Building a house is a dream come true but at the same time a daunting project to work on. It comes with a lot of responsibilities and there are various stages one needs to deal with. When working on the electricity of the house it is really an important issue to concentrate on. 1st fix and 2nd fix electrical work are important and one cannot take place if the other one is not over.
What is the difference between the first fix and the second fix?
The age that we live in demands more electrical power and this is something which will increase in the days to come. Electronic devices have become a part of our living and it requires plugging in most of the time. To meet the demand for electricity workers, make sure that the wiring of our houses is in good condition. Faulty wires will create a fire hazard, so always call for help from someone who is in this industry for a long time like Electric Works London. Anyone can purchase a second-hand house but the first thing he needs to do is rewiring. Rewiring or wiring happens in two stages, these stages are divided into ‘first fix’ and ‘second fix’.
This write-up will focus mainly on the first fix and the second fix on the electrical connection. Most of the house owners do not have much idea about it. These are the main steps while constructing your house. The first fix refers to the work that will take place once the building is over but before the internal plastering.
What takes place during the first fix while constructing the house?
- An electrician will install all the bare-bones of the system first. This includes the installation of light fittings, sockets and switches. This part of the work is not visible unless and until the house is over.
- Installation of heat recovery ventilation. This step happens before any other electrical services as it has to be positioned below the concrete slab. If the house is of timber frame construction then the ventilation pipework will happen before the partition of floors and walls.
- In this stage, the plumber will also install the pipework for the water supply, heating system, and wastewater drainage system.
- Ducting for the central vacuum system within all the walls will happen now when the stud walls are in place. Electricians from Electrical Works London do it before any plasterboard goes up.
- All the joinery work: this includes all the roof status, stud walls, floor joists, and door frames. This takes place in the first fix.
Now comes the second fix. Let us read what happens in this stage while building a house.
During this stage, all the self-build work is over and the plasterwork takes place. The Second fix includes: –
- Most of the time electricians from Electric Works London will install the faceplates of the plug sockets and light switches along with the light fittings. The main fuse board right now is connected to allow all the wiring testing to take place. The electricians will see that all the light switches are working properly with the plug socket. This is the stage when an electrician should be safe and work slowly and carefully.
- Now all the plumbing appliances will be tested and connected. This work happens throughout the house including the bathroom and kitchen. Here the plumber checks that if the water tap is turned on it does not start overflowing.
- Now the central vacuum system ducting will also happen on the floors, especially when the plastering is over but obviously before the floor screed is poured. If there is underfoot heating then the vacuum ducting will need to take place now. When the central vacuum unit’s installation happens in the garage then a 4inches trench duct vacuum pipe will also be installed during this time.
- By now almost all the work is over, one particular thing that is left is the finishing touches of the plastering to complete the work. This also includes kitchens, architraves, skirting boards, and internal doors.
- Finally, the workers will complete their work by placing all the bathroom and kitchen appliances.
- The finishing touch also happens by electricians when he will do all the light fittings of the entire house.
make sure that your electrical connection is working well. If you think that you cannot understand this matter then do not hesitate to call a professional electrician. Once in a while, it is advisable to take help from them just to stay on the safer side. Whenever you are building a house hire the best electrical contractor. He will look after everything during the first fix and second fix. It is a contractor’s duty to ensure everything is going fine.