House Rewire Question

GM247

Hi, getting some work down in my house, revamped bedrooms and bathrooms , so its just the upstairs in a 4 bed built in 2002. Upstairs sockets are already on their own fuse/circuit and upstairs lights are on their own fuse/circuit. There were no issues with the existing electrics/wiring. The Electrical contractor is telling me he needs to cut all the existing wiring and add completely new wiring and wire each room on its on fuse/circuit for lights and sockets, reason he says is to comply with the current Electrical Regulations. Ground floor of the house isnt being touched. Would anyone know if this is correct or is he creating unnecessary work? if it is correct would anyone be able to point me to that wording in the current electrical regs. Thanks

2011

You mentioned there were no issues with the existing electrics/wiring. How did you confirm this?

What I can clarify is that if the existing wiring is deemed safe and meets the regulations that were applicable at the time of installation, it can remain unchanged. Regulations cannot be applied retroactively to existing installations.

standardg60

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122080835#Comment_122080835

I would have thought that if there were issues with the existing the EC would have pointed this out rather than referring to current regs.

What electrical work did you actually require OP?

GM247

hi , thanks for your replies. house electrics was certified when built in 2002 with cert. As homeowner we have had zero issues with electrics. .
I came home from work to find all existing cables had been cut and all existing switches, sockets, coaxial, phone and Ethernet patch ports , removed (and supposedly dumped ) with the cables cut as far into the back boxs as possible.

WHen I asked why they decided, without asking me, to do a complete rewire, they told me it’s to comply with “the regs”.

I asked if they found anything dangerous and they said no.

the original electrical requirement for the job was to wire up 3 new bathrooms and 1 new bedroom. The conversation and plan from the start was that the this can all be added to the existing wiring.

so my thoughts are this is completely unnecessary and just an attempt to charge me a lot more money. As there’s no going back to the original electrics, as they have cut everything , I have no choice but to continue at this stage.

So do I have any recourse with safe electric or any other organisation to report this or get an independent 3rd party to review.

Antenna

Its very difficult to believe this - so they also cut TV aerial cables ,sockets, ethernet and phone cables too which are of course separate from the electrical installation. Hardly good 'for the environment' to be dumping and replacing cables, switches , and outlets which would work fine for many years to come (if what you are alleging is true)

2011

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122123637#Comment_122123637

Time for some legal advice in my opinion. What you have described is completely unacceptable.

Doolittle51

Another wind up thread

Shoog

I would think that he would have decided that to modify the existing wiring in the way required would not be compliant, but the solution to that would have been to run new compliant spurs to each new room installation leaving the old wiring untouched.

Seems as if he is making work for himself but your in a bit of a bind now the damage is done. It would be up to a small claims court to resolve after the job is done and if you broach your intent he is likely to walk away and leave you in the lurch. Very difficult to resolve satisfactorily.