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If your house is pre
1970, check the existing cabling. You may need to get a
professional electrician to advise generally, but there are some
investigations you can make yourself.
-
There are still a lot of older houses with no ‘earth’ cable on
the lighting circuit. To find out whether you have an ‘earth’ cable do
the following:
1. Turn off the power. 2. Unscrew a ceiling rose. 3.
Look for a green or green/yellow sleeved wire (or in older properties
bare copper). If there isn’t one, and only black and reds are displayed,
then you cannot fit a light that is made of metal, as these generally
need earthing. If you are desperate for a metal fitting, then an earth
cable will be needed to run to the lighting point; relatively easy in
bedrooms of houses but not so simple downstairs or in flats.
-
It may not be necessary to change the ceiling rose, to make way for
halogen lighting, though they are very popular at the moment. They
are attractive and are good at providing illumination for specific
areas but they are not good at providing general purpose or background
lighting. Think in terms of using halogen lights in addition to the
‘normal’ lighting, particularly in work areas such as kitchens.
-
If you are doing the work yourself, remember many ‘feature’ lights
come with a simple connector for one cable and the typical ceiling
rose is used as a junction box for 3 or more cables. If in doubt, call
an electrician to do the fitting. It’s usually about an hour’s work.
-
Energy-saving bulbs can both reduce costs and help with the
environment. They do not always produce the best light and can be
downright ugly, but do use them where it is practical to do so and
they are not too conspicuous.
Power Sockets
The number of electrical gadgets in homes continues to increase
and to power them many of us find we need additional power sockets.
Older houses are particularly susceptible to the ‘not enough sockets’
syndrome, and modern properties built to strict budgetary limits can
also need additional points installing. Before undertaking the fitting
of an additional socket a few points need considering:
-
If you have a single socket that needs making into a double (or
a double to a triple)a simple replacement ‘converter’ can be fitted.
-
Does the work need approval under Part P of the building
regulations? The answer is yes only if the socket is in a kitchen
(unless you are just fitting a converter). Most other areas don’t need
specific approval, so you could do the work yourself if you are so
inclined and can do so safely (remember sockets are not allowed in
bathrooms).
-
Where is the existing point that the new socket can be connected to
and is it on a ring main? If there is a point nearby or on the other
side of the wall and it has two cables going to it, the job is made a
lot easier. Otherwise, it will drive up the cost of the work. Two
cables usually means a ring main, so this can either be extended or a
spur run from it. If the nearest point is a long way off, or it’s not
on the ring main, then other and typically more expensive cabling will
be required. Having floorboards helps (modern houses typically have
large sheets of flooring which need to be cut into). If the floor is
downstairs and concrete, then the cable may need ‘channelling’ into
the wall.
-
If you don’t want to go through the upheaval, will a simple
plug-in extension suffice? The answer is yes in a surprising number of
cases, but do remember trailing leads can be a hazard, particularly
for the more elderly.
Such is the volume of electrical items left in ‘standby’ mode in our
homes, that international standards are being planned to reduce the
power such equipment takes. A University of Strathclyde study estimated
that around 13% of power requirements for homes is used simply to keep
items such as televisions and computers on standby. Whilst this is
mostly a concern for appliance manufacturers, the average household
could save ?40 a year just by turning more equipment off when it’s not
in use. And that helps ecologically too.
Roger Runswick is a director of
50plus Handyman and a member of the
Institute of Electrical Engineers. He can be contacted at
roger.runswick@the50plus.co.uk .
Previous articles in this series:
Fixing drips and changing
your taps
Can I still change my light
switch?
Fitting an outside light
Pre-winter maintenance
Thinking of installing a
shower?
Decorating – are you getting your money’s worth?
Estimate or
quotation?
Replacing a door?
How to upgrade the lighting
in your home
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