Lived- in rewire

[Eddiesparks]

I'm going to be doing a lived-in Rewire soon. I have only ever done uninhabited ones and I've heard it's a bit of a skill to do a lived-in one. Bit daunting !! I was just wondering if any of you boys had any tips and or tricks for doing them or any hard and fast rules. I understand i am gonna have to be a lot more methodical. Also it is over Christmas just to add a bit more pressure to the situation!!

I suppose get kitchen done first. And do you do it room by room?!?! I have no idea!!

Thanks !!

 

[Andy78]

Most important is to get everything clear between you and customer. Good communication is essential.
What rooms you need and when, which circuits need to be back on and when, who is moving furniture and carpets, etc

Your quote needs to be really clear as to what tasks are and aren't included.

Forward planning helps so you are not lifting boards twice.

 

[MDJ]

you will need to add at least 3 days onto the quote for the time everyday of rolling back the carpets and lifting/ putting back floorboards. The extra time needed will also be required for moving everything continuosly around from room to room, what a drag, Rather you than me.

 

[kingeri]

And of course you must respect the customers home, dustsheets are a must, as is cleaning up the mess you will inevitably make!

 

[BES]

Best occupied rewire ive done was with a mate. It was in a 5 bed house owned by a large asian family. 10 peolpe in house 2 grandparents 6 kids mum and dad and 2 dogs. Thats just say it was fun especially the grandma shouting at us in whatever language she spoke when we lifted her and her arm chair from one corner of living room to other.

 

[RichardMoore]

I had a women cry at me once because of the dust made. even with dust sheets down etc t&c are a must

 

[Hawkmoon]

Also if they own a cat check under the floor before replacing boards each night - got a call at 10pm 'my cats wailing, I think it's under the floor' - no choice but to go back round and rescue the little ---- lol

 

[Geordie Spark]

I'm doing one now - my own house.

It's been "in progress" since 2008.

These things just cannot be rushed!!

So far, the old CU has been changed for a nice new one stuffed full with a shedload of RCBOs ( you know it's the way to go ) and a main switch.

The downstairs ring is done but plaster needs patching but there's no hurry - it's been like that for about 3 years now - and the garage which has been converted into a sun room & utility room / cloakroom ( that's a downstairs netty ) has been wired with sockets & lights.

Staircase and landing lighting is in progress - 2 gang switch at bottom of stairs - same at the top and a 2 gang intermediate on the landing so I can switch the hall light & landing light on / off from either upstairs or down. There's nowt much worse than struggling all the way upstairs and then realise you left the hall light on !!

All fittings are Crabtree and the board is ..... Wylex .. (couldn't get Crabtree board off the back of the lorry - only Wylex)

Cabling is all Prysmian - 1.5 & 2.5 but now thinking about it, as the lighting is spread across 3 6 A RCBOs I can get away with 1.00 cable which would be a bit cheaper & easier to handle.

Edit:

Getting back to the OP, maybe the best way is to start at the top & work downwards?

Upstairs lights and tidy up

Upstairs sockets & tidy up

then downstairs etc.

 

[Paul.M]

As already said "be respectful of their home."

How would you like your house being turned upside down through the day and what would you like at the end of the day? A clean house, floorboards and carpet back down (of course lol). Dont damage any of their belongings, ask before turning off any circuits NOT only for safety reason, you dont want to turn off there telly or internet (I'e had that before now). Keep them informed at every stage. Tell them it is going to be noisy chasing out with the SDS drill etc. Most of all, be human. Put yourself in their shoes. Good luck with it all, hope it goes well.

 

[Paul.M]

I had a women cry at me once because of the dust made. even with dust sheets down etc t&c are a must

Another sparky in the wholesalers a few years ago told me how a customer billed him for over £500 for a professional cleaning company after he had finished!!! Be careful on this point, make it clear and in writing your responsibilities on what is in fact "making good" to a certain degree.

 

[i=p/u]

Allow for plasterer to come roun and tidy up. It's what they good at.

 

[Chris sparky]

Same as what has been said already really. If possible go room by room. Get it done, carpets and boards back down so you know you haven't got to return to it. Sometimes not possible to do it this way but have a good think and plan how to attack it. Dust sheets and lots of em! Keep tools safely out of the way of prying hands if they have nippers lol. Recently finished a job (not rewire) where the mum just her kid's run rampant, about 7-8 years old one of em. And they just followed me round asking questions and generally hindering my work.

I've only ever done two live in's and one was possibly the worst experience of my life. To say the people living there weren't bothered about hygiene is an understatement. Rooms chocabloc with shyte and just an all round hell hole.

The other went very smoothly though.

Good luck all in all, im sure it will be fine

 

[Chris sparky]

Alternatively, just leave them a travelodge brochure lying around lol

 

[Paul.M]

I'm doing one now - my own house.

It's been "in progress" since 2008.

These things just cannot be rushed!!

pmsl I've been doing mine for 3 years! So its not just me lol. New CU due to the new bathroom with a shower and spa bath, bonding done for the house whilst I had floorboards up at the time. Since then nothing has been done! I have'nt even got a earth yet!!! Just using the water mains at 0.32 Ohms atm lol. I'll put a rod in at the weekend. Or I might do a DIY PME from the incomer :rofl:

I've told Mrs M that whatever room she wants to redecorate next gets a rewire. That planted a seed.... "The living room." Bloody hell, a new gas fire so we have to rip out the chimney breast, re plaster, wall paper all before xmas. I should not have opened my big gob. Early next year she wants to re-do the kitchen. This involves knocking down 3 stories of chimney breast throughout the house, plastering the walls and ceiling, decorating then its the bloody cost of the kitchen with the new range cooker that will "fit nicely in the old chimney space my love!"

I can see that 2014 will be me doing a lot of work to pay for this + a lot of work me doing it all lol. And yes we will be living in the house whilst all this goes on, just to get this thread back on track.

 

[spark 68]

As all the others have said^^^^

I have only ever done a few, absolutely hated it, never again, I always price myself out of such jobs now.

 

[londonfire]

I would recommend making up a second board with some 16a RCBOs with some 2.5mm flex and some metal clad sockets.

That way if you don't want to put power back to a bedroom etc they have a temp supply.

Can also be taken away at the end and used elsewhere.

 

[Geordie Spark]

Same as what has been said already really. If possible go room by room. Get it done, carpets and boards back down so you know you haven't got to return to it. Sometimes not possible to do it this way but have a good think and plan how to attack it. Dust sheets and lots of em! Keep tools safely out of the way of prying hands if they have nippers lol. Recently finished a job (not rewire) where the mum just her kid's run rampant, about 7-8 years old one of em. And they just followed me round asking questions and generally hindering my work.

I've only ever done two live in's and one was possibly the worst experience of my life. To say the people living there weren't bothered about hygiene is an understatement. Rooms chocabloc with shyte and just an all round hell hole.

The other went very smoothly though.

Good luck all in all, im sure it will be fine

I had one like that - but I was fitting the central heating.

Stinking, wet carpets because they had 2 dogs and 2 kids ****ing & crapping on them all the time. Bloody nightmare.

This was a rented accommodation and when I finished, the landlord came to inspect the job and pay me. He was horrified at the state of the place.

He paid me for the work and apologised for me having to work there under those conditions. Then he opened his wallet and gave me £60 on top of the agreed fee.

A couple of months later, he had me doing some work in his own house.

 

[iamelectric]

i also have only ever rewired an empty house , i have always wondered how the hell do you rewire a kitchen? only done 1 and the kitchen was ripped out

 

[GMES]

The guys have covered it pretty much, but I don't envy you I have done a few lived in and they are a complete nightmare I did one about 3 months ago and it was bedlam, 2 sparks, 3 builders a plumber and a joiner all trying to work on top of each other, I couldn't do DIY sos I think I would end up slotting someone. If I had to do one again I would stick 500.00 on top and then offer it back to them if they bugger off for a week.

 

[Chris sparky]

I had one like that - but I was fitting the central heating.

Stinking, wet carpets because they had 2 dogs and 2 kids ****ing & crapping on them all the time. Bloody nightmare.

This was a rented accommodation and when I finished, the landlord came to inspect the job and pay me. He was horrified at the state of the place.

He paid me for the work and apologised for me having to work there under those conditions. Then he opened his wallet and gave me £60 on top of the agreed fee.

A couple of months later, he had me doing some work in his own house.

Yeah the one's like that are hellish.

The one i mentioned, lady (and i use that term as loosely as possible) greeted us at the door with baby in one arm and ciggy in other hand. I kid you not! There was crap all over the carpets, some of it didn't even know what it was and dont want to know lol.
Dirty clothing all over the floor's and bursting from wardrobes. Her bloke surfaced around ten ish and proceeded to just sit around all day. Really was a bleak place to be. But the worst thing by far was the kitchen! Literally filthy dishes everywhere, and some stayed there for a few day's! cooker was just a metal cube of grease, cups with mold the hole shibang. Just couldn't believe how little they cared. They showed no embarrassment or even apologized for the condition of the place.

Was a bad couple of weeks lol