REWIRE'S

 Does your house need a rewire?

Many houses in the UK still have old wiring. This is not only unsafe and a potential fire hazard but is also less efficient than modern systems. It can also affect the resale value of your house, as old wiring almost certainly is highlighted as a major problem during a survey.

If you have old wiring in your house, for example fabric or rubber covered flex you should seriously consider having a complete rewire. Here at Teague Electrical Services we can completely redesign your electrical system to include sufficient socket outlets located in the right places to accommodate your needs, a state of the art consumer unit to replace your old fuse box which will contain residual current devices and circuit breakers. Rewiring a house is a major undertaking, we will carry out the work as quickly and efficiently as possible.

Take a look at our 10-point checklist to see if you might need a rewire.

1. Does your fuse box have replaceable fuse wire?

2. Do your plugs or sockets get hot or have scorch marks?

3. Do fuses blow regularly?

4. Do you have to use extension leads and adaptors?

5. Do you have lights that use the old, twisted type flex?

6. Do you have rubber covered flex?

7. Do you have round pin plugs and sockets?

8. Are your cables missing an earth cable?                     

9. Do you use electrical equipment outdoors?

10. Has your wiring been checked in the last 10 years? If you have answered yes to any of the above you could require a rewire.

If the fuse board or consumer unit looks anything like the picture below, there is a good chance that the installation does not comply with current regulations.

Old switchgear, like the picture below (ie. bakelite) is also a dead giveaway that the installation may be in need of some upkeep

TRS Wiring Tough Rubber Sheath Wiring

 (TRS) was the forerunner to today's modern PVC cables. It was last used in this country in the early 60's and if your property is older than this, and hasn't been re-wired at some point, there may be TRS wiring present in your house. TRS wiring can be extremely dangerous. If you look at the picture below you should see why straight away!

The sheaths (inner & outer) of these cables are made of rubber. The outer is impregnated with an oil, preventing it from drying out, but where the inner sheaths are exposed to air, ie. in junction boxes, consumer units, switches and behind sockets, this inner sheath, over time, dries out and cracks, usually falling off leaving exposed live conductors, as you can see this has happened to the black cable here. For obvious reasons this can be very dangerous, and any live TRS wiring should be replaced as a matter of urgency with the more modern PVC type shown below:

The two types of cable are very distinctive, and you should be able to spot TRS wiring at a glance. Another reason TRS cabling can be dangerous is that in the lighting cables (as in the picture) there is usually no earth wire. There are 3 conductors present in the PVC cable (Brown, Blue and the bare conductor, which is sleeved green and yellow, then used as an earth or cpc) but only 2 (Red & Black) in the older TRS cable. If there are metal light fittings in the property they cannot be earthed if a 2 core cable is used and this is very dangerous.

A good place to check for TRS cabling is in the loft as access is easy. Of course these cables are also the easiest to replace, so if you don't find any up there, there may still be some lurking somewhere else! It is important to remember that just because there is TRS wiring present, doesn't necessarily mean it's live.                                     If you are in any doubt though, it is very important that you get a qualified electrician to check for you.

 So a few golden rules:

1. Check for old accessories, switches, sockets, etc

2. Check the consumer unit

3. In pre 60's properties check the cabling, if it's TRS GET IT REPLACED ASAP 4.

IF IN DOUBT CALL US AND ASK US TO CARRY OUT AN ELECTRICAL SAFETY CHECK FOR YOU! 

And please remember, the information given on this page is for guidance only. You should not attempt to dismantle parts of the installation if you are not trained to do so. If in doubt, leave it to the professionals!