Month: August 2022

WHY DO I NEED TO REWIRE MY HOME?

This week electrical rewire was a three bedroomed dormer bungalow in Cleveleys. We received a call from our customer stating that he has been told the property requires a full rewire. He already had an electrician lined up to rewire the property but couldn’t carry the work out until October, this is where Fylde Coast rewires stepped in and completed this work.

But why did the property need rewiring in the first place?

The first issue was the sockets kept tripping off leaving the downstairs of the property with no power to the sockets, the main reasons for this are, the properties in this area that are located close to the sea are prone to rising water under the floors, obviously water and electric do not mix very well. The rising water when drying out also cause other issues as the soil and ground dirt under the property turn into a mud substance and it seems this is corrosive to rubber and pvc, over time it wears the outer sheaving of the cables down and causes short circuits.

Another issue was, over the years there had been extra sockets installed within the property, when these alterations had been carried out, it left junction boxes not securely fixed under the floor which, when mixed with the rising water under the floor caused a short circuit.

Most of the property was still wired in the old black rubber style cables. These cables have long since lived passed their shelf life and require rewiring when come across. The insulation of these cables breakdown very easily causing short circuit problems. Click here for more information on black rubber cables https://www.fcrelectrical.co.uk/i-have-rubber-cables-do-i-need-a-rewire/

There were also some wiring issues from past work that did not conform to the wiring regulations which were causing issues with fuses blowing/tripping. The consumer unit was a dated model as well which also required up dating

Overall, our client had several wiring issues causing great discomfort and frustration, Fylde Coast rewires completed a full electrical rewire of this property in six days, issued all of the relevant electrical certificates. Our clients are well prepared now for the coming wet Autumn and winter weather where they will not loose their power or lighting during these seasons. There is nothing worse than loosing your lights in the middle of a cold dark and wet November night.

If you are thinking about or are needing an electrical rewire, then fill out our enquiry form below for a quotation.

I HAVE RUBBER CABLES; DO I NEED A REWIRE?

HELP! I HAVE BLACK RUBBER CABLES; DO I NEED A REWIRE?

If your property is still wired in black rubber cables than more than likely your property is well overdue for an electrical rewire. Black rubber cables or VRI (Vulcanised Rubber Insulated Cables) were a popular electrical cable in the UK between 1910-1950 (source-Google) as you can see, these cables are very old.

ISSUES WITH THIS TYPE OF CABLE

• THE INSULATION RESSISTANCE OF THESE WILL BE VERY POOR
• THERE WILL BE NO EARTHING CONDUCTOR WITHIN LIGHTING CIRCUITS
• THEY WILL NOT HAVE BEEN INSTALLED TO MODERN WIRING REGULATIONS
• THERE WILL HAVE BEEN NUMEROUS ADDITIONS TO THE CIRCUITS MIXING NEW PVC CABLES WITH OLD RUBBER, THE PVC MAY BE OK AND THE RUBBER CABLE MAY HAVE DETERIAOTED LEAVING EXPOSED LIVE TERMINALS.
• POTENTIAL FIRE HAZARD DUE TO POOR CABLE INSULATION CONDITIONS

If your property is wired in this style of cable, then it is advisable to have an EICR (Electrical Installation Condition Report) carried out to obtain the condition of the insulation. This would give you an indication of the condition of the insulation of the cables, however, test results can vary between seasons meaning, if the weather id dry and warm, the insulation readings may be ok, if the weather is cold and damp/wet, you may get a very different reading.

At Fylde Coast rewires, our technicians will always recommend rewiring if they come across VRI rubber cables, this is because we will always put the safety of our clients and employees first, you never can be 100% sure what the cable conditions are in the loft spaces/voids and under floors of properties. Click here for a rewire we carried out that had black rubber cables and the problems they caused

Upgrading your wiring to a more modern PVC cable will correct all of the above problems and hazards encountered with the above rubber cables, they will also give you peace of mind that your property wiring is safe, secure and will last at least 40 years. Click here https://www.fcrelectrical.co.uk/why-do-i-need-to-rewire-my-home/ for an electrical rewire example we have completed in Cleveleys where Black rubber cables were installed

If you have found, or suspect you have the above type black rubber cables within your property then please fill in our free consultation form where we will be happy to visit your property and carry out a visual inspection and advise you further.