first domestic rewire, opinions please.

[Richard Sutcliffe]

Hi all.

Having recently finished my course at night school, 2 weeks later the wiring in a house I let out had issues.(water pipe for washing machine dripping onto a socket) so I have decided its time to do a complete rewire.(I got poor IR readings when I did my tests).

I will list my plan and would like opinions if I have anything wrong or have missed anything.

THe house is on 4 levels, kitchen in basement, living room on ground floor, bedroom and bathroom on first floor and bedroom convertion in attic. Each floor is approx 25m2.60a supply. THe plan Is:

New consumer unit, 100a main switch, 2 x 63a rcd's.

FIrst rcd protecting,

40a shower in 6mm

20radial for sockets on ground floor and attic in 2.5

6a lighting basement and 1st floor in 1.5 inc kitchen and bathroom extraction fans

2nd rcd protecting

20a radial basement and 1st floor power 2.5

6a ground floor and attic lights 1.5

6a heat and smoke alarms 1.5

IT's a tns supply so bonding is also to be upgraded. COnstruction is stone with timber floors. HOwever it Is 114 years old so I expect problems.

It's to be signed of by another spark I know unless I manage to register before it's completed.

THanks in advance.

RIck

 

[PC Electrics]

It is a recommendation of BS5839t6 that smokes are not protected by the same RCD as sockets. This is not a regulation though, so you could go ahead as above. I'd recommend a hi integrity board so you can put one lights/smokes and one socket circuit (kitchen) on an RCBO each.

If you use a Hager board, you could make those radial socket circuits 25A provided you can maintain installation method C, especially the kitchen. You don't say where the CU is relative to the floors, so watch the voltage drop on these long circuits - might be wise to do the first leg in 4mm.

Use c types on the lights

Have you got something against 1mm t&e?

 

[Cirrus]

Personally I don't wire a kitchen on a 2.5mm radial, perferring a ring final circuit but that depends on what you have in the kitchen. Most people have a fridge, kettle, washing machine, dishwasher etc etc and just makes more sense to pull in a ring to take care of the extra load. Also, as a rule of thumb (and without taking into cable routes and reference methods etc) I always but 6mm shower . cooker cable on a 32A MCB / RCBO. I also put smoke alarms in with the lighting circuit as that way you are less inclined to turn the circuit off in event of a problem and instead, actually attend to the problem.

Is there no immersion?

 

[PC Electrics]

On top of which, Hager boards are the dogs chopper. As are Aico smokes. Get hold of Aicos Contractors Handybook, it tells you all you need to know about smoke systems in domestic.

 

[Cirrus]

Agreed, I only fit Aico as an accredited installer and they have an App available to help you out with the general points regarding the regs. Also agree that Hager boards are ace!

 

[OnOff]

Out of interest what course have you just finished? Comes under Part P obviously. Presuming this "other spark" is Part registered then he/she have to be careful on the "signing off". This thread contains a lot of useful comments:

http://www.talk.electricianforum.co.uk/question-answer-board/20760-signing-off-previous-electricians-work.html

In a nutshell if they sign of for Design & Construction etc (which you've done) that would be wrong of them.

Possibly all they could do is an EICR?

Better answers will no doubt follow from others shortly!

 

[PC Electrics]

If it's a small or modest kitchen, 20 or 25A radial will be sufficient. I've done CU changes where the whole house has only 1 RFC and that has had to go on a 20A.

Also make sure that shower circuit is method C if you're using 6mm.

---------- Post Auto-Merged at 10:50 ---------- Previous post was made at 10:48 ----------

Cirrus, have you done the Aico course then? I've applied and am waiting for a date. Good?

 

[Cirrus]

A radial can be fine, I prefer to pull a ring in as don't want calling back by the client to say that there is a tripping problem when they have all the sockets in use and risk having them say that I didn't design the circuit in accordance with their requirements!

---------- Post Auto-Merged at 10:52 ---------- Previous post was made at 10:51 ----------

Cirrus, have you done the Aico course then? I've applied and am waiting for a date. Good?

I did it a couple of years ago and it was boring in fairness - nothing contained in it that you didn't already know or couldn't read in the handbook. Gave me a nice Hi-Vis and stickers for the van though lol

 

[Richard Sutcliffe]

I will have a proper read of reply's when I get home from work as the first post took ages on my phone (android app won't work). I chose 1.5 as I can use it for my fused spurs to washer, fridge and boiler. BOiler is a combination boiler on ground floor. ccu is in kitchen. DIdn't want to use ring in kitchen as concerned about the 60a supply. I will look into voltage drops on the radial's when I get home. THanks all.

 

[alpha spark]

What's using a radial instead of a ring main got to do with having a 60 amp main fuse

 

[Zeespark]

Why a 100mA front end RCD for a TNS system?

AndyGuinness

 

[PC Electrics]

Why a 100mA front end RCD for a TNS system?AndyGuinness

Don't believe that was mentioned anywhere?

 

[Zeespark]

Ooops My mistake, I apologise.

AndyGuinness

 

[alpha spark]

I think u need to lay of the guineas zee lol

 

[Zeespark]

I don't drink in all honesty

AndyGuinness

 

[alpha spark]

So should I with my spelling

 

[Cirrus]

I think u need to lay of the guineas zee lol

Like a pig or two do we??

 

[Zeespark]

Alpha,you will have Spec Loc running for the hills at this rate.

AndyGuinness

 

[steptoe]

I don't drink in all honesty AndyGuinness

maybe you should start, :|

 

[betty swollocks]

Main points for me have already been covered

1. I'd be pulling in a ring for the kitchen

Radials fine for elsewhere

2. I'd be putting the smokes on with a lighting circuit to avoid them being turned off in a year or two when the beeping starts

3. No mention of cooker circuit?

Depending on run I would be inclined to run one for future use?!?