Re-Wire

[MeanzBeanz]

I went to look at a house the other day that is in desperate need of a re-wire. For starters the board was old fuse wire! To cut a long story short the Customer had another electrician look at it. This so called electrician took one switch off in the whole house and declared it did not need a re-wire because there was an earth in the cable! He didn't even look at anything else or get a test meter out to prove that the earth was indeed connected!
It's a disgrace! Enough said

 

[Swicade]

So if a house was built in the late 1980's it automatically needs a re-wire?

upgrade of main bonding.....yes
Recommendation of change of fuseboard to consumer unit...yes (highly likely an old Voltage trip in place so would require change to RCD (or keep old Volt trip and use as isolation))
slim chance of lighting being twin instead of t&e so lighting may need rewireing (if i remember right late 80's t&e instead of just twin was starting to be installed)

Personaly if the dwelling is late 1980's> first thing i'm looking for is any alterations and main earth bonding before i get the test meters out which usualy gives me a pretty good idea of what sort of mess i'm getting meself into

 

[trev]

So if a house was built in the late 1980's it automatically needs a re-wire?

upgrade of main bonding.....yes
Recommendation of change of fuseboard to consumer unit...yes (highly likely an old Voltage trip in place so would require change to RCD (or keep old Volt trip and use as isolation))
slim chance of lighting being twin instead of t&e so lighting may need rewireing (if i remember right late 80's t&e instead of just twin was starting to be installed)

Personaly if the dwelling is late 1980's> first thing i'm looking for is any alterations and main earth bonding before i get the test meters out which usualy gives me a pretty good idea of what sort of mess i'm getting meself into

I finished my time in 84 mate, we were using T&E exclusively in domestics all the way through from it starting.
I'm not saying you're totally wrong but obviously T&E was available.

 

[Octopus]

Back to the OP some new builds and extensions done by bodgers these days should be rewired immediately!

 

[Swicade]

Ah wasn't 100% on the late 80's for T&E lighting supplies....starting my training in 87 (commercial/industrial sparks) so a wee pup to many here.

I know around this way one of the main house builders was still using twin for lighting in the early eighties....but being in cabbage county down here it's likely they was using old stock (that and the fact south lincs tends to be 5 years behind everyone else with any technical advances)

 

[telectrix]

was generally early to mid 70's that twin without cpc ceased to be used on lighting.

 

[Swicade]

early to mid 70's?...didn't know that,once again experience and the knowledge that comes with it wins the day.

That's makes the 25 years recommendation for a re-wire even more ridiculous

 

[Octopus]

Our house of 1980 vintage and is T&E right through (2.5/1.0 on rings) and the older houses on the estate are mid 1970's which use imperial cables, and the lighting circuits do have a cpc.

I guess back in those days it was down to the builder/sparky to agree on a cable spec but CPC's on lighting weren't a mandatory requirement!

About 2 miles away is an estate of 1950's houses with insulation falling to bits!

 

[imago]

The only recommendation I make if I do a board change on an installation which is more than 20 years old is to cut the next inspection date from ten years to five and mark it as such on the label.

PVC cable is good for twenty odd years if it's run at the rated 70 centigrade continuously. How many installations have you ever come across that are? Obviously if there's signs of heat damage then assess it and act accordingly. If, as with most, it's run well below that temperature then the life of the cable is extended almost indefinately and should give fifty or sixty years without trouble. So you'd start having a good look at PVC cable that went in during the 1960's and 70's, but if it checks out visually, there's no sign of heat damage and the IR is OK then book it in for another look in five years and carry on.

The only stuff that would be classed as an automatic rewire IMHO would be VIR. It might IR test OK, but if it's disturbed it'll probably start crumbling. So anyone changing an accessory or treading on it in a loft could cause problems.

 

[TAZ]

I stand to be corrected on this one but i am certain it was around 1966 when the first 3/029 contained a tinned copper cpc, that said the house i lived in as a child was built in 1964 & that had pvc/pvc wiring throughout, the cpc's were all cut off at the switch drops as they had wooden insert boxes plastered in & no main bonding to the gas or water

 

[Engineer54]

1964 and still using wooden back boxes, ...are you sure?? ...lol!!

 

[TAZ]

Oh yes GW built a good house in those days. The bell transformer was a double version (surface) in varnished mahogany next to the fuse box, the beech flush wooden boxes were all dovetailed & hard as nails trying to chop them out & fit metal ones. the sockets had metal boxes they were black then. & one socket (single) in each room & one light & that was your lot

 

[Engineer54]

Probably seasoned with age, as they were well past there sell-by date in 1964!! lol!!!

 

[TAZ]

Yes i think your right probably old stock waiting to be used up. at least the cable was pvc but again it was that kind of time when the old rubber was being phased out & pvc coming in. I will say last year i went to a house that was still the original rubber wiring & had a wooden hinged fuse box under the stairs built in 1956 & still going!

 

[High Tower]

The biggest cause for me suggesting a rewire is when i look at a installation and its been altered a thousand times, nothing makes sense anymore.

I recently rewired a house, diddnt look too bad, all PVC cable, however there were signs everywhere of DIY bodges and indications that there had been a lot of fiddleing done in the past. there were a few interconnections on circuits and IR wasnt the best. the client had just bought the house and was planning on a full re decor, so i said what the hell you might as well have a rewire.

we pulled 36 JB's out of the house and the wiring was a total disaster. so im glad i went with my gut. if its too difficult to fathom what others have done and get a idead for the circuits and their contents, probably would benifit from a re wire.

 

[TAZ]

I could not have put it better my friend