Regulations stating CU must be upgraded (or not)

[DurhamSparky]

added plenty of loft lights in to propertys that have rewirable stuff.. if its safe then why change it! i do try and get customer to get push in MCBs if they have rewirable boards as its easier for them! if i add sockets in loft i just use a rcd Spur unit to comply with my work..! some times leaving a old box in is better than ripping it out! especiaLLy when half the kitchen unit is built around it! lol...

 

[sjm]

the only time i will change a rewirable board ,is when it has the little wooden frame attached to the bakalite front ,as i feel this is a deviation ,due to the fact that if a fault developes within the board they could catch fire ,and these old board or of course if a board is faulty , defective main switch ,poor condition , etc ,, but i do have to admit i hate the things ,and will replace one if asked at a drop of a hat

According to my NICEIC assesor on my last assesment if the wooden unit has the brown plastic backing plate which is a fire barrier then it still complies with current requirements.

 

[nickblake]

According to my NICEIC assesor on my last assesment if the wooden unit has the brown plastic backing plate which is a fire barrier then it still complies with current requirements.

think the nic should get continuity then because it was a NIC inspector that told me that they didnt comply ,

 

[sjm]

Just goes to show that they're no better than us doesn't it. Seems the more electricians you ask a question of the more different answers you get. However it would be nice if those that inspect us could be consistent.

 

[telectrix]

in my area lot of houses have been rewired in 70's by council. all surface trunking and old fuseboards left in. what a mess!

 

[Des 56]

in my area lot of houses have been rewired in 70's by council. all surface trunking and old fuseboards left in. what a mess!

In my area we still plug the electric iron into the light adaptor
We couldn't be so lucky as to have a proper fuse board you know

 

[nickblake]

i can remember going to my granfathesr house he had those adaptors ever where , there were wires all over the place , he did have 6 little wooden boxes with a fuse in each , it was a death trap ,lead cable in some areas and loads of rubber which disintegrated when you touched it , oh and to top it off the polarity was the wrong way round been like that since the house was build in the early 30's

 

[Des 56]

i can remember going to my granfathesr house he had those adaptors ever where , there were wires all over the place , he did have 6 little wooden boxes with a fuse in each , it was a death trap ,lead cable in some areas and loads of rubber which disintegrated when you touched it , oh and to top it off the polarity was the wrong way round been like that since the house was build in the early 30's

Grandad was possibly blissfully unaware and lived to a ripe old age I hope

 

[nickblake]

oh yes he was ,as most old people were and still are, if it works its ok ,there was never the what if ... in those days

 

[robsparky1975]

A local spark,advertised recently in weekly ad,he had pics of the old style 3036 boards,and said in his ad "if you have one of these they are a potential fire hazard" replace immediately,talk about scaremongering,i have seen a 30s complete wooden board with virs going in,so no earth,bonding etc,but the owner must have been in her 90s,so a bit difficult for her to understand what i was talking about,hence i could not alter anything.

 

[nickblake]

the local spark was correct the old 3036 wooden framed boards can be a fire hazard , this is where our job does get complicated how do you tell an elderly lady that it needs replacing and how do you do it to stop scaring her ,its finding the happy medium

 

[EasT]

A local spark,advertised recently in weekly ad,he had pics of the old style 3036 boards,and said in his ad "if you have one of these they are a potential fire hazard" replace immediately,talk about scaremongering,i have seen a 30s complete wooden board with virs going in,so no earth,bonding etc,but the owner must have been in her 90s,so a bit difficult for her to understand what i was talking about,hence i could not alter anything.

Yes, as we get older we resist change. Worked OK 'till now. My F-I-L lives 20 miles away. He is 85 and lives on his own in a very rural location. He has a 45 year old solid fuel boiler. I have tried for 12 months to suggest he changes to oil or gas as if he has problems with his joints he will find the solid fuel difficult - particularly going outside to the coal shed in 4 inches of snow!!

He agrees. He has all the info. He has a contact for a good heating installer. Money is not tight. Progress to date. Nil.

 

[Ohmyword]

i can remember going to my granfathesr house he had those adaptors ever where , there were wires all over the place , he did have 6 little wooden boxes with a fuse in each , it was a death trap ,lead cable in some areas and loads of rubber which disintegrated when you touched it , oh and to top it off the polarity was the wrong way round been like that since the house was build in the early 30's

I'm 58 - been in the trade since I was 15. I've seen plenty of these houses (in Cornwall).

Talking of "wrong polarity" - I recently did some work in a relatively new shopping "complex" which was a long building, one side of an alley-way, off a main street of a large town.
The building had been separated into individual "units" with their own mains supply.
"Never take anything for granted in this game!" possibly saved my life (and the lives of the builders and perhaps the new occupants).
The whole installation was connected "cross-polarity" by the installer of the mains tails into the RCD protected C.U.
Obviously NO LIVE tests could have been carried out at all on the original installation because this fault would have showed up as soon as one plugged a test machine into the wiring.

 

[telectrix]

he can get a government grant fot this, google "warmfront". new heating system for free.

 

[Ohmyword]

Yes, as we get older we resist change. Worked OK 'till now. My F-I-L lives 20 miles away. He is 85 and lives on his own in a very rural location. He has a 45 year old solid fuel boiler. I have tried for 12 months to suggest he changes to oil or gas as if he has problems with his joints he will find the solid fuel difficult - particularly going outside to the coal shed in 4 inches of snow!!

He agrees. He has all the info. He has a contact for a good heating installer. Money is not tight. Progress to date. Nil.

telectrix is correct EasT; my daughter has recently had a full gas central heating system installed in the property she rents (in agreement with her landlord) and it cost her NOTHING.
I believe the landlord made a £50 -£100 contribution. The only stipulation on the agreement was that the landlord could not increase the rent on the property for 24 months from the installation date.