'Partial' Rewire / Adding new Sockets?

[Deleted User 298457]

Hi folks,

I'm in desperate need of additional sockets as my house has maybe 1 or 2 per room, all in pretty illogical places.

I also need to lift the floor to swap out some pipework, and insulate - the carpets are all trash so this is no problem. I also want to run some CAT6 to various rooms. I can't afford to do this all in one go so hence I'm quite happy with the ongoing disruption/dust as I'll be working through each job methodically.

Question 1 - the wiring looks reasonably new. The previous owner clearly not interested in adding many more sockets. Can I do a 'first fix' myself - and is there guidance on this? I don't want to be paying sparky money to chase walls, fit back boxes, and running cables in tight spaces. However, I won't be able to first fix every room in one go (unless this is really required). This means I can fit a 'ring' for living, dining, and then get them to wire this directly into a consumer unit breaker?

Question 2 - given I may just have a shortage of sockets, is there a way to assess what I have and understand where it is safe to spur off of?

Thanks

 

[Deleted User 298457]

No RCD at the moment - so plan is to get the consumer unit swapped out and then probably do exactly as Casper said.

 

[Deleted User 298457]

If your current circuits are RCD protected you can modify yourself, if not you can't.

It's all pretty simple, chase, lay and protect cable, make good. I would extend the rings rather than spurring where possible

If you can find the original ring easily enough then one option is to just pop a junction box in there and run both cables to the new socket. You can run a single cable ( a spur ) with one socket on the end but personally I prefer not to do that. Running spurs from sockets tends to be difficult because there is often no room in the backbox. Spurs to multiple sockets require a fuse. You can also consider a new mini-ring wired in parallel with an existing ring, right the way back to the fuse box. Although this may seem stupid, it's better if you have a lot of sockets to add to a ring. Also, most rings these days do not need to be rings, you can happily downgrade the fuse in the fusebox if you are concerned about loading on any existing or new wiring. The only exception to that is a kitchen, that really still needs to be a higher capacity ring.

What about creating an entirely new circuit?

I am in spitting distance of the consumer unit with floating boards. Instead of trying to suss out the existing network, can I just run an entirely new ring to the consumer unit?

I've got job one sorted - arranged EON to come and fit an 100 amp fuse and an isolator switch...! 98£...

 

[Deleted User 298457]

i know that pain woman on the phone wanted to charge me for 2 isolators because i have eco7 and thus 2 cus. told her i would have one fitted then 49 pounds. guy turns up and fits one unit....its a double made him a cuppa then realised i trained him years ago when i was on the spanners small world.

Lad on the phone didn't have a scooby so will try and chat up the electrician.

What does an isolator look like? Anything here look fishy?

 

[Deleted User 298457]

Can anyone advise what cable I need? I always used to go into Wickes and eyeball it but trying to be a bit savvy and order online.

Presumably 2.5mm?

 

[Deleted User 298457]

are you sure you have no rcd's ? .. whats behind the greenwhite CU door ? I mean it all looks pretty new.

not sure I'd be doing much diy work if I didn't have an rcd in the system ie cutting the lawn, drilling, .. the electric iron broke down this week (overzealous descaling) and triggered the rcd

I'm not sure on the technical differences between what I have and an RCD but the box you're looking at is apparently circa 1987 and just provides 'reusable fuses' as opposed to a proper RCD. So fuse will blow...but it'll need to be a major fault to tease it that far. AFAIK.

Yes you can. It's sometimes better to create a new ring than mess and existing one about.

I'm taking boards up and I'll see what I can understand of the existing ring. The new ring approach needs me to find a willing sparks...