Rewire while house occupied. - Tips and strategies?

[1Justin]

I'll be quoting this week on a 1950's rewire. House occupied by couple with young lad. They might be able to take the odd long weekend away but basically I'm working round them.

They understand there will be mess, and I've said I can channel where necessary only with bolster/chisel to reduce dust. The old CU is a dangerous mess, lighting is rubber (but in metal wall conduit which should help replacement in some of the places). Sockets are 1980's white T&E and very DIY. Carpets are either up or expendable.

There is not much space where the CU will go. I might grab an old 2 way CU to give me temporary power (via RCD socket) while I selectively take down the rest.

Exact strategy would depend on circumstance, but got any tips for when folks want to stay in the house throughout?

 

[sedgy34]

Sub it out mate save you the hassle

 

[Jay Sparks]

well calverley isn`t bad jay...its just when you start getting into bradford proper...
starts getting tatty....
saying that where i live (dewsbury) isn`t too cracking either...lol...

I live about 2 mins from Calverly. As soon as you pass the "Now leaving Calverly" sign, you are entering a different world.lo, Where woman walk about in the PJ's and night gowns, Kids are running around the streets without nappies on....Its like the esate from shameless..lol Your mate is coming over tonight....hope he brings his steering lock!!

 

[GLENNSPARK]

I live about 2 mins from Calverly. As soon as you pass the "Now leaving Calverly" sign, you are entering a different world.lo, Where woman walk about in the PJ's and night gowns, Kids are running around the streets without nappies on....Its like the esate from shameless..lol Your mate is coming over tonight....hope he brings his steering lock!!

lol...
you and him off out for a beer then Jay?..

 

[shanky887614]

lol...
you and him off out for a beer then Jay?..

better not take the steering lock, they will just steal the 4 wheels instead from the van/car

 

[Jay Sparks]

lol...
you and him off out for a beer then Jay?..

Yeah...He called me up the other night seeing if I wanted to go to Farsley for a few last night but I was alredy going out, so I asked him to come over to working mens club for a few beers and a few games of snooker tonight. Be nice to put a face to the voice.lol You should come over as well, Id love to see you hobble round the snooker table..lol

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better not take the steering lock, they will just steal the 4 wheels instead from the van/car

The steering lock was to hit the scrouts with!!!lol

 

[GLENNSPARK]

Yeah...He called me up the other night seeing if I wanted to go to Farsley for a few last night but I was alredy going out, so I asked him to come over to working mens club for a few beers and a few games of snooker tonight. Be nice to put a face to the voice.lol You should come over as well, Id love to see you hobble round the snooker table..lol

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The steering lock was to hit the scrouts with!!!lol

lol...i`m bad enough with snooker even when i`m not on crutches...
only got a few weeks of this shyte left...
then i will be back on the tools...

 

[Elmer BeFuddled]

Hot tip. When going through the knicker drawer, make sure you put them all back. A pair hanging out ye back pocket (for a later sniff) usually guarantees a quick end to that contract.


I'm told.

 

[GLENNSPARK]

Hot tip. When going through the knicker drawer, make sure you put them all back. A pair hanging out ye back pocket (for a later sniff) usually guarantees a quick end to that contract.


I'm told.

ECRs are also a good hunting ground for such stuff as well elmer...
and sometimes...just sometimes you also come across lesbyan artefacts as well+ mags and other paraphernalia....

 

[ruston]

A bit like ALL of Leeds...lol

It's not just Leeds lol.

 

[trev]

My tip is to leave as much of the old stuff on as possible, for example when running the new RFCs in first and second fix them but leave the legs hanging where the new cu is going to be. Similarly with anything that is not going to be in exactly the same place as the old stuff, obviously doing this with the lights is going to be tough but if I'm honest, if you can't first and second fix a lighting circuit in a normal sized house in a day you've got problems. You can also get a lot of the testing out of the way as you're going using this method thus saving a bit of time on change over day.

 

[GLENNSPARK]

My tip is to leave as much of the old stuff on as possible, for example when running the new RFCs in first and second fix them but leave the legs hanging where the new cu is going to be. Similarly with anything that is not going to be in exactly the same place as the old stuff, obviously doing this with the lights is going to be tough but if I'm honest, if you can't first and second fix a lighting circuit in a normal sized house in a day you've got problems. You can also get a lot of the testing out of the way as you're going using this method thus saving a bit of time on change over day.

this is it Trev...
what some don`t seem to realise...is that you can test as you go...
saves on time later on...same goes for inspection...also, if you have done the construction...you should be aware of whats what anyway....

 

[Silly Sausage]

In a week's time the 3rd Party Inspectors will be on the job...

 

[decolad69]

I would do the lights up and down first and let them use table lamps etc in the existing sockets.
Then with lighting back on, tackle up or down sockets to completion one at a time.

Boydy

Works every time ..... you'll get tea and coffee on the hour and if you take your "Henry out" ( that's a hoover /hover) your on a bonus !

 

[Guitarist]

My tip is to leave as much of the old stuff on as possible, for example when running the new RFCs in first and second fix them but leave the legs hanging where the new cu is going to be. Similarly with anything that is not going to be in exactly the same place as the old stuff, obviously doing this with the lights is going to be tough but if I'm honest, if you can't first and second fix a lighting circuit in a normal sized house in a day you've got problems. You can also get a lot of the testing out of the way as you're going using this method thus saving a bit of time on change over day.

Totally agree. My installations look rough as anything while I test and connect everything up as I go. Then at the end I have a "dressing" day, where everything gets connected neatly in the CU and all clipped properly.

 

[Stroppy]

It always makes me laugh when people spend ages dressing their CU's to perfection, then pull them all the pieces again to do the testing. Doesn't make sense to me.

 

[PEM]

I'd recommend you check your PL insurance. Young ones have a knack of finding that loose board nail and treading on it.

With occupied rewire double check at end of day everything is safe from little hands.

Also if mains smoke detectors if these cant be left working at end of everyday temporary fix a couple of battery jobs. Customers will appreciate your efforts in keeping them safe.

Good luck mate.

 

[dan86]

Also if mains smoke detectors if these cant be left working at end of everyday temporary fix a couple of battery jobs. Customers will appreciate your efforts in keeping them safe.

good tip that

 

[oldtimer]

Preperation is the name of the game and managing the tenant/customer I don't do rewires but when I do say an alarm I advise them to empty the cupboard it is going in and move any breakables .

 

[Guitarist]

It always makes me laugh when people spend ages dressing their CU's to perfection, then pull them all the pieces again to do the testing. Doesn't make sense to me.

Haha, yeah. Better not look in mine before final dressing, just a birds nest

 

[Stroppy]

Bit like mine after!

 

[telectrix]

quote 4 grand. get a couple of poles in to do it for a grand and a half, then pocket £2500. ssiimppless.

 

[trev]

It always makes me laugh when people spend ages dressing their CU's to perfection, then pull them all the pieces again to do the testing. Doesn't make sense to me.

It makes far more sense to get the cables in, stripped, tested then dressed

 

[rmc86uk]

I'd recommend you check your PL insurance. Young ones have a knack of finding that loose board nail and treading on it.

When I did decent homes rewires a few year back the lady tenant stood on a nail after the first day when the boards were back down. The next day was only my second day on the firm and we got a right telling off from the gaffer but nobody owned up!

 

[GLENNSPARK]

Haha, yeah. Better not look in mine before final dressing, just a birds nest

best way though...as you only have to disturb the conductors when doing an r1 r2 rn/(R1 R2)...
i tend to whip the busbar off and drop the neutrals & CPCs down behind it...then bank them back up and into the respective bars....this leaves enough on `em for future alterations...but also keeps `em tidy....
i do this before starting terminations into any of the breakers....