Find an Electrician you can trust in Devon.

Unlike in houses built in the 1970s where a good majority of the houses will not need to be rewired, for houses built in the 1960s you’d probably need to rewire the entire house unless the wiring is the modern PVCu coated type. Generally, the homes built especially in the 1960s and 1970s brought about enormous changes. This is because over the years our way of living began to change and as a result, our need for electricity became even greater. In response to this, the electrical systems we incorporate needed to change in order to match the new set standards.

In the 1960s, the amperage normally used was increased to 100, which enables home and property owners to power their dishwasher, microwave as well as refrigerator all on one circuit. However, while this may be a remarkable improvement for our grand parents, this is just enough to cater for our modern day appliances. In recent times, new homes are constructed using a wide range of dedicated circuits due to the fact that each of our appliances makes use of much more electricity to function. Consequently because the 100 amp panels of the 1960s possessed restricted space for breakers, home and property owners who still had the units in their homes will inevitably require a sub panel or a new panel entirely - meaning a total rewiring of their property.

Furthermore in the 1960s, builders turned to aluminium from the previously used copper as it was a great conductor and also happens to be relatively cheap. However, after a couple of years a host of electrical fires cropped up in houses that are wired using aluminium. It was later discovered that when the switch to aluminium was made, the light switches or receptacles which were originally made for the previously used copper was overlooked. It was learned that there’s a corrosive chemical reaction that arises as a result of the two dissimilar metals when connected. Hence, the more reason why aluminium wired houses in the 1960s needs to be rewired.

It’s always recommended to use a certified electrician to carry out electrical work. They can self-certify that their work meets building regulations. While some parts of electric heating systems can be installed as a DIY project, the thermostat and other control wiring legally must be installed by a certified electrician. There are a range of competent persons schemes in operation.

You should report any suspected faults to your landlord as soon as you know about them. It is their responsibility to investigate, and hire an electrician to do any work if needed. Know your obligations as a tenant and keep in touch with your landlord on a regular basis.

There’s a need to ensure that all the paperwork are in place,before putting your house up for sale on the property market. An very good example of such essential document is the Electrical Installation Certificate (EIC) which is used as a proof to attest to the fact that the electrical installation works carried out on the property in question was actually done and also whether or not it satisfies the building regulations. It’ll be a contravention of the law to put your house up for sale or actually sell it without producing this important document. Therefore, if you’re looking to sell your house you may wish to know the electrical documentations you need to complete the task. In this post, we aim to provide you an in depth insight into the electrical certificates needed to sell your house while also helping you make informed decisions along the process. Let’s take a look!

You’ll need to obtain two certificates in the event whereby the electrical work done was performed by a registered and qualified electrician. The two documents include:

• The Building Regulations Compliance Certificate - This is provided to confirm that the electrical works done complies with the Building regulations.
• The Electrical Installation Certificate (EIC), alternatively you can have a Minor Electrical Installation Works Certificate which is provided to confirm that the electrical works done satisfies the BS 7671.

In addition, the local building control body must be provided with a copy of these documents. In such an event whereby the electrical work was completed after 2013 and either it was done by yourself or by an individual who isn’t a registered professional, then there’s a need to make sure that work is inspected by a registered third party certifier within 5 days of completion. If the work is found to be satisfactory, you’ll be issued a copy of an Electrical Installation Condition Report.

When it comes to electrical works, safety is always paramount. Although a complete house rewiring service may seem quite expensive, when compared to the safety it provides, you’d realize it’s well worth it. We know all too well that human nature tends to prevail to overlook small electrical issues until it’s too late or probably gets out of hands. When this happens, not only will you have to spend more to get the issue resolved, but it may also lead to some damages to your property. Hence, the need to identify and resolve electrical deficiencies as soon as possible. In this post, we’ve compiled a shortlist of some of the top signs that your house needs rewiring. Let’s take a look!

• Dimming or flickering lights. This is one of the most common signs that your house needs to be rewired. When a light brightens, it means there’s too much voltage and when it dims, it implies it’s receiving too little voltage. You may be tempted to think this is a lighbulb issue, but this type of decline in power is usually as a result of a loose wiring or faulty circuits which should not be ignored.
• Regularly blown fuses. With the steady development in technology as well as electrical appliances within our houses, older style fuses that are not designed to contain this amount of electricity will end up blowing. If your fuse blows on a more regular basis, then there may be a need to upgrade them to more modern circuit breakers.
• Lightbulbs burning out in their sockets. This is usually a sign of bigger issues in your wiring which is often caused by fluctuations in voltage.
• Sparking outlets. These can be perfectly normal, but at times they can also be a clear signal of a potentially dangerous problem which should not be ignored.

If you possess an electric vehicle, then you should be well aware of how expensive the cost of getting electric vehicle chargers can be. The portable charger happens to be one of the most costly chargers that’s present in the market today. As a result, many individuals wonder exactly why ev chargers cost so much. After all, its just a little box with some wiring, so why should it cost up to hundreds of pound or a grand plus another grand or thereabouts for installation. In this post, we’ll give you insights to some of the primary reasons why ev chargers are relatively expensive when compared to other charges. Let’s take a look!

• Production factors. The manufacturing and testing phase alone is actually one of the costliest aspects in building a high quality and reliable charger. As stated by one manufacturer, the cost required to make metallic materials to trip switches to the testing phase and the marketing efforts, can all run up to over £30,000. As a result of this high production cost, the average of a new ev charger can be between  £125 to about £300 depending on whether you need a type 1 or type 2 charger as well as the size required.
• Specific design. If you own an ev, you’d know that there’s a standard charging port which allows for easy charging just like in petrol or diesel powered vehicles. The goal is to design a universal charging port whereby all electric vehicles can charge sufficiently.
• Safety. The development of a electrical design involves a lot of engineering which are quite pricey. However, this is a top priority to ensure the safety of both the user and car.

If you’re thinking about installing a solar thermal system in your house, it’s always important to put into consideration numerous factors before you proceed. While some solar thermal systems are suitable for use at home, there are also some that are suitable for businesses or organizations which normally requires a big amount of hot water like hotels, restaurants, schools, hospitals and many more. You’ll also find some types available in the market that are suitable for communities to satisfy communal hot water demands.

It should, however, be noted that solar thermal systems do not have the capacity to produce all the hot water demand of a house. In the UK, an average household will need an annual water heating of between 3000kWh to 5000kWh. Whereas, a solar thermal system is only able to meet about 40 percent to 60 percent of this demand.

With that in mind, it’s also worth noting that during the summer months when the solar radiation is at its peak and hot water demand is relatively lower when compared to other seasons, a solar thermal system may be able to provide all of your household’s hot water needs. This implies that during this period you may not find the need to operate your boiler at all. However, during winter or colder months, when you have a higher hot water demands in contrary to a lower solar radiation, a solar thermal system will only be able to take care of about 20 percent of your household’s hot water needs. And that ultimately implies that during this period, you’ll need to rely more on a alternative or backup source of heat like gas, coal, electricity, oil or LPG.

If you are thinking of buying an electric vehicle, then one of the first things you’d have to put into consideration is charging. When it comes to charging of your electric vehicle, doing it at home is one of the most convenient things that comes with it. Not only do you get to avoid the fuel stations, but you’d also get to drive a car in a much cheaper way. Fitting an EV charger or wallbox at your residential space gives you the option to add miles to your battery in a lot faster manner than making use of a three pin plug. In fact, there are also some chargers that offers a lot more than just being a fast way to charge your vehicle.

So which home ev charger should you use? There are a wide range of options available in the market today, however you can get the perfect match for your vehicle by answering these few questions:

• Can you park two cars side by side? If yes, then a tethered charger might just be your most suitable option. A tethered cable is one that’s always connected to your home’s charger. One of the major benefits of using this is that you can get home and plug the charger straight it without having to fetch the cable or carry it around.
• Is size and design crucial? If yes, then you can consider wallbox chargers or untethered wallboxes which are smaller in size and minimalist in design.
• What if your WiFi isn’t accessible? If your WiFi signal is poor in the spot where the charger is to installed but your mobile phone signal is good, then Ohme is a good option to consider.