SERVICES OFFERED

Electric showers.

Heated towel rails.

Down flow heaters.

Lighting and LED downlights.

Extractor fans.

Shaver sockets.

Mirror lights.

FUSEBOX / CONSUMER UNIT REPLACEMENT

Do you ever wonder how safe your house wiring is? A simple way to greatly improve domestic electrical safety is by upgrading your old fuse box to a modern RCD Consumer Unit. A full inspection and test of your electrical installation is carried out prior to upgrading to a new consumer unit. Any faults or problems found on a circuit must be remedied before fitting the new consumer unit. Examples of faults / problems could be a breakdown in the insulation resistance on very old wiring or an Earth conductor not present at a socket. You will then benefit from maximum safety and peace of mind. An electrician uses a piece of equipment called a 'Multi Function Tester' to test an electrical installation and find faults on circuits. The consumer unit (or fuse box in the old days) is at the heart of any electrical installation. It is an essential part of your domestic wiring and provides protection against: electric shock, overload, short circuits, leakage to earth faults and fire.

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Whilst an old fuse box provides some degree of protection against certain electrical faults, such as overloading, it does not protect against electric shock or fire. If a fuse blows it may be necessary to fumble around in the dark to rewire the fuse. Should a fault occur and you are unfortunate enough to come into contact with a live wire or faulty equipment / appliances (for example a washing machine or lawn mower) the consequences could be Fatal.  Old fuse boxes are crude compared to a modern consumer unit.

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A modern 18th Edition Dual RCD Consumer Unit provides maximum protection against overload, fire and the risk of potentially lethal electric shocks. If a circuit breaker trips it can easily be reset. Electric Shock protection is provided by RCD's (Residual Current Devices), which will disconnect you from the mains should you touch something live. They are life savers and no home should be without them.

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INSTALLING A NEW CONSUMER UNIT

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Installing a new consumer unit requires skill, knowledge and patience, it is a time consuming job mainly due to the fact that it is a legal requirement to fully test each circuit before it is connected to the new Consumer Unit. There are some electricians who will install a new Consumer Unit without doing any testing, but this is illegal and they do not have any test results or the information necessary to complete the 'Electrical installation certificate'. This is very bad practice indeed and is risky for the client because the electrical installation may actually be dangerous and it is risky for the person who installed the consumer unit since they leave themselves open for prosecution. For a successful installation the following steps are necessary:

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1. Inspect and test the condition of the entire electrical installation.

2. Upgrade earthing and bonding arrangements if necessary.

3. Report and repair any existing faults.

4. Remove old fuse box.

5. Fit new consumer unit and upgrade meter tails if necessary.

6. Inspect and test all circuits and protection systems.

7. Complete NICIEC electrical installation certificate and notify work to 'Local Building Control' and provide client with Part P building regulations compliance certificate.

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Changing a fuse box to a modern consumer unit will definitely increase the safety of an electrical installation. However, if the electrical installation in your home is old and has faults then changing the fuse box will not solve those problems. Modern consumer units are so sensitive to changes in electric current you may find that your new consumer unit trips frequently if there are problems with your existing wiring that have not been rectified. To avoid this, I strongly advise your existing electrical installation is tested prior to changing the unit. Some electricians will change your fuse box without carrying out any tests beforehand. This is risky for both the electrician and client because defects with the installation may be found during testing afterwards.

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All of my work is completed to a high standard and carries an NICEIC warranty. It is fully inspected and tested, certified and complies with Part P of the Building Regulations. An NICEIC electrical installation certificate and a compliance certificate from Building Control are provided on completion. You can be confident that a new consumer unit from R1R2 Electrics will provide safe and reliable service for many years.

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FULL OR PARTIAL REWIRES

Do your fuses blow or circuit breakers trip often? Are your electrics old and tired? Has the previous owner been doing some ill-advised DIY? Do you get an electric shock when you touch a switch or appliance? Are you worried about the safety of your electrical installation in your home? Is it time to get your installation checked out? A partial or full rewire can solve your problems. It is not always necessary to completely rewire a property if a fault exists in just one or two areas. Some of the existing wiring / electrical installation may be in good condition. I can advise the client and make recommendations. R1R2 electrics aim is to save you money.

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If you are having an extension built or refurbishing one or more rooms or having a loft conversion, depending on individual circumstances the options are to either extend existing circuits or run a completely new circuit from the consumer unit. R1R2 Electrics can advise the client as to the best course of action in each case.

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If you are planning to move into a new home where the electrical installation is more than 25 years old it is important that you get the electrics checked out. Many faults and safety flaws can be discovered by a thorough visual inspection.

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Having your home rewired is a very messy and disruptive job so it is crucial that if you are moving into a new property that you get the rewiring done before considering any redecorating or re-plastering.

SOCKETS

From simply changing an existing socket to adding additional sockets.

Change a single socket to a double socket. Do you use lots of socket adaptors or have unsightly extension cables trailing on the floor behind the TV? You can never have enough sockets. Overloaded sockets are a fire risk, so why not have some extra ones installed.

If you are having a socket changed to a USB charging socket please be aware that it will more than likely be necessary to change the metal backing box in the wall behind the socket fascia also. The reason behind this is that USB sockets are deeper than normal sockets and simply will not fit into a standard 25mm or 35mm metal back box.

LIGHTING

Changing light fittings.

Adding additional lighting points.

Adding a light in the loft.

A new porch light.

Energy saving LED lights and down lights.

LED dimming.

OUTSIDE POWER AND LIGHTING

Power to outbuildings such as garages, sheds and summer houses. 

Outside sockets for the lawn mower or to hoover the car.

Security lights with motion sensors.

Garden lights. patio and decking lights.

FIRE SAFETY

For peace of mind and protection against fire, install smoke and heat alarms. No house should be without them. They could save your life. Mains powered with a battery backup highly recommended.

From a single smoke alarm to several interconnected smoke alarms which means that if a single smoke alarm is set off by smoke then all of the smoke alarms will be set off.

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FAULT FINDING

Nuisance tripping.

Faulty lighting or lights that do not work.

A socket that does not work.

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LET R1R2 ELECTRICS SOLVE YOUR ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS

A FREE VISUAL INSPECTION OF YOUR ELECTRICAL INSTALLATION

A visual inspection is a basic check to identify any visible signs of defects, damage or deterioration. No circuit testing will be undertaken, so your electricity supply will likely remain on during the inspection. Many faults and safety flaws can be discovered by a thorough visual inspection. Below is a brief but not a complete list of some of the items which will be looked at during a visual inspection and is not exhaustive:

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1.Consumer unit (Age, condition, tightness of connections, signs of overheating, RCD protection, suitability of circuit breakers, presence of circuit protective conductors, labelling)

2. Meter tails.                                                                                                                                             

3. Supply intake and incoming earth, main protective bonding to gas and water supply.                

4.History of electrical installation including an examination of any existing certificates for past work, evidence of any past alterations or additions to installation. Approximate age of installation.

5. Examination of any visible cables.                                                                                                      

6.Sockets and Lighting (Sockets not overloaded with extension leads. Accessories fixed securely and any signs of damage or overheating)

7.Cables that are visible (are they fixed securely and have they been installed in locations where they could be damaged)

8.Kitchen safety

9.Bathroom safety

10.Cooker circuit

11.Outside electrics (outside lights, sockets and outbuildings)