Getting Rid of Trunking and chasing in wires

[Apricot Toaster]

Hello,

I recently purchased a flat and all the wires leading from the light switches to the light fittings are covered in ugly trunking. I want an electrician to chase the wires into the walls.

I've had several quotes and they vary enormously from £750 up to £5000. Each electrician says different things and has different opinions. I'm starting to get very confused and worried that some of the electricians are taking advantage of my lack of knowlege.

Could someone tell me in very simple terms (I have very little DIY knowlege) what the process involves?

Is this classed as a complete rewiring? There's no planning involved about where the wires have to go as they are already on the walls - can the wires simply not remain where they are and be dug into the walls?
Will the whole place need replastering?
How long should this take an electrician to do?

Here's some additional info which may help, or make things even more complicated!
- It's an old place dating to the 1930s. The walls are solid brick.
- The circuit board is brand new installed by previous owners.
- The ceiling lights used to be near the windows and didn't have trunking. Apparently, in the olden days the lights were by the windows to stop people looking in and this helped to maintain privacy (I'm not sure why they couldn't use curtains!) One electrician said that these old channels / connections (I don't know the technical term for this) could still be viable and it would mean it is a smaller job. Would anything prevent or support this theory?
- Every single electrician who has given a quote had been shocked at the amount of trunking.

Any help is greatly appreciated.
Thanks!

 

[Tigercubrider]

No idea on the wiring but a major par of the job could be the actual cutting of the brickwork.
It’s horrible and messy.
You might find an electrician willing to allow you to do the chasing, following their advice.
You can hire a chaser and massive vacuum and be prepared to clean up afterwards - depends on your willingness to live with the mess and do the work.

 

[EFLImpudence]

Is there any trunking other than from light to switch?
That is trunking also for the supply cables from the CU to all the lights.

I am wondering if the lighting circuit has been rewired because it had no earth wire and the previous owner settled for the trunking instead of the mess.

How many rooms and what part of the country?

 

[Apricot Toaster]

Is there any trunking other than from light to switch?
That is trunking also for the supply cables from the CU to all the lights.

I am wondering if the lighting circuit has been rewired because it had no earth wire and the previous owner settled for the trunking instead of the mess.

There is trunking around the bottom of the walls which connects the sockets. Ideally, I'd get rid of that too. I think the previous owners wantd to do everything as cheaply as possible as they rented the place.

 

[EFLImpudence]

Oh dear, sockets as well?

 

[Apricot Toaster]

It's a mess.

 

[sparkwright]

An old place from the 1930s will almost certainly have tubes in the wall for the light switches, that could be re-used.

HOWEVER, if the doors have been rehung on the other side, they won't be much use.

You see, in the old days, doors were hung so they opened INTO the room.

Nowadays, doors are hung so they open against the corner of the room.

The old method allowed privacy, so if you walked in and someone was naked or something, the door would obscure the view, and the nakee would shout out.

You see?

 

[jj4091]

" The ceiling lights used to be near the windows and didn't have trunking. Apparently, in the olden days the lights were by the windows to stop people looking in and this helped to maintain privacy (I'm not sure why they couldn't use curtains!) "

This was called modesty lighting & prevented central lights casting a silhouette of a person onto curtains at the window. Still can be seen & used today.

Read more: https://www.diynot.com/diy/threads/...ng-and-chasing-in-wires.580246/#ixzz7AeZZP8Zo

 

[Apricot Toaster]

An old place from the 1930s will almost certainly have tubes in the wall for the light switches, that could be re-used.

HOWEVER, if the doors have been rehung on the other side, they won't be much use.

You see, in the old days, doors were hung so they opened INTO the room.

Nowadays, doors are hung so they open against the corner of the room.

The old method allowed privacy, so if you walked in and someone was naked or something, the door would obscure the view, and the nakee would shout out.

You see?

The doors haven't actually been rehung - they still open into the room. Someone opening the door while I'm in my birthday suit isn't my biggest concern as I'm living alone. I just want to get rid of the ugly trunking as cheaply as possible.

 

[sxturbo]

I can highly recommend the below to help you with this task.

The costs are quite a lot, but by doing the chasing yourself you will cut your re-wire costs in half.

Chase up next to the existing wire and socket placement.

Buy the socket and switch back boxes and install them when you chase and chisel so you know what depth you need to sink the back box into.

I'd also advise you buy a hoover and and universal attachment to go on the back of the wall chaser, otherwise it will be seriously messy.

https://www.screwfix.com/p/titan-tt...us-drill-9-piece-accessory-kit-230-240v/97533

https://www.screwfix.com/p/titan-ttb293wch-150mm-1700w-electric-wall-chaser-230-240v/80530

https://www.protoolsdirect.co.uk/Duro-SDS-Plus-DP-CC-30mm-Wide-Channelling-Chisels-Std-Conduit (might need a couple of sizes they also do a 50mm and a 20mm bit)

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/SDS-PLUS...2349624.m46890.l49286&mkrid=710-127635-2958-0

 

[sparkwright]

When the chases are cut into the walls, you should insist that the cables are put in pvc oval tube, to ensure future alterations and repairs can be made with minimal damage.

 

[Taylortwocities]

to ensure future alterations and repairs can be made with minimal damage.

I have often seen this as a claim for future wiring updates. In my experience, existing oval and cable channel strip does not provide much help for future alterations, repairs or rewires.
One still needs to rip out the old stuff and put in the new with some making good needed as a result.
Maybe I’m crap at my job, but that’s the way it mostly happens.

 

[winston1]

When the chases are cut into the walls, you should insist that the cables are put in pvc oval tube, to ensure future alterations and repairs can be made with minimal damage.

Plus 1 on this. But make sure the tube is bigger than you need as often alterations seem to require pushing down an additional cable.

 

[sparkwright]

I have often seen this as a claim for future wiring updates. In my experience, existing oval and cable channel strip does not provide much help for future alterations, repairs or rewires.
One still needs to rip out the old stuff and put in the new with some making good needed as a result.
Maybe I’m crap at my job, but that’s the way it mostly happens.

I've found it's so helpful if you need a bit more slack on a cable, or a two way switch is being added, or a re-wiring job.

Even a cable in a wall gets drilled through. Even if you can't replace all the cable, because you can't get the floor up, you may be able to replace some of the cable, which may then give you enough cable to do one repair joint, where as owing to the cable being too short you would otherwise have to do two repair joints.

 

[SUNRAY]

I have often seen this as a claim for future wiring updates. In my experience, existing oval and cable channel strip does not provide much help for future alterations, repairs or rewires.
One still needs to rip out the old stuff and put in the new with some making good needed as a result.
Maybe I’m crap at my job, but that’s the way it mostly happens.

I'm definitely with you on this one which is why I posted to use 20mm round conduit.