UK rewiring a house

[donaldmccragge]

is it normal to rewire an entire house and use the existing sockets and light switches, or would it be better practice to use the new regs 450mm and 1200? also is it normal to chase the wiring for sockets all the way up the wall rather than chase below and under the flooring, even if it means chasing the floor out?

 

[Dustydazzler]

Every job is different

But imo I would wire switches and sockets to the new heights if possible

Don’t forget smoke alarms and while all the floors are up to pull in any phone and tv cables as well

 

[Pete999]

is it normal to rewire an entire house and use the existing sockets and light switches, or would it be better practice to use the new regs 450mm and 1200? also is it normal to chase the wiring for sockets all the way up the wall rather than chase below and under the flooring, even if it means chasing the floor out?

Those measurements refer to new builds Mate, are any of your floors solid construction? you dn't need to bury your cables, looks better buried but depends as others have said , every rewire has some differences, some Forum member may offer to come to you and offer advice

 

[JBW175]

are you having the work done to your house, or doing it to someone else's?

 

[donaldmccragge]

Those measurements refer to new builds Mate, are any of your floors solid construction? you dn't need to bury your cables, looks better buried but depends as others have said , every rewire has some differences, some Forum member may offer to come to you and offer advice

yes solid floors but the house has been stripped right back
[automerge]1572879210[/automerge]

are you having the work done to your house, or doing it to someone else's?

yes having the work done to my house

 

[Andy78]

If solid floors I'd always rather chase up to an accessible ceiling void that could be accessed by lifting floors above. Chasing into solid floors would really only be a last resort. chased floors would be best with metal conduit laid in for the cables before screeding back over.

Yes it is normal to leave sockets and switches at the same height, although I would always discuss and agree heights with the customer before starting out. Has this not happened ?

 

[Deleted account]

I always quote to new heights, but tell customer they can have them at any height they want.

if your getting a full rewire why wouldn’t you want to bring the install up to current regs.

 

[Pete999]

I always quote to new heights, but tell customer they can have them at any height they want.

if your getting a full rewire why wouldn’t you want to bring the install up to current regs.

Existing decorations, customer preferences. costs etc people actually have a certain amount of choice with rewires, that they don't necessarily have with new builds.

 

[JBW175]

To be fair, I think the new heights look hideous and they’re welcome to keep them on new builds.

 

[James]

To be fair, I think the new heights look hideous and they’re welcome to keep them on new builds.

here is a question, if you had a customer with plenty of money that knew what they wanted and had just bought a new build house.
would you be happy to install (replace existing sockets etc)
sockets and light switches etc. with ones at heights more suitable for there particular requirements?
i.e. similar to what we used to do back in the old days of the 16th?

and if so would you just record it as a departure and walk away happy?

 

[7029 dave]

here is a question, if you had a customer with plenty of money that knew what they wanted and had just bought a new build house.
would you be happy to install (replace existing sockets etc)
sockets and light switches etc. with ones at heights more suitable for there particular requirements?
i.e. similar to what we used to do back in the old days of the 16th?

and if so would you just record it as a departure and walk away happy?

No I would not touch , anyway there is some good out of this part M nonsense, I like the CU at a reasonable height , if you are not 6ft it is a nightmare 10ft up. lol

 

[davesparks]

here is a question, if you had a customer with plenty of money that knew what they wanted and had just bought a new build house.
would you be happy to install (replace existing sockets etc)
sockets and light switches etc. with ones at heights more suitable for there particular requirements?
i.e. similar to what we used to do back in the old days of the 16th?

and if so would you just record it as a departure and walk away happy?

I wouldnt record it as a departure because it is not a departure from BS7671 which does not specify the height.

If the customer has plenty of money they would probably have the house built for them rather than buy one from a developer, in which case they can have the sockets at any height they like if they agree it with the bco beforehand.

My father was a bco and he was happy to sign off on sockets at non part M heights of there was a valid reason for it. One memorable case was someone in a wheelchair having a house built who wanted sockets at the old height rather than the new, their valid argument was that since the whole point was disabled access then surely a disabled person should know best where they want the sockets put.

 

[JBW175]

here is a question, if you had a customer with plenty of money that knew what they wanted and had just bought a new build house.
would you be happy to install (replace existing sockets etc)
sockets and light switches etc. with ones at heights more suitable for there particular requirements?
i.e. similar to what we used to do back in the old days of the 16th?

and if so would you just record it as a departure and walk away happy?

I don’t see a problem with making things look more aesthetically pleasing, within reason and as long as it’s still accessible.

Bit extreme on a new build like, I know if I had that much money; I’d buy a nice big old place with plenty of character instead of a new build.

 

[donaldmccragge]

is it normal to rewire an entire house and use the existing sockets and light switches, or would it be better practice to use the new regs 450mm and 1200? also is it normal to chase the wiring for sockets all the way up the wall rather than chase below and under the flooring, even if it means chasing the floor out?

the main reason i was asking was that there were a few red flags when they started the install. For example; asking where inside the bathroom we wanted the light switch. having a mixture of new reg heights and original - in an open plan room. when we asked for a separate ring for the loft (for a loft extension in the future) we were told we didn't need it.

 

[Andy78]

the main reason i was asking was that there were a few red flags when they started the install. For example; asking where inside the bathroom we wanted the light switch. having a mixture of new reg heights and original - in an open plan room. when we asked for a separate ring for the loft (for a loft extension in the future) we were told we didn't need it.

You are the customer and should be getting what you want and are paying for. If needed halt the work for a 30 minute meeting to explain what you want and expect.

Set the heights you desire for switches and sockets. There is no obligation to use part M building regs heights but they should be no worse in terms of compliance with these heights than the original.

You can have a plate switch in a bathroom if correctly situated, but if this is not what you want, say so.

If you want a circuit running for future use then that's what you're getting, especially if they quoted for it.