[Closed] House re-wire. Things to improve or add?

Extractor fans in bathroom and kitchen?

Circuit for induction hob?

Outside sockets in front of house for hovering cars, back of house for power tools?

Lights and sockets in attic?

If you are going to stay there for a while and have any inclination of an electric vehicle thing about what would be needed for car charging, fast charge on standard.

Instead of extractor fans think about heat reclamation units if possible, always seems crazy to extract all of the nice warm air from bathrooms and kitchens and throw it away.

Also think about whether you would ever want an air source heat pump.

Twice as many electrical sockets as you think you need and a couple of extra TV aerial sockets.

More sockets than you think you'll need wherever the main TV/Sky box/AV amp gubbins is going.

Room light switches either side of the bed in the master

If you are considering surround sound now is the time to get the speaker cables installed. Same if you want a telly on the wall somewhere.

Also consider running some Cat 5 or 6 and install a network switcher. Or at least network cable from your router to TV/skybox etc.

couple of extra TV aerial sockets

Nah - hard-wired aerials are a thing of the past - in a few years time it'll all be streaming.

How about allowing for underfloor heating in the bathroom(s)?

Two double sockets on all walls where there is a sofa / bed. At least 4 sockets by the tv, maybe 6.

Its also the time to install some outside lighting neatly, personally id rather go without than have visible cables then also maybe worth installing a high capacity cable capped at a junction box for a future outbuilding so you dont have to go chisseling plaster or pulling floorboards in the future.

Hard wired smoke detectors. Easy to add now and a right pain later. Not a legal requirement but they are better IMO.

Think about anything you may want on a separate circuit. I've got the freezer on its own circuit so nothing else can trip it. Also an outside socket and a cable to the shed, both on their own circuits so they don't trip the house.

You are doing the right thing having this done before moving in. We did it last year AFTER moving in, its a nightmare.

Think about smart thermostats, as above smoke detectors (we fitted NEST ones and they are very good, but pricey)

Patio/garden light for sorting your bike early mornings and dark evenings.  With a switch by the window overlooking the garden upstairs so you can scope any burglars or suspicious activity while stood in your jammys.

Lots of kitchen sockets spaced out above worktops.

You can get wall sockets with built-in USB charger; not sure how fast they are, would need to be 2+ amps I think

Wired burglar alarm?

We did this 5 years ago..

Things we did -

2 x CAT5 sockets in each bedroom, wired back to the router - this frees up the WIFI for mobile devices, rather than using for static devices like Smart TV.

hard-wired smoke/fire system with remote test/hush button. We also bought a carbon monoxide detector which is mounted near the boiler, and wired into the smoke system - this means in the event of carbon monoxide being detected all the detectors in the house will go off.

lots of sockets - 4 doubles in each bedroom - 3 doubles under the main TV, but should have put 4.

outside lights front and rear switched from sensible places indoors.

6mm armoured cable out to Garage, which also feeds shed.

Things we should have done -

Alarm/CCTV cables - didn't bother and wish we had

Outside sockets - particularly front/driveway - as have to run an extension lead out of the window to hoover the car out.

Put an outside socket up high (which is switched from indoors) for outside Christmas lights.

Echo all the above.

Also consider USB sockets integrated into plug sockets (you can have less doubles around beds / sofas then). Power & CAT6 to a central location for a decent wireless access point (or just CAT6 and do POE).

With regards to heat reclamation, there are some decent single unit heat reclamation extractors about these days. They can be wired in with the lighting circuit and use a humidity sensor to turn off.

You'd need a professional to do this properly but we had our kitchen rewired when we moved in. We pretty much left it as it was with the faults repaired and a few additional sockets.

We have had issues with the Fridge Freezer. One died and kept tripping the RCD. Now the RCD occasionally trips and the F/F goes off. Apparently you can wire it up to be protected (on the non RCD side on the consumer unit on it;s own switch - I'm not sure how it works). Anyway, when it went off on our last 2 week holiday and the freezer contents went mouldy and leaked on the floor I wish we had done this.

Otherwise:

External power options for garden tools like mowers and lights?
Garage/shed power and cabling for t'internet / TV if you use it for training or escape.
USB charging points
Alarm

Pretty much as other's said.

Lots of USB's on the sockets.

Its ok saying go crazy with the sockets, but you need to understand your house layout first.

We did a full rewire and put additional sockets etc in, some of which we now regret as the layout of where we put stuff isn't exactly where we now would want them to be.

Defo speaker cable if a dedicated set up (although a lot of stuff will be wireless soon)

Wifi Control for central heating

Wifi Control for lights

USB Sockets

Led bulbs through out house.

Mains Smoke Detectors (linked on all floors not just mains powered)

Outside Socket

Alarm (personally I wouldn't) ie go wireless. Wired alarms go wrong and need maintenance.  Wireless systems are much easier to upgrade/change

Lots of sockets and if you run network cable make sure it's in conduit so you can pull through new sometime in the next 30 years. Personally I'd just stick to WiFi.

I put 3 doubles where the telly was going, I've used 3.

Thanks all, some great tips 🙂

70s eh? Hot tub and uplighting for the pampas grass.

Did this a few years back.

Really all I did in the end was add a couple more sockets in each room. Ethernet cable to everywhere as was suggested on here at the time was just more money and guess what -i really have not missed it.

I also stuck in a big cable to the garage for my welder and compressor (both 16amp )

I fitted outdoor lights front and side and put a shielded regular  cable and breaker to the other garage at the bottom of the garden.

Think about what you person really need. Don't add just because it might be nice it's going to cost enough already.

The right (big) size cable to the electric shower(s). Otherwise no powerful shower.

Keep a 32A circuit for car charging - get the wiring in place to near where you'd want it if it's more convenient now.

Enough sockets in the right places is a given.

Cat5/6 to fixed locations that can make good use of it - TV, desks, any music streaming things like Sonos. Everything else wifi but think about moving modem/router to get it out of the way (cupboard under the stairs, etc) and using ceiling-mountable wifi access points like the Unifi ones in suitable places.

As above, more sockets than you think you need and light switches by the bed.

Dont bother with data cabling, I did years ago and never used it, all WIFI

Ok here goes:

LSF Cabling in place of PVC (non toxic if on fire to you and me) as a start

20-30A circuit to the garage

external sockets as required

external lighting as required

only need to provide extra sockets where media system or groups of portable kitchen appliances are sited

one of those voltage regulator things that reduces the voltage to 220v and "apparently considerably reduces costs"

dont choose flat plate accessories unless you are fitting min 35mm to 47mm back boxes and also unless your walls are very flat and smooth

use LCMs (lighting connection modules) in the loft for lighting, fans and shaver sockets etc as you can very easily add extra plug in extra outgoing circuits if ever required plus you can use PIRs for any cupboards, loft lighting etc to stop the little bastards (children and wife) leaving freekin lights on all the time

Only bother running data Cabling from your router location to any office or other area that may require a hard wired internet solution. Otherwise install a cable from router up to a midway point in the house and install a wifi extender to get full coverage. Also consider wifi extender to garden as we have to use mobile data in ours as the router can't get all the way out there.

Do not wire lighting in 1.00mm ( I hate it). Please use 1.5 and it may pay just to use 3 core plus earth as you can pretty much do anything you need at each point then

possibly use 4mm for ring main (or 25A radial) circuits in place of 2.5mm

maybe just wire 25A radials for sockets and forget ring mains (things of the past)

put an isolation switch on the kids bedroom circuits so you can disconnect the little swines when they refuse to go to bed.... kind of joking

make sure the sparks run it all in neatly and not just lash it in and quickly hide it (I might have some experience in this.. shame on me) this means clipping all Cabling to building structure and not running Cabling out of accepted zones.

make sure they use a proper wall chaser with a decent extractor attachment or else tape up everything because trust me you will be sweeping brick dust for months

label Cabling at the board

provide a proper bloody circuit chart

Future proof (I hate this saying) for stuff like hive, lightwave RF etc assisted technology if you ever want to control all your circuits from a mobile device.

Generator hook up point and changeover switch for when we loose power after brexit..... just kidding

anyway this should as a starter for 10

Post of the day 🙂

one cheap and easy suggestion that isn't above -

More than one lighting circuit in kitchen/living room type areas so that you can have different combinations of lights on.  5A Wall sockets for table/floor lamps linked to a switched circuit

^ nice suggestion. Good lighting can really make a difference and is as simple as running an extra bit of cable.

All the higher spec new builds we do have 5 amp sockets controlled by wall switches.

Two way switching in bedrooms so you have a light switches near the bedside is also nice feature.

Mentioned above, get them to install radial circuits for sockets, much easier testing and any potential fault finding in the future.

Service elevator for the mistress.

Cat 5/6 cable and maybe consider PoE. Power devices via Ethernet. Particularly useful for IoT stuff and IP cameras.

While you could WiFi everything, I feel too much 2.4Ghz stuff buzzing round the house can't be good, at least for all the devices and traffic. A lot of WiFi issues come from so much interference going on, even on the same channel the devices are fighting for bandwidth. Wire what you can, plus PCs to NAS/media servers can run at Gigabit speeds. Leave WiFi for phones and tablets.

I'd also stick gigabit switches in various places rather than run a stack load of cables all the way to the router. Run cable to switch in a room and split off from there, and repeat for next room.

Cable also to a really good central located or multiple Wireless Access Points, as almost always the router access point is rubbish and router is in the corner of the house (needs to be to have short run to phone socket for best possible signal).

Then consider chasing AV stuff in the wall at the most likely TV / AV system point. Perhaps also at other possible points in case you decide to move the TV. Likewise plan for cable run to rear speakers. Though maybe run under the floor or put grooves in the floor for cables (flat cable maybe), and obviously cover.

And yeah, plan for car charging some day. Though I still feel we're up a blind alley with pure batteries and fuel cells are the way forward. Going to wait until the realisation that everyone electric is a shit load of (not necessarily green) power stations, battery waste through inefficient fast charging and swapping knackered batteries, and depletion of lithium, cobalt and the environmental issues with mining the stuff. Not to mention we still have a major problem with range, which isn't going to get me to remote bike riding spots. But anyway.

I'm.out on usb sockets with having had both lap and mk sockets burn out and not quite catch fire but scorch and smell funky.

Not a fan or perminantly live 240-5v transformers.

If someone made one with a switch that turned off the transformer  life would be good.

i have nothing sensible to add other than trailwagger really is future-proofing with this suggestion

Outside sockets in front of house for hovering cars

interesting thread with some great suggestions.  I'm in the process of rewiring mine.  I like the idea of an outdoor light with an internal switch.  I've used a hue bulb and linked it to alexa

but not sure on the obsession with sockets are extension leads really that bad?

I only have a double behind the tv but I've used a 6 gang surge protected extension lead.  means I can switch the lot of with one switch.

speaker wire can just be run under the carpet (if you have it)

outdoor plugs, doesn' everyone just have battery powered stuff now?  only thing I don' have is the pressure washer

wired detectors take a look at battery nest

I wouldn't bother with Ethernet unless you conduit as suggested above

one I can add is a wired cctv system.  think where you might want the dvr and monitor.  ideally not somewhere obvious or if you do get broken into they will just getnicked.

and a separate cu for outbuildings

I would like dedicated rcds for the cooker and freezer and possibly dishwasher/tumble dryer.  so far only faults I've had with tripping has been when an appliance has started misbehaving

I have heard the comment about radial replacing mains rings.  Doesnt that mean you have to run every cable back to the consumer unit?  that would be a pita for a big house

you can buy pir bulbs these days so can use standard light fittings.  potentially you don' even need to run a switch cable to the fittings and have them always 'on' andlet the smart bulb do it's thing

Also consider future renovations in the loft. Stick a ring main, lighting and a 6 mim cable for the power shower up there.

while you’re at it you may as well run the water and c.h.pipes. 🙂

I’m.out on usb sockets with having had both lap and mk sockets burn out and not quite catch fire but scorch and smell funky.

Yeah, I've read similar stories about USB sockets and they can be always on with a buzzing transformer and the resultant heat unless they have a switch or similar. If you get a socket that's 2A and then upgrade a device and it needs 3A or more, you're looking at replacing sockets. In my case I've got a tablet that requires a special charger with 19.5V over USB cable. Though it can charge with a 5V charger, it takes a day to charge.

Re Cat 5/6 to free up the wifi? Really? I set up a cheap NAS and decided to see what it could stream: ethernet to router then via wifi. I ended up with the TV, my desktop, my wife's laptop, my iPad and my phone all streaming a different movie with no dropped frames. I'd have added my wife's phone but she wasn't in at the time.

There's a lot more bandwidth than most people think.

If you've got cabling running where replacing it really would cause a massive headache/mess then consider conduit for that area.

Oh, and get your electrician on board first rather than hit him with a load of potentially crazy ideas when he turns up to fit it all.

There’s a lot more bandwidth than most people think.

If if you’re next to the wifi node, yes. If you have (multiple) walls or worse a chimney breast in the way then forget about it. We get around the latter by bouncing it between two wifi nodes, but were we re-wiring then we’d at least have a run to the office and TV.

>Nobeerinthefridge

Lots of USB’s on the sockets.

Yip, got these all over, they're great. (even got the local pub to get them installed 😆 )

Wouldn't bother with network cable in the wall, wifi works. Maybe if you've a weird/large house layout and black spots but otherwise don't see the point. but extenders will solve that problem.

I've got a late 70s/early 80s Wimpey house, nothing unusual, but it still has WiFi dead spots, so I have found wired ethernet connections very useful. Wired still beats WiFi for speed and reliability.

"but not sure on the obsession with sockets are extension leads really that bad?"

Extension leads aren't part of the design and could cause an overload. The shorter and fatter the conductors the better. TV-type boxes shouldn't be a high risk though

"I would like dedicated rcds for the cooker and freezer and possibly dishwasher/tumble dryer"

RCBOs?

Separate ring in the kitchen in 4.0mm (used to be a requirement if you were hard wiring washer and drier into fused switch plates).

We needed a new high amperage connection added when we put an induction hob in the kitchen, so that might be worth thinking about if you are rewiring everything.