Is the fuse box in my Knighton house out of date?
It might be, even if it has been changed before. Knighton has a lot of larger Edwardian and 1930s houses, and many had their boards replaced decades ago. A board from that era can work perfectly well yet still fall short of what the current Wiring Regulations (BS 7671, 18th Edition) expect, especially on RCD protection.
When you send photos, or when we visit, these are the things we look at first:
- What the board is made of
- Older plastic or wooden-backed boards are usually replaced with a metal consumer unit.
- Which circuits have RCD protection
- Some older boards protect only the sockets, or nothing at all.
- Earthing and bonding
- Bonding to the water and gas pipes is sometimes missing or undersized.
- Room for new circuits
- Worth planning if a charger or garden power is on your list.
Should I rewire while renovating a period home in Knighton?
If the wiring needs it, yes. A renovation is usually the best time. With floorboards up and walls being opened anyway, new cables go in with far less disruption than in a finished, decorated house.
Bigger Edwardian homes bring their own care points: high ceilings, original cornicing and lath-and-plaster walls. We plan cable routes to avoid period features where we can, and talk you through any that can't be avoided before we start.
If a builder is on site, we work to their timetable: first fix while walls and floors are open, then second fix once the plastering is done. Rewiring and new circuits are notified to building control as the law requires, and you receive the certificates at the end.
Can I have an EV charger fitted on my Knighton driveway?
Usually, if you have off-street parking. Many 1930s semis and larger detached homes in Knighton have a driveway or garage, which makes a wall-mounted charge point easy to plan.
We need photos of the consumer unit, the meter and where the car parks. Older properties sometimes have a smaller main fuse or an older supply, so we check whether the house can take the extra load before we price. Any charger we fit meets the smart charge point regulations, and we notify the network operator, National Grid Electricity Distribution, as required.
If you park on the street, a cable across the pavement isn't something we can install. Check with Leicester City Council about any on-street charging options.
What garden lighting suits a Knighton garden?
That depends on how you use the garden. Larger plots in Knighton often have long rear gardens, which suit a mix of security and low-level lighting.
Everything outside goes on RCD-protected circuits, with weatherproof fittings and, for longer runs, armoured cable buried at a safe depth. A long run to the bottom of a garden is often easier to price after a short survey visit. If you are planning a charger or a garden room as well, it is worth doing them together, so one cable route and one board change can serve both. Common choices include:
- Wall lights with motion sensors
- At the back door, side passage or driveway.
- Low-level path and step lights
- Safer footing without lighting up the neighbours.
- Power to a garden room or shed
- Lights and sockets on their own protected circuit.
- An outdoor socket
- For mowers, pressure washers and festive lights.