Houses should be rewired when it is required. In order to establish this, it is necessary to have the wiring professionally checked by an electrician who, through electrical testing and inspection, will be able to determine the condition of the wiring system.
If you are considering a REWIRE IN WOKINGHAM then read on for more information.
What is the average lifespan of a wiring system?
A very difficult question to answer indeed but we can look at the warranty on various products to determine how confident manufacturers are. For example, British General(BG) warranty their circuit protection devices (trip switches and circuit breakers) for 10 years and they warranty their sockets and switches for 25 or even 30 years in some cases!
Then there are the cable manufacturers. Whilst most manufacturers offer a warranty of 1 year on the cable products, Prysmian state that the design life of their cable (that would normally be used in domestic) is around 25 years at full load.
So, the average lifespan can vary in length BUT one thing is for sure, if the system is going to be extensively used the wiring will need replacing much sooner than would otherwise be needed.
What are factors that affect wiring life?
There are many factors that can affect the cables lifespan including:
• Quality of original installation
• Temperatures of wiring and connections
• Type of use of the wiring
• Number of electrical faults that occur
• Resetting a tripping breaker continually
• Water ingress issues
• Cables grouped together
As we can see, there are numerous factors that would affect the life of the cable. Some of these can be avoided by using a professional electrician to rewire your home for you. By using a professional company with a great local reputation, you are guaranteed a high standard of installation using top quality products which, when combined, will result in a rewire that stands the test of time.
What can be done to extend the life of a rewire?
There are several things that we can do to enable a rewire to last for many years. We follow good installation practices, use the best products from reputable wholesalers and will design the installation so that cables are very unlikely to become overloaded during use.
By dividing the installation into more electrical circuits, we can ensure that no one circuit is ever under great stress which will help extend the life of the rewire and ensure that the installation is trouble free for years to come.
For existing properties, having the wiring checked regularly by a reputable electrician and any repairs carried out promptly will extend the life of the wiring installation. This will also enable you to gain valuable information about the condition of the existing wiring in the property and allow you to make and informed decision about WHEN to rewire.
Should I rewire my property?
If you have an older home with an aging wiring system then it is always a good idea to consider rewiring the property so that modern safety standards can be met. It is advisable to rewire a pre-owned home if it is more than 25 years old especially if you are planning on carrying out renovation works on the property.
Carrying out a rewire BEFORE major works means that once everything is finished, the décor, fitted furniture, kitchens and bathrooms need not be disturbed in the future when the wiring system begins to fail.
Can I just replace the consumer unit instead?
Replacing a consumer unit offers upgraded protection for cables, electric shock prevention, surges and arcing faults but will not improve the existing condition of the electrical wiring throughout the property.
Unfortunately, many older wiring systems with old fuse box style units will simply not accept a modern consumer unit. Installing a new consumer unit onto aging wiring will potentially result in unwanted tripping, intermittent electrical problems, circuits that have to be disconnected and a consumer unit that may not even turn on!
Get in touch
If you need any advice about a REWIRE IN WOKINGHAM then get in touch with the local ‘go to’ experts for rewires. Our contact page contains all the information you will need.
