How to Plan Electric Wiring

How to Plan Electric Wiring for Your Project

Do you understand the electrical requirements for your project?

Rewiring an already finished home is very different to renovating a whole house, doing up one room or building an extension.

I will help you get an idea of what you’ll need to consider.

Here are some key tips…

Plan early

All experts I know are clear that if you’re having a new extension, loft conversion or complete renovation, plans for lighting, sockets and other electrical elements need to be completed before building work has begun.

Most architects start planning electrical layouts as soon as Planning Permission has been granted & you have an agreed a layout.

Occasionally, the process may need to start even earlier. For instance, a project in the South Downs National Park in England has a dark skies policy so lighting, windows and roof windows were the first thing to be discussed.

Check whether you need to update existing wiring. If the wiring etc is more than 20 years old, or there’s been a lot of DIY work over the years, it is far better & safer to start afresh. There could be many disasters buried in the walls and under the floors.

The upheaval will be immense but there are techniques electricians can use that will keep the mess to a minimum

An architect has the ability to visualise the completed project & their drawings convey the layouts to the builder precisely and clearly. These specifications will also ensure the electrician’s prices are correct at tender stage.

For a full re-wire a good electrician ought to be able to guide you through the things you need to add or include & if the budget allows you could consult with an interior designer to find the best way to enhance the project.

Walk the electrical route & consider carefully how you intend to live in the house or how others will use the space when you sell it.

Write a list of your specific needs for when you meet the architect, interior designer or electrician. Also list all the appliances you own or plan to own in the future where critical light sources are required.

One architect suggested starting at the front door and imagine how each space will be used as you walk through the property. The main items to include will be light switches, lighting, sockets, modems and TV points

Think of lighting in layers

The minimum requirement will be both general ceiling lighting and local task lighting

Recessed ceiling downlighters are popular nowadays, but they are not great for all rooms. Track lighting is a good alternative & there is a huge variety of spotlights available to suit your style & budget.

Ceiling lights need to be on a dimmer switch so you can change the mood of a room easily.

Task lighting provides a comfortable light source for dedicated purposes for reading, cooking or sewing.

Ideas:

Floor and table lamps can be wired so that they can be switched on together from a single switch at the door.

Avoid overhead light fittings in bathrooms as these can cast shadows on your face. Use horizontal fittings or place wall lights either side of the bathroom mirror.

Under-cabinet lighting will illuminate the work surface evenly in a kitchen.

Plan where you will place furniture & how the room will be used

LED light fittings can create the colour temperature of a room. Kitchens are usually cool white and living rooms warm white.

LED strips can be useful to hide light sources around built-in furniture, in kitchens and around skylights.

Futureproof your decisions

Once you are committed to electrical decisions it is not generally simple to change things around. A pendant light that will go over a table in a fixed position would be very tricky to alter if you later decide to move furniture around. If you ensure cabling to a pendant light is left long, say an extra 1 to 2m of cable hidden in the ceiling, that would enable you to relocate that pendant by cutting a hole in the ceiling, moving the fitting, & repairing the original hole at little cost. The flex could also be left long which could be draped over a ceiling hook to change the position.

You could allow for extra fittings in a ceiling… create wiring provision for six lights but only install four (make certain to keep & retain a marked-up drawing) then then the additional lights to be installed easily at a later date.

If you want futureproof deluxe you could install a controls system e.g. KNX, which uses a ‘plug and play’ approach to electrical fittings, using a single cable system.

5-amp circuits in living areas provide flexibility for positioning floor or table lamps retaining the ability to switch them all on when you walk into a room.

Remember to think about where the Christmas tree will be situated & avoid the need for a trailing extension lead.

What does your electrician need?

They need to know what the client wants everything to look like when it’s finished! An electrician can work from drawings, but it is preferable also to meet on-site and chat through the work required.

If you’re not involving an architect or designer advance troubleshooting is essential. You might suggest socket placement which are against regulations or fittings that might not work in certain places & the electrician will have to work out what is the best solution.

Good communication throughout is vital.

When people make new decisions without informing all parties of the changes this slows a project down. Most obstacles that might come up on a project can be overcome with good communication but you can’t overcome a problem if you don’t know it even exits!

Common mistakes

Most people underestimate the number of sockets needed. I think it is a good idea to consider putting in double, rather than single, sockets in every location & always install more than you think you will need.

People often misjudge the lighting layout. Think about the varying moods you want to create at different times of the day and year.

The quantity of recessed ceiling lights needed is often over-estimated resulting in a runway effect.

WiFi routers are often installed in the front of a house but by the time the signal has travelled through several walls to reach the back of the house it is considerable weaker. I suggest that the WiFi is sited in a central position so that if a home owner wanted to update to the latest WiFi connected oven, fridge or washing machine there would be enough coverage to cope.

Items to consider:

A hardwired smoke alarm system covering each floor of the property
A heat detector in the kitchen.
A new consumer unit / fuse box
Heating system controls.
Intruder alarm.
Extractor hood
Boiling-water tap
Waste disposal unit
Warming drawer
Induction hob
Technology e.g., hardwired data outlets for TVs and speakers back to the router which will negate trailing wires.

Don’t forget the outdoor areas

Remember outdoor sockets & lighting. Outdoor lighting in a garden or patio areas will make those space more inviting to use. Make sure to take wildlife & neighbouring properties into account at the planning stage.

This is an example of a wiring plan for a new build so you can see an example of a wiring diagram