Electrical renovation in occupied buildings
We renew cables, distribution boards and protective devices in flats and houses that continue to be used – planned in stages, so the kitchen, bathroom and workspace are back on the grid by evening.
Warning signs
You can see a lot before something happens
In houses built between the 1950s and 1970s, we regularly find systems in Rendsburg that were never designed for washing machines, ovens and home offices.
- Screw-in fuses in the distribution board instead of circuit breakers – a component that hasn't been installed for decades
- No residual current device (RCD) present, even though it is now required in bathrooms and for socket circuits
- Two-core cables without an earth conductor, recognisable by old sockets without a functioning earthing contact
- Fuses that trip when the kettle and oven are switched on at the same time – a sign of too few circuits
- Too few sockets, permanently overloaded power strips and extension leads run under carpets
- Warm or discoloured switches and sockets, a burning smell or humming noises from the distribution board
- Fabric-covered cables or aluminium conductors that become visible during ceiling work
- Distribution boards without labelling, where no one knows any more which fuse supplies which room
Scope of work
Six trades that together make up the system
Which of these points are needed in your case is decided by the inspection – in many flats the old cabling can still be used, while the distribution board and protective technology need renewing.
Renew distribution board
New meter or apartment distribution board with circuit breakers, residual current devices and sufficient reserve space for future circuits. Every outgoing circuit is labelled.
Retrofit RCD protection
Residual current devices for socket and bathroom circuits. In many cases, protection can be retrofitted even before the major renovation, provided the wiring allows it.
Replace wiring
Three-core cables with earth conductor instead of old two-wire installations, new junction boxes and a layout in which the kitchen, bathroom and living areas each get their own circuits.
Add sockets
More sockets wherever power strips currently stand in: workspace, kitchen counter, TV wall. Plus network and antenna sockets, while the wall is open anyway.
Equipotential bonding
Main earthing busbar and equipotential bonding for water, heating and gas pipes – often missing entirely or only partially present in older buildings.
Test and document
Measurement of the new system, test report in accordance with DIN VDE 0100-600 and an up-to-date circuit diagram in the distribution board. Followed, on request, by the E-Check.
Protective technology
The distribution board is the heart of the rewiring
Where four screw-in fuses once supplied an entire flat, we now plan separate circuits with their own protection – and leave room for what comes later.
What goes into the new distribution board
The old box doesn't just get fuller, it gets divided up differently. Instead of a few combined circuits, each area gets its own outgoing circuit – if one fails, the rest of the flat stays powered.
- Residual current devices for all socket circuits and the bathroom
- Dedicated protection for cooker, washing machine, dryer and dishwasher
- Labelled terminals and a wiring diagram kept in the distribution board
- Spare capacity for a future wallbox, PV system or heat pump
How the rewiring works
Room by room instead of all at once
You stay in the flat during the work. That's why we split the rewiring into sections, each started and finished on the same day.
Costs and preparation
What a rewiring costs and what the price depends on
The price rarely depends on the living area, but on the effort behind the wall — these five factors determine it in practice.
Cost Drivers in Existing Buildings
- Cable Routes
If existing conduits can be re-threaded, chiselling is unnecessary. If the conduits are blocked or the wires are embedded directly in the plaster, chasing work, dust protection and replastering are added — by far the largest item.
We check this in advance at two to three outlets
- Condition of the Meter Panel
Old meter boards made of wood or marble must be replaced. Whether a new meter cabinet is needed or a sub-distribution board is sufficient is decided after a visual inspection and consultation with the grid operator Schleswig-Holstein Netz.
- Number of Circuits
A two-circuit flat from the 1960s quickly becomes eight to twelve circuits today: separate circuits for kitchen, bathroom, lighting and sockets in each room, plus residual current devices (RCDs).
- Earthing and Equipotential Bonding
If a protective conductor or a main earthing busbar is missing, both are part of the renovation. In older buildings without a foundation earth electrode, a rod or ring earth electrode is required.
- Occupied Operation
Work in occupied flats takes longer than in an empty shell: protecting furniture, handing back a clean space daily, restoring power in the evening. We plan for this rather than billing it as an afterthought.
Before construction begins, we need little, but in good time: clear access to the meter cabinet and distribution board, cleared cabinet walls along the affected walls and, if available, old floor plans or documentation from previous work. For rental properties, we coordinate the flat appointments directly with the property management. You receive a written quote with line items and a time frame in advance; any extra work from surprises behind the plaster is discussed with you before we carry it out.
Let's Talk About Your Project
Briefly describe what it's about -- Elektro Hansen will get back to you with an assessment.