistance offered by forum members, here and elsewhere both in the public forum and outwith it.

The attitude that no-one other than an electrician is capable of rewiring a house, installing a new circuit, adding an outlet to an existing ring final circuit, changing a light fitting etc is not helpful. DIYers coming here and asking questions are doing one thing right for starters - they accept they *don't* know exactly what to do and for that reason are asking advice.

My view is that you can dismiss these people with 'call an electrician' and, in many cases, they'll try and undertake the work themselves anyway.. or you can offer guidance and advice.

Teach a man to fish and all that...

my post was not meant as a dig at anybody competent, as you appear to be, doing their own work. but please note des's post#9. and i know the quote. " teach a man to fish and he'll sit in a boat drinking lager all day"

 

[rsmck]

Even if you are rewiring your own installation, and even though you are doing it by the book,unless a trained electrician. capable of understanding and carrying out the testing. is used to confirm those results,your installation and those of all diyers are potential death traps until those results are verified as adequate

I do appreciate the risks involved this is why, even as a DIYer, I've spent some time studying the regs alongside the ECA's "Guide to the Wiring Regulations" and conducting the relevant tests (and recording the results)

We're not all alike

 

[rsmck]

Part P - Do you know what this is by the way? Is the first step to stopping Mr DIYer.

Yes, I know what Part P is. It doesn't apply in Scotland - we have different building regulations.

Sorry mate, but amateur electrics kill.

Not all amateur electrics kill, just like not all 'professional' installations are safe (opening a can of worms there but I speak from experience of something I saw in a commercial building which was supposedly done by a 'qualified' sparks)

 

[Des 56]

I do appreciate the risks involved this is why, even as a DIYer, I've spent some time studying the regs alongside the ECA's "Guide to the Wiring Regulations" and conducting the relevant tests (and recording the results)

We're not all alike

My post was a general outline of why diy electrical installation should be dis couraged,it was and isn't aimed at any individual
You may well have been taught and understand testing and testing procedures,there are city and guilds qualifications to confirm that understanding as you know

Your own actions, commendable though they may be, are the very opposite of the vast majority of diyers doing electrical installations
They do not appreciate or understand the possible dangers, to enough of a degree, to be able to make the judgement that they are capable
That is why assessment of installation work as been required by the government for installers and diyers alike it can kill and cause fire


Anyway,diy aside

I'm not going to comment on Tels posting of this thread for assistance with his efforts to understand how to do a rewire

If he wants to know, he should learn how to do it himself

 

[millwall ken]

Yes, I know what Part P is. It doesn't apply in Scotland - we have different building regulations.



Not all amateur electrics kill, just like not all 'professional' installations are safe (opening a can of worms there but I speak from experience of something I saw in a commercial building which was supposedly done by a 'qualified' sparks)

Well why don't you enlighten us as to what it is that you do for a living - and I'm sure that some of us could tell you how to do your job a lot better as well. Instead of watching all of these rogue trader like TV programmes, why don't you trust the 99% of decent tradesmen out there to do a proper job and not rip you off.