N
nmginn
Im newly qualified but haven’t come across a house wiring as old as this one and would appreciate any advice you can throw my way,
House is approx. 80 years old and still has original CU fitted, couple (friends) don’t want to start thinking about rewire etc at their stage of life, but my main concern is to make the outside wiring attached safer than I think it is at the moment.
Old style CU with wireable fuse carriers, all carriers are labelled 5 amp but have different fuse wire used depending on circuit. Reason for this was they haven’t changed the carriers in all the years they have lived there and all socket circuits initially ran from 5 amp fuses, they found problems when they started using more modern electric heaters etc years back. thankfully has the savvy to remember to use appropriate fuse wire rather than just fitting 5 amp like the carrier suggests.
Radial Circuit to garage
2.5 cable although in 5amp carrier has 15amp fuse wire used and runs as a radial to firstly a double socket upstairs and then from there runs outside to garage. Approx. 30ft run of cable.
Circuit goes to a very old style wireable fuse carrier with 15 amp fuse wire, from there 2.5mm cable runs to a junction box where 2.5mm is again connected and runs off as another radial to two double sockets. From same junc box 1.5mm cable is also used to run off to two internal lights and a further 3 outside security lights.
So as it stands they have a lighting circuit and a socket circuit attached on same circuit from main CU with an inline 15 amp fuse carrier box and then also protected by a 15 amp in main CU.
My initial idea was to at least install a new garage CU with a 6amp MCB for lighting circuit and a 16amp MCB for the sockets but doubting that now.
yes the outside fuse is lower rating rather than higher thankfully but they are looking at buying a freezer and possible tumble dryer to use in garage and I have concerns that current circuit will cope.
Any advice please would be appreciated
House is approx. 80 years old and still has original CU fitted, couple (friends) don’t want to start thinking about rewire etc at their stage of life, but my main concern is to make the outside wiring attached safer than I think it is at the moment.
Old style CU with wireable fuse carriers, all carriers are labelled 5 amp but have different fuse wire used depending on circuit. Reason for this was they haven’t changed the carriers in all the years they have lived there and all socket circuits initially ran from 5 amp fuses, they found problems when they started using more modern electric heaters etc years back. thankfully has the savvy to remember to use appropriate fuse wire rather than just fitting 5 amp like the carrier suggests.
Radial Circuit to garage
2.5 cable although in 5amp carrier has 15amp fuse wire used and runs as a radial to firstly a double socket upstairs and then from there runs outside to garage. Approx. 30ft run of cable.
Circuit goes to a very old style wireable fuse carrier with 15 amp fuse wire, from there 2.5mm cable runs to a junction box where 2.5mm is again connected and runs off as another radial to two double sockets. From same junc box 1.5mm cable is also used to run off to two internal lights and a further 3 outside security lights.
So as it stands they have a lighting circuit and a socket circuit attached on same circuit from main CU with an inline 15 amp fuse carrier box and then also protected by a 15 amp in main CU.
My initial idea was to at least install a new garage CU with a 6amp MCB for lighting circuit and a 16amp MCB for the sockets but doubting that now.
yes the outside fuse is lower rating rather than higher thankfully but they are looking at buying a freezer and possible tumble dryer to use in garage and I have concerns that current circuit will cope.
Any advice please would be appreciated
so message to OP is be care full when doing your inspections
