Messy Wiring

1) I have messy wiring...is it a problem? Your local Liverpool Electrician is here to help.

The photograph above is the inside of a consumer unit, fuse box, fuse board or whatever other name you know it by. The above photographs shows a lot of MESSY WIRING and installed in a manner that looks untidy.

There are lots of electrical installations that have a consumer unit like this and it is not unusual to find messy wiring inside a consumer unit. There does seem to be a strong correlation between a really messy consumer unit and faults in an electrical installation though. When we are called to a job and find very neat wiring inside a consumer unit there is often a simple reason for the fault that we have been called to investigate. It is often a faulty appliance, an outdoor socket that has been added on and has failed or something else trivial. When we open a consumer unit and find an absolute mess like the above, we often start to discover other issues.

There is nothing necessarily wrong with the photograph above, arguably poor workmanship, arguably makes the next electricians job more difficult but other than that its fine. What we seem to notice though is, let’s say this consumer unit was installed as part of a rewire, if the consumer unit is very neat and tidy then we rarely see issues with the rest of the installation.

It seems that, if an electrician has taken the time and care to do a very neat and thorough job in the consumer unit, a place that no one will ever really see, then there is every chance that they have taken great care in the rest of the installation as well. Alternatively, it was a Friday and the job was rushed for pending enjoyment reasons.

So no, your wiring being a bit messy is not necessarily a problem. It can become a problem if the wiring is under strain, damaged or likely to be caught or snagged but in itself just being messy is not a big problem.

2) Can you sort out the mess for me?

Yes we are always happy to offer quotes to rearrange wiring and sort out any problems that you need us to. If there are safety concerns then we will tell you in plain English and explain what can be done about it. As stated before, MESSY WIRING is not necessarily a danger or a problem but more an inconvenience and a potential sign of a lack of care taken in ones work. When an installation is wired neatly and logically it is easier to add to, to carry out periodic electrical inspections and to find any faults should they occur.

3) I have had some electrical work done that is a mess, can you come and fix it?

We are often asked to step in on projects that have been started and not finished and honestly, these can be a bit of a minefield at times. In the case that you have had a project started but not finished we would recommend that you contact us to discuss this. We judge each project on a case by case basis and often a project can end up more costly when a second electrician has to be involved.

We are sometimes asked to come in and pick up an installation that has been started by someone else and has become a mess or the customer has had concerns about. Again, it is sometimes necessary for us to start the work again from scratch in order that we can correctly certify the work and the standard to which it was installed. In all cases where there has been a contractor in before us we highly recommend that you call us for a chat to discuss your requirements.

4) I have been in the loft and there are wires everywhere, is this normal?

Quite often it is yes. Most of the wiring in our homes is hidden out of sight. It is done this way for aesthetic reasons and for safety reasons. Quite often these wires are run through the floor cavities in your home and in many cases the loft is utilised for electrical wiring too. You should always take care when in the loft not to damage any wiring. Loft areas are not storage areas and storing a lot of possessions up there can lead to wires getting crushed, ventilation issues and other problems. If you have a lot of wires in your loft that you are worried about then feel free to give us a call. We are happy to come and perform a visual inspection of your property or your loft and tell you our findings.

5) How do I know what is dangerous and what is simply messy?

The simple answer is, you don’t. Only a qualified electrician can help with this. We can assess your electrical installation and examine the wiring to ascertain if everything is ok or not. We won’t tell you that work needs to be carried out if it doesn’t and we wont let you live with something that is a danger to you or those around you. We always give an honest opinion when we are asked to examine something and try to carry out any work in the most economic and safe way possibly.

6) How much will it cost to sort out the spaghetti?

That is a questions that requires more information. We need to see the installation in person quite probably and only then will we be able to tell you what needs to be done to rectify it. Sometime the cost of rerouting cables just for aesthetic reasons is prohibitive as not only do we need to install 2 junctions in every wire that we lengthen but we then need to ensure that we carry out relevant safety testing on each circuit we are extending or moving. It is not as simple as cutting and extending wires!!! This is the way that it needs to be done to comply with safety regulations. There is no point in worrying about the safety of messy wiring to then have someone come and chop wires, extend them and then NOT TEST FOR SAFETY! Back to square one.

Give us a call, we are friendly and helpful and we always do our best to offer solutions.