Budget for water and electricity renovation: How to avoid the "renovation black hole"?
A reasonable budget for water and electricity renovation should be controlled at 15%-20% of the total renovation cost. With scientific planning, you can save significantly on even a 100 square meter house.
List of water and electricity renovation cost components
| Project | Proportion | Remarks |
|---|---|---|
| Material fee | 40%-50% | Water pipes, wires, switches and sockets |
| Labor costs | 30%-40% | The largest change, based on construction volume |
| Management and profit | 15%-20% | Supervision and coordination costs |
Three core strategies for budget control
1. Shortest path principle: reject intentional winding
Hydropower transformation is mostly billed by length. Many construction teams will deliberately take long detours to increase the number of projects.
- Practical Tip: Ask for a detailed roadmap. Going a straight line through a wall often saves nearly 50% more money than going around a corner.
2. Combining new and old strategies: utilizing original high-quality lines
If the original wiring meets the standards (such as a house within 10 years), the lighting wiring can usually be retained and only a dual-control switch or socket is added.
3. Tips for self-purchasing materials: avoid secondary price increases
- Practical tips:Purchase main materials (wires, water pipes) by yourself. Choose PVC/PPR water pipes from major domestic manufacturers such as Nanya. The quality is stable and the price is transparent, saving the decoration company's commission.
Identify common pricing traps
- Single pipe, single line: Some construction companies promote "one pipe through one wire", which is actually to charge more for line pipes. A reasonable standard is that one PVC pipe should pass through ≤3 wires.
- Breakpoint modification: Disassemble the parallel socket for billing. The TV wall socket combination should be regarded as a point.
Acceptance criteria: Saving money cannot save quality
- Waterway: Pressure test 0.6-0.8MPa, lasting 30 minutes.
- Circuit: Check "left zero, right fire, upper ground", the resistance between the wires is 0.5MΩ.
"Water and electricity renovation is the foundation of decoration. There must be a bottom line when saving money, and safety is always the first priority."
The Ministry of Economic Affairs' latest "Regulations on the Installation of User Electrical Equipment" and the key points of electricity safety in old houses
Due to the popularity of high-power household appliances (such as air fryers, microwave ovens, dishwashers, instantaneous electric water heaters, and IH furnaces) in recent years, the Energy Administration of the Ministry of Economic Affairs has revised the "Regulations on Consumer Electrical Equipment Installation" many times to strictly require the diversion and protection mechanisms of residential electricity circuits. Statistics show that more than 30% of building fires in Taiwan are caused by electrical factors, among which "old wire insulation deteriorates and short circuits", "socket contacts are oxidized and loose, poor contact" and "non-fuse switch (NFB) overloaded and failed to trip" are the three main fatal causes.
Old apartments in Shuangbei that are more than 30 years old have a total original designed power capacity of only 30A to 40A, and several rooms often share the same 1.6mm or 2.0mm circuit. In the modern standard safety configuration, kitchen electrical cabinets, bathroom equipment, and air-conditioning and heating machines must all be equipped with 5.5mm² dedicated circuits (single circuit and single socket). It is recommended that the main switch box be upgraded to a busbar (Busbar) integrated distribution board, and the total amperage is increased to 75A or 100A (a qualified electrical appliance contractor needs to be entrusted to Taipower to review the additional power capacity).
Residential electricity self-test and regular inspection checklist
- Appearance and temperature of the socket: Touch the outer cover of the commonly used socket lightly with the back of your hand. If it feels lukewarm or if you find that the plastic socket is yellowed and charred, or the plug is loose and shaking after being plugged in, it means that the internal copper plate clamping force is exhausted or the contact resistance is too high, and you should immediately cut off the power and replace it.
- Regular testing of earth leakage circuit breakers (ELCB):For leakage circuit breakers in humid places such as balconies, bathrooms, and kitchen sinks, regulations require that the "TEST button" on the switch be pressed once every 1 to 3 months to confirm that it can automatically trip and cut off the power supply instantly.
- Serial connection and overloading of extension cords are strictly prohibited: Extension cords should be purchased with 2.0mm thick wire diameter products that have CNS certification and automatic overload power-off protection. Do not share the same extension cord with high energy-consuming appliances to ensure zero hidden danger to life and property at home.
