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House rewiring on the Wirral

Most of the Wirral's houses were wired long before anyone owned a kettle, a microwave, a tumble dryer and two phones on charge at once. A rewire makes an older home safe for the way you live now, and ready for what's next.

Ask about a rewireHow old is my wiring?

How old is your wiring?

Pick the era closest to when your house was last wired. If you're not sure, the fuse box and sockets are usually the giveaway.

The cable

Rubber-insulated (VIR) or lead-sheathed cable. After 60-plus years the rubber dries out and crumbles, leaving live copper exposed inside walls and under floors.

Early PVC cable in red and black. More durable than rubber, but many lighting circuits from before the late 1960s have no earth wire at all.

PVC twin and earth in the old red and black colours. Often still in good condition, but needs testing to be sure.

PVC twin and earth in brown and blue (introduced 2004 to 2006), with the earth sleeved in green and yellow. Tested and certified.

The fuse box

Wooden-backed fuse box with rewireable fuses. No RCD, so nothing to cut the power if someone touches something live.

Metal fuse box with rewireable fuse carriers. Easy to repair with the wrong wire, and still no RCD protection.

Plastic consumer unit with circuit breakers, sometimes one RCD covering half the house. Plastic boards are no longer allowed in new domestic installs.

Metal consumer unit with individual RCBOs, surge protection and room for EV chargers, batteries and heat pumps.

The sockets

Round-pin or two-pin sockets. Often only one or two per room, which means adaptors and extension leads.

Early square-pin sockets, often brown or cream, and nowhere near enough of them for modern life.

White plastic sockets, usually on ring circuits. Generally sound, but worth checking for heat damage.

Plenty of sockets where you need them, including USB-C, outdoor and smart sockets.

Rewire urgency

Rewire needed

  • Crumbling insulation is a real fire and shock risk
  • No earth on many circuits
  • Most insurers and mortgage lenders will flag it
Rewire urgency

Rewire very likely

  • No earth on lighting means no metal light fittings
  • Circuits sized for 1970s appliances
  • No RCD protection against shock
Rewire urgency

Test first, may just need upgrades

  • An EICR usually shows whether a full rewire is needed
  • A new fuse board is often the main upgrade
  • Extra circuits for kitchens, EVs and showers
Rewire urgency

Current standard (BS 7671)

  • Every circuit protected against shock
  • Certificate and Building Regulations notification
  • Ready for EVs, heat pumps and smart homes

Why homes need rewiring

Electrical cable doesn't last forever, and homes now ask far more of their wiring than they were designed for.

Insulation breaks down

Rubber and early PVC insulation hardens and cracks with age and heat. Once copper is exposed, you have a shock and fire risk you can't see.

No earth, no RCD

Older circuits often have no earth on the lighting and no RCD protection, the device that cuts the power in a fraction of a second if someone gets a shock.

Not enough sockets

Extension leads and adaptors daisy-chained behind the TV overload sockets that were never meant for it.

Modern loads

Induction hobs, electric showers, EV chargers and heat pumps need circuits the original wiring can't provide.

Surveys and insurers

Home-buyer surveys, mortgage lenders and insurers regularly flag old wiring. An EICR with C1 or C2 codes needs action.

Renovations

If you're lifting floors or re-plastering for a new kitchen or extension, it's the best time to rewire, with the least disruption.

Watch a house get wired

Keep scrolling. This is what happens behind the walls when Carl rewires a home.

  1. The house you live inEverything looks fine from the outside.
  2. X-ray the wallsBehind the plaster: the joists, studs and voids where cables run.
  3. First fix: new cablesSocket rings in blue-amber, lighting circuits in blue, all back to the fuse board.
  4. Back boxes and fuse boardA new consumer unit and metal back boxes for every socket and switch.
  5. Second fixWalls made good, then sockets, switches and light fittings connected.
  6. Switched onTested, certified where needed, and the lights come on.
Get a rewire quote

What a rewire involves

A typical three-bedroom semi takes around a week. Here's how it runs. Watch a house get wired.

  1. Inspect

    We test the existing installation and talk through what you want: extra sockets, new lighting, EV or shower circuits.

  2. Plan and quote

    A room-by-room plan and a fixed quote, including whether a partial rewire would do.

  3. First fix

    Floorboards lifted, walls chased, new cables and back boxes run. This is the messy bit, done room by room.

  4. Plaster

    Chases are filled and made good, ready for your plasterer or decorator.

  5. Second fix

    Sockets, switches, lights and the new consumer unit fitted and connected.

  6. Test and certify

    Every circuit tested. You get an Electrical Installation Certificate and Building Regulations notification.

Living with a rewire

Can we stay in the house?

Usually, yes. We work room by room, keep a circuit live for the fridge and some lighting, and sheet everything down. If the house is empty, it's quicker.

How much mess is there?

Honestly, some. Chasing walls creates dust. We use dust sheets and extraction, tidy up every day, and make good the chases. Most people redecorate afterwards.

Do I need a full rewire?

Not always. If your cable is PVC and tests well, a new fuse board and some extra circuits may be all you need. An EICR tells us for certain.

When's the best time?

Before plastering, new flooring or a kitchen fit. Rewiring after decorating means redecorating twice.

What you get

  • New cable throughout, sized for modern use
  • Extra sockets where you actually need them, including USB-C
  • Earthed lighting circuits, ready for any fitting
  • A new metal consumer unit with RCBOs and surge protection
  • Mains smoke and heat alarms
  • Spare capacity for EV chargers, showers and heat pumps
  • Full certification and Part P notification
Get a rewire quoteAbout fuse boards

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