Rewires - what age do you suggest it and is there an age you condemn at ?

[BrianDB9]

I'm tending to favour an approach of time to start smelling the coffee at 30 and start saving / planning and rewire at first convenient oppurtunity but don't let domestic wiring get over 40 (for management purposes)
I realise that you can test and still say wiring is "ok" for a lot longer than that and other factors kick in eg sparse provision of sockets leading to overloading etc just wondered what the general feeling was ?

 

[Deleted member 9648]

If it's wired in PVC,it's still in good condition,circuits are correctly installed and all circuits have cpc's why rewire?.....I work in plenty of properties with imperial wiring 40 years old which will probably go on for another 40 with the usual updates to circuit protection etc.
Only time I would automatically condemn is rubber/vir or lead.....there arent many of those left now thankfully......oh and pre-70's lighting circuits with no cpc's unless there is no likelyhood of class 1 fittings.

 

[Steve_P]

This is a joke thread isn't it? Maybe we should suggest a rewire instead of respecting. Change the stickers from next inspection date to rewire due date. Should a 1920 Rolls Royce be taken off the road because it doesn't have ABS, satnav or air bags?

 

[Farmelectrics]

Steve Brian was only asking a question

 

[Steve_P]

I was only answering it mate.

 

[27_craig]

Just rewired my house! Wiring was 50 years old, aluminium conductors throughout and no cpc's in lighting.

 

[londonlec]

One problem with older installations is there is often not enough points/in the wrong place.

I recently rewired a ring final cct on a 25/30 year old installation just because there wasn't much difference in price between adding extra sockets to the existing, and carrying out a rewire.

I worked for a local authority who deem 30 years as the end of an installations life. I didn't always agree with it, but it was their policy.

 

[oldtimer]

One problem with older installations is there is often not enough points/in the wrong place.

I recently rewired a ring final cct on a 25/30 year old installation just because there wasn't much difference in price between adding extra sockets to the existing, and carrying out a rewire.

I worked for a local authority who deem 30 years as the end of an installations life. I didn't always agree with it, but it was their policy.

The 30 year figure is based on a job that comprises of conduit and VIR cable that could be easly rewired without much disruption as it was felt that the cabled would dry out and break down now its down to the environment the cable is run in and at the end of the day it down to testing if its fine then it is servicable

 

[Engineer54]

The 30 year figure is based on a job that comprises of conduit and VIR cable that could be easly rewired without much disruption as it was felt that the cabled would dry out and break down now its down to the environment the cable is run in and at the end of the day it down to testing if its fine then it is servicable

Agree, ...the only thing i would add is ''Inspection'' & Testing'', the inspection for obvious reasons...

 

[oldtimer]

Just to add this theory was based on a Government building I know this because I served my time on the government term contract with Mathew Halls and we had the job in the late 70,s early 80,s to rewire a lot of building mostly in conduit or micc

 

[BrianDB9]

Guess a moderator didnt like my reply lol

 

[Engineer54]

Just to add this theory was based on a Government building I know this because I served my time on the government term contract with Mathew Halls and we had the job in the late 70,s early 80,s to rewire a lot of building mostly in conduit or micc

Now those were the day's when things were done properly!! lol!!

 

[gnuuser]

i dont go by age unless visible decay or heat damage is present. (except for old rubber insulation)
I rely on insulation testing with a good megger
if even questionable readings occur i replace the wire immediately

 

[BrianDB9]

This is a joke thread isn't it? Maybe we should suggest a rewire instead of respecting. Change the stickers from next inspection date to rewire due date. Should a 1920 Rolls Royce be taken off the road because it doesn't have ABS, satnav or air bags?

I would suggest considering whether generally speaking installations above 30 have adequate provision of sockets that promote safety by way of reducing use of extension leads, adaptors, and therefore indirectly slips trips and falls / risk of Fire etc.

It would be embarrassing if you just passed an installation off as ok with one single unswitched socket per bedroom and the fire service did an advice visit and suggested overloading.
I dont think the occupier is going to feel they were professionally advised ?

Do you consider who is likely to be living in the property - bungalow is likely to be elderley or disabled does that affect your professional judgement ?

I also consider the installation from the customers point of view - if an electrician tells me its fine and i move in, and spend all my savings decorating then find major repairs are needed causing me to take time off work, maybe i'm not going to spread the good word about the advice given ?

Electrical safety shouldn't be treated as a joke ? but thats only my professional opinion.

 

[oldtimer]

Brian please don't hide behind electrical safety yes it is not a joke but if you are going to be "professional" about it you have to understand that you cannot insist on a rewire because you do not think there is enough socket outlet . If the installation passes all the tests then its good to go now you may want to suggest the customer get RCD protection or more socket outlets instead of using leads fine but you cannot condem an installation on these grounds as the customer could take legal action on you or your company for forcing them to have work done that was not necessary.

Remember we as electricians do have the same rights as the gas guys were we cannot isolate anything without the customers consent also you are on dangerous ground if you try and impliment change on the grounds of your interpitattion of electrical safety. Yes I know we could have a better system but these are the regulations that we must comply with