We often get calls from London property owners concerned about their home or rental property, wondering if it needs rewiring. Are there some simple signs that you can look for to know when your property needs to be rewired?
Here are some helpful guidelines to follow, but if you’re still not sure please feel free to contact us and we will talk through the situation with you.
- Light fittings – are the light fittings such as pendant lights located near the windows rather than in the centre of the rooms? Often this is a sign that the property needs rewiring as the installations were done like this in the 1950’s and 60’s and if the property had been rewired since then, usually the lights would have been moved to the centre of the room as per modern standards.
- Sockets and Switches – are they old and worn? Often in the past bakelite sockets and switches were used. If these are still in use, the property is probably due for rewire as they would have been replaced if any rewiring was done.
- Fuse box – does the property have an old Wylex Fuse Box with rewireable fuses, or something similar? If the old fuse box is still in use, this is an indication that the property may need rewiring.
Generally if you are renovating a property and one or several of these signs are evident, its worth to get an Electrical Installation Condition Report done, during which we test out all the wiring and can tell you for sure if the property needs rewiring or not. Many London properties still have the original wiring from the 40’s, 50’s and 60’s and this is due for replacement as it tends to deteriorate and become unsafe after 40 years or more.
If you are a property owner in London and need a quote for rewiring your house, please click here to get in touch.