Got called out to a villa in Richmond last year cause the owner kept smelling burning plastic near one of her bedrooms. Found the wiring in the walls - original from 1952 - had insulation so brittle it was literally crumbling off when you touched it. The copper wire itself was fine but without insulation it was shorting against the framing and heating up. She was lucky she called when she did cause another week or two and that wall probably would have caught fire. We ended up rewiring her whole house over 10 days. Cost her a fair bit but way cheaper than rebuilding after a fire.
Thats the thing with old wiring in christchurch houses. Lots of homes are 50, 60, 70 years old. The wiring that was fine back then isnt safe now. Either the materials have broken down or it just cant handle modern electrical loads.
When Houses Need Rewiring
Not every old house needs a complete rewire right away. But theres signs that tell you when its time.
Age is the big one. If your house is pre-1970s and still has original wiring you should get it checked. Wiring from that era used different materials and methods than we use now. Cloth covered wiring, rubber insulation that breaks down, undersized cables.
Breakers that trip all the time. Yeah sometimes its cause you got too much plugged into one circuit. But if breakers trip randomly or you cant figure out whats causing it, could be your wiring is damaged and creating faults.
Lights dimming when you use appliances. Turn on the microwave and your lights dim? Thats telling you the circuits are overloaded or the wiring has high resistance from corrosion or damage.
Outlets and switches that are warm to touch. Electrical stuff should never feel hot or even warm. If it does theres too much resistance somewhere and its overheating. Fire hazard.
Burning smell from outlets or switches. Dont ignore this. If you smell burning plastic near your electrical get someone to check it immediately. Probably wiring or connections overheating.
Lots of two-prong outlets instead of three-prong. Two prong outlets mean no earth wire which is a safety issue. Modern code requires proper earthing on all circuits.
Visible damage to wiring. If you can see wiring in your ceiling or under your house and the insulation is cracked, brittle, or missing that wiring needs replacing.
Did a house in Spreydon where the owners bought the place knowing it needed work. House was from 1958, still had all original wiring. Half the outlets didnt work, breakers tripped constantly, and the switchboard had old ceramic fuses. We rewired the whole place and upgraded the switchboard. Now its safe and works properly.
Different Types of Old Wiring
Christchurch houses have different types of old wiring depending on when they were built.
Cloth covered wiring from 1920s-1960s. This stuff has copper wire wrapped in cloth insulation then covered in more cloth. The cloth breaks down over time and falls apart leaving bare wire. Definitely needs replacing.
Rubber insulated wiring from 1950s-1970s. Rubber insulation gets hard and brittle as it ages. Eventually it cracks and crumbles off. Seen plenty of this in christchurch houses.
Early plastic insulation from 1960s-1970s. Better than cloth or rubber but still not as good as modern PVC. Can become brittle specially if its been overheated.
Aluminum wiring from late 1960s-early 1970s. Some houses used aluminum instead of copper cause it was cheaper. Problem is aluminum expands and contracts more than copper which causes connections to loosen over time. Fire hazard. Needs special handling.
Knob and tube wiring from way back. Really old houses might still have this - wires run through ceramic knobs and tubes. Hasnt been used since like the 1940s. If your house still has this it definitely needs replacing.
Complete House Rewire Process
Full house rewires are big jobs. Takes planning and time but the result is a safe modern electrical system.
We start by doing an assessment. Walk through your house, check the existing wiring and switchboard, figure out whats there and what needs doing. Make a plan for new circuits, outlet locations, lighting.
Then we price it up and give you a quote. Complete rewires arent cheap cause its labor intensive work but we break down the costs so you know what your paying for.
Once you give the go ahead we start pulling out old wiring. Sometimes we can reuse the existing paths through walls and ceilings. Other times we gotta make new paths cause the old ones arent in the right spots anymore.
Running new cable through closed walls is the hard part. We fish cable through wall cavities using special tools. Sometimes we gotta cut access holes to get cables where they need to go. We try to minimize damage but some cutting is unavoidable.
If your doing renovations at the same time and walls are already open thats way easier. We can see exactly where to run cables and dont have to fish anything.
We install new outlet boxes, switch boxes, junction boxes. Everything gets mounted properly and accessible for future maintenance.
Wire up all the circuits to a new switchboard. Modern switchboards with proper circuit breakers and RCD safety switches. Label everything so you know what each breaker controls.
Test everything. Make sure all circuits work, outlets have power, switches control the right lights, earth connections are good, RCDs trip when they should.
Get the work inspected and signed off. All rewiring needs council approval and inspection. We handle that paperwork.
Average 3 bedroom house takes about 1-2 weeks to rewire completely depending on access and how much stuff we gotta work around. Bigger houses take longer.
Partial Rewiring
Not every house needs a complete rewire. Sometimes you can get away with rewiring just the problem areas.
Maybe your living areas and bedrooms are fine but the kitchen and laundry have old dodgy wiring. We can rewire just those rooms and leave the rest.
Or maybe one section of your house has problems but the rest is okay. We isolate the problem area and redo just that.
Partial rewiring costs less than complete rewires obviously. But you gotta make sure the parts your not rewiring are actually safe. We check everything before recommending partial vs complete.
Had a house in New Brighton where the upstairs was rewired in the 1990s but the downstairs still had original 1955 wiring. We rewired just the downstairs and tied it into the existing upstairs circuits. Saved them money vs doing the whole house.
Switchboard Replacement During Rewires
Pretty much every house rewire includes replacing the switchboard cause old switchboards arent up to modern standards.
Old switchboards have ceramic fuses instead of circuit breakers. When a fuse blows you gotta replace it with a new fuse wire. Pain in the butt and not as safe as circuit breakers.
Modern switchboards have breakers you just reset when they trip. Way more convenient and safer.
RCD safety switches are required on all circuits now. They detect faults and cut power in milliseconds to prevent electric shock. Old switchboards dont have these.
We install new switchboards with enough circuits for everything you need plus room for future expansion. Usually 12-20 circuits depending on house size.
Everything gets labeled properly. Kitchen, bedrooms, living room, hot water, heat pump - you know exactly what each breaker controls.
New switchboards also have better surge protection and can handle higher loads than old ones.
Adding More Circuits and Outlets
When we rewire houses we usually add more circuits and outlets than the original wiring had cause modern homes need way more power.
Old houses might have one or two circuits for the whole house. Everything runs off those circuits. Not enough for modern life where every room has multiple appliances and electronics.
We separate things properly. Dedicated circuits for kitchen appliances, separate circuits for bedrooms and living areas, dedicated circuits for heat pumps and hot water.
Outlets get added where people actually need them. Old houses might have one outlet per room. We add outlets every few meters along walls so you can plug stuff in where you want it.
Kitchen gets heaps of outlets cause thats where most appliances live. Benchtop outlets every meter or so, under bench outlets for dishwasher and waste disposal.
Bedrooms get outlets on both sides of the bed for lamps and phone chargers. Home offices get extra outlets for computer gear.
We also run data cabling during rewires if you want it. Ethernet jacks in rooms where you need reliable network connections.
Working Around Insulation
Most christchurch houses have ceiling and wall insulation now which makes rewiring trickier.
We gotta work carefully so we dont mess up your insulation. Fishing cables through insulated walls takes longer cause we cant see where were going.
Sometimes we gotta remove sections of insulation to run cables then put it back. Or we route cables through uninsulated spaces like under floors.
If your ceiling has those pink batts we try not to disturb them too much. But sometimes we gotta move them to get cables through.
Spray foam insulation is the worst for rewiring cause you cant fish cables through it at all. Gotta cut access holes or run conduit on surfaces.
Minimizing Damage During Rewires
Nobody wants their walls and ceilings torn up more than necessary during a rewire. We try to minimize damage.
Fishing cables through existing wall cavities avoids cutting. We use the paths the old wiring took when we can.
Small access holes instead of big ones when we do have to cut. We try to put holes where theyre easy to patch - like behind furniture or in closets.
Working from the ceiling or under the floor when possible instead of cutting into walls.
But realistically some cutting is gonna happen during a full rewire. We patch holes and make them ready for painting but you or your painter will need to finish the surfaces.
If your planning renovations anyway thats the best time to rewire cause walls are already open.
Upgrading to Modern Standards
When we rewire houses we bring everything up to current electrical codes.
Proper earthing on all circuits. Old wiring often had poor or no earth connections. Modern code requires proper earthing for safety.
RCD protection on every circuit. Old houses didnt have these but theyre required now.
Right wire sizes for the loads. Old wiring often used undersized cables that cant handle modern appliances. We install proper sized cables rated for the actual loads.
Weatherproof outdoor outlets. Any outlets outside need to be proper weatherproof units with GFCI protection.
Smoke alarms wired into the electrical system. Code requires photoelectric smoke alarms in bedrooms and hallways. We wire these in during rewires.
Proper junction boxes that are accessible. Old wiring sometimes had connections just twisted together and taped up behind walls. Not allowed anymore. All connections need to be in accessible boxes.
Cost of House Rewiring
People always want to know what a rewire will cost. Depends on house size and complexity but here are rough numbers.
Small 2 bedroom house - $8,000-12,000 for complete rewire including new switchboard.
Average 3 bedroom house - $12,000-18,000.
Large 4-5 bedroom house - $18,000-25,000+.
Two storey houses cost more cause of the extra work getting cables between floors.
Houses with difficult access or lots of insulation cost more cause everything takes longer.
If you want extras like data cabling, home automation wiring, outdoor power - that adds to cost.
Partial rewires cost less. Maybe $3,000-8,000 depending on how many rooms.
Yeah its not cheap but consider what your getting - a safe modern electrical system that will last 50+ years. Way better than risking a fire from old dangerous wiring.
Some insurance companies give discounts for houses with modern wiring which helps offset the cost over time.
Living in Your House During a Rewire
Most people stay living in their house during rewiring. Its possible but not super comfortable.
We work room by room so you always have some areas with power. Kitchen might be out of action for a few days while we rewire it but bedrooms and living room still work.
Power gets shut off during parts of the work specially when were doing the switchboard. We try to schedule that for times that work for you.
Theres dust and mess from cutting access holes and running cables. We try to contain it but its still disruptive.
If you can stay with family or go on holiday during the rewire thats easier. But not everyone can do that so we make it work.
Did a house in Hornby where the family stayed living there the whole time. We did one room per day, kept their fridge and one bedroom working at all times. Took longer spreading it out like that but they managed okay.
Earthquake Damage and Rewiring
Some christchurch houses still have electrical damage from the earthquakes even though its been years.
Earthquakes can crack junction boxes, loosen connections, damage cables where they run through walls. This stuff might not show up as obvious problems right away but causes issues over time.
If your house went through the quakes and you havent had your electrical checked since then you should get it inspected. Loose connections can arc and overheat.
We find earthquake damage pretty regularly when we open up walls in older christchurch houses. Cracked switchboards, pulled connections, damaged cables.
Sometimes rewiring is the best solution cause trying to repair earthquake damaged wiring in closed walls is harder than just replacing it.
Rewiring and Home Value
Rewiring your house adds value specially when your selling.
Buyers are wary of houses with old wiring. Pre-purchase inspections pick up electrical problems and buyers either walk away or demand price reductions to fix it.
Having modern wiring is a selling point. You can show certificates proving the electrical has been upgraded and signed off properly.
Real estate agents tell us houses with modern electrical sell faster and for better prices than similar houses with old wiring.
Plus your insurance is easier. Some insurance companies wont cover houses with really old wiring or they charge way more.
Had customers in Strowan who rewired their villa before putting it on the market. Cost them $15k but the house sold for $40k more than comparable houses cause buyers werent worried about electrical issues.
DIY Rewiring - Why You Shouldnt
Some people think about doing their own rewiring to save money. Really bad idea.
Electrical work requires a licensed electrician. Yeah you can legally do work on your own house in NZ but it has to be inspected and signed off. Most DIYers dont know the codes and their work fails inspection.
Mistakes with electrical can kill you or burn your house down. Not like painting where if you mess up you just repaint. Mess up wiring and people die.
Insurance might not cover electrical fires if the wiring was done by unlicensed people.
When you sell your house buyers will want proof the electrical is compliant. DIY work without proper sign-off causes problems.
Rewiring takes special tools and knowledge. Running cables through walls, making proper connections, sizing circuits correctly - theres a lot that can go wrong.
Just hire licensed electricians. Yeah it costs more up front but its done right and safe and legal.
Signs Your Rewire Was Done Properly
If youve had your house rewired here's how to tell if it was done right.
You got certificates and council sign-off. All electrical work needs permits and inspections. If the electrician didnt arrange that somethings wrong.
Switchboard is labeled clearly. You know what each breaker controls.
All circuits have RCD protection. Test the RCD buttons monthly - they should trip and cut power.
Outlets are grounded properly. Three prong outlets throughout the house not two prong.
No exposed junction boxes. All connections should be in boxes with covers you can access.
Cable is secured properly. Not just loose in walls or ceilings.
Everything works. All outlets have power, switches control lights properly, no breakers tripping randomly.