Having your house electrical wiring redone is a major undertaking. Depending on the extent of the project it can cause life disruptions and throw out your daily routine. In the most extensive scenarios, homeowners might have to temporarily move out of home to allow for an electrician wiring up a house.
If you experience any of the warning signs of outdated electrical wiring, you should immediately contact a qualified and certified electrician to inspect your property, provide a diagnosis of any problems you may have, and draw up an appropriate house rewiring plan to address these.
It’s crucial that you always use a qualified electrician for this kind of work.
There are some important things to remember when you suspect that you need your house electrical wiring overhauled. They will help to make the process as smooth as possible and reduce the disruption to your life.
Consult a qualified electrician
While you might be experiencing some of the warning signs that your house electrical wiring is faulty or outdated, you may not need a complete rewiring. The problems can often be solved by upgrading your meter box, which contains your fuses and circuit breakers. Alternatively, you may only need a partial rewire.
That’s why you should call in an electrician to produce an electrical safety condition report (EICR) for your house. This covers areas such as:
- Overloading of your electrical system
- Any defects or damage
- Potential hazards and fire risks
- The condition of switches, fittings, sockets, control gear and switch gear
- Insufficient earthing
- Identifying issues that don’t comply with Australian wiring system rules
It’s wise to get a quotes from a number of electricians so that you can choose the most cost-effective. At the same time, remember that cheaper might not mean better, so make sure you select a certified and authorised Melbourne electrician.
Once you have this report you can discuss further steps with your electrician. If full rewiring is required, read on for ways to prepare for it.
Plan ahead and make early decisions
Things will go a lot easier if you plan an upgrade to your house electrical wiring in as much detail as possible. Once you get into it you’ll discover that there’s a lot to consider, so making arrangements in advance with expert input from your electrician will help to lessen the impact on your daily life.
Decide early on things like the types of switches and sockets you want, including installing extra ones, and the type of wiring system your house needs to bring it up to the latest standards of safety and efficiency. This will give the electrician ample time to source materials and help to avoid supply chain hold-ups.
Once you’ve finalised your plan, stick to it. You may be tempted to add extra lights or sockets as you go along, but it’s more cost-effective to have everything covered from the outset. Changing your mind when the work is underway will also prolong the project.
Prepare your home for a house electrical wiring overhaul
Before you start with an electrician wiring up your house, you need to prepare for it. This will not only make it an easier job to complete – it can also save on labour costs.
Your electrician will need to get inside your floorboards, walls and ceilings to access your house electrical wiring system, so remove everything you can that might get in their way, like furniture and carpeting. Try to clear all the areas where work has to be done.
Cover anything that can’t be moved with plastic sheeting, as the job will invariably involve cutting through the plaster on your walls, which can be a messy business.
Use the opportunity to future-proof your home
Updating your house electrical wiring is a good time to ensure that your home is equipped for your future needs. You might be thinking of installing a home entertainment system or a Jacuzzi. Perhaps you’ve been wanting to get some ceiling fans or air-conditioning.
If you don’t have a smoke detection system, this may also be on your shopping list. Or maybe you simply don’t have enough electrical outlets for all the modern appliances you want. You might also like to have your sockets replaced with ones that have USB ports.
Discuss your future plans with your electrician, so that they can understand and cater for these when they upgrade the wiring in your house.
Arrange alternative accommodation
It’s possible to stay in your home while the house electrical wiring is being redone, but this kind of work is incredibly disruptive and can take up to 10 days, so it’s not the best idea.
The most obvious drawback of staying at home is that you won’t have electricity while the work is being carried out – for obvious safety reasons. This means you’ll have to make a plan to prepare meals, take showers and find workarounds for all your other activities that need electrical power.
Sometimes your electrician can plan the rewiring so that parts of your house where they are not working still have electricity, and move from room to room in this way. However, this will lengthen the duration of the project.
The best idea is to arrange to stay with friends or family while your house electrical wiring is being upgraded.
Look after your pets
While you may be able to cope with a temporary disruption of your life routine, your pets – especially cats – are far more susceptible to negative consequences. It’s essential that you make arrangements for them so that they feel safe, and to minimise the impact.
Don’t forget the small things
Before work begins, do a little sanity check to make sure that you’ve prepared properly for it.
Some things you can do are to make sure that you’ve unplugged all your electronics, and emptied perishable food from your fridge and freezer. Wash all your dirty laundry so that you’ll have enough clean clothes to tide you over while the project is underway.
Only use certified expert Melbourne electricians
Full-scale house electrical wiring is a job for the experts. STL Electrical can handle all aspects of this type of work – safely, professionally and cost-effectively. We’ll do a thorough inspection of your house and give you a comprehensive report on what you need.
Contact us and our fully qualified and certified electricians will help you to decide on the best way to achieve your needs, and perform the work to the highest standards.
