re-using old cables on rewire

[amlu]

hi, that will be my first post. hello, my name is Adam, young spark from east London.

i have a rewire planned for next week. client is tight with money and insists on reusing some cables.
how it goes with the regs, including conditions that:
-sticker informing that 2 colours of wiring will be used will go on the fuseboard.
-i`m planning to pull one end of a cable (6mm cable for a cooker) to have more spare wire to fit in the fuseboard, other end joined to a lenght of a new wire. connection will be crimped, in a junction box fixed to a joist under the floor.
-6mm will be for new cooker radial, but 2.5mm rings will try to use old wiring if possible.
-and the old cable will be visually checked plus continuity and insulation resistance test.
my worries are about some regs about connections on the cable saying connections should be available for inspecions, but not sure if it includes crimps too.

cheers for the help
adam inphase electrical

 

[Adam W]

If the cables are in reasonable condition could you not just leave them there and do a partial rewire?
This talk of crimping together bits of old cable sounds like you'll be leaving the installation in a worse condition than you found it.

 

[ipf]

How old is the existing cable? If it's in satisfactory condition and tests OK, I don't see why not. It wouldn't be a complete rewire though, would it ? I would try to avoid all the jointing though.

 

[amlu]

yes it wont be complete rewire. but for sure complete inspection and testing with all new accesories. , and it will be a partial rewire on the papers. need to sign with my name so just want to be sure

 

[Geordie Spark]

IF the old cable checks-out ok, I don't see it being a problem as long as you're not describing the job as a rewire - which would imply new cabling has been installed.

I have reservations about joints though. Can you add some extra sockets & use these to make your joints?

That way, they would be accessible for inspection / maintenance & your client gains some useful sockets.

 

[DPG]

I read it as the cooker circuit was being jointed, so he wouldn't be able to use a socket as a JB. Daz

 

[Geordie Spark]

I read it as the cooker circuit was being jointed, so he wouldn't be able to use a socket as a JB. Daz

Yes .... my mistake .... sorry.

 

[trev]

If these old cables are all fine and dandy why does the client want/need a rewire?

 

[Fin170]

He'll probably be paying more for extra labour than what he will save on reusing cables

It sounds like the same money saving logic of somebody that has bought gashogen downlighters from sainsburys (homebrand ones, didn't know they existed)

 

[GLENNSPARK]

i cant even believe i have just read this post ...i mean come on .....crimping lengths of cable together to create a useable length..or some sort of loom or something.......to the O/P:...listen Adam....use new cable/s where necessary and do whats needed to sort out the existing install if the customer doesn`t want to pay for the rewire...but to reuse cables is asking for future trouble.....

 

[Guest111]

In the words of the old song "there may be trouble ahead" imo I,d walk away people like that usually want a £1000 job for a tenner and are constantly ringing up afterwards moaning about something,easier to walk now and not have all the grief later.

 

[Guitarist]

YOU are the electrician. YOU tell the customer what you consider in your professional opinion is needed. Funny how these people want to reuse materials to save money then you find they have gone to Disneyland for a fortnight. Personally, if I was doing a rewire, and putting my name to the paperwork, I would want to pull in every cable myself and not worry about how old it was or whether the insulation would break down in a few years.

 

[Knobhead]

Fair enough, BUT, YOU will be the one told to go forth and multiply.

Any paperwork must include restrictions imposed by the customer and your limitation of guarantee. IE any fault where old cable is involved is not covered in any eventuality.

Get the customer to sign first!

 

[Guitarist]

I agree that it is the customer's job/house/money etc, but we are the ones being asked to put our name to the work. I was an industrial electrical Engineer for over 20 years and basically if I needed to do something and put my case forward, it would be either sanctioned or my Manager would accept responsibility for saying "no" and any consequences thereafter. In a domestic field, many customers will try to get the cheapest/shortest job just to save money until you put your foot down. I always try to give any customer value for money, but at the end of the day I have to live with what I do and I won't be bullied by someone who doesn't know what they are talking about.

 

[Guest111]

I always told my customers that it works like this,you tell me what you think you want, I tell you what you should have and we go from there,at the end of the day if you dont like me recommendations then feel free to ask elswhere but I will not compromise safety and my good name for anyone.very rarely did they go elsewhere.