VIR cable

[Electric Magic]

Doing a partial rewire at the moment in a large Victorian house. The dining room wall lights that I've now removed were wired in VIR with no cpc (despite everything else in the house being rewired 20 years ago), the wall fittings were brass, the insulation on the line wire inside 2 out of 3 of the wall lights was so decayed it was virtually non existent, and to top it all off, the plumber did his work before me and shoved his brand new copper pipes under one of these cables in the ceiling above. When I found it there was no insulation left between the line conductor and the pipe it was touching. Lucky no one decided to switch the lights on when he was working above!!!

 

[davesparks]

TRS twin or possibly twin and earth, TRS stands for tough rubber sheath

 

[malcolmsanford]

the very old paper stuff but that is totally ancient, it's not the old lead sheathed type is it

 

[drzsta]

As above it will almost certainly be TRS .

 

[ipf]

There is no metal conduit for the wall lights (although there are bits of it elsewhere in the house). The wall lights are not being replaced so have just ripped the VIR out. They are getting a chandelier that is over a meter high (not including the chain) and has 12 lamps on it (I advised that it might be a little big and bright but it is what they want). The ceilings are high (about 2.85m) but personally I wouldn't get a light that bright if its going to sit at eye level or lower, but each to their own.

Include a recommendation for use of hard hats when entering the room...maybe with a H&S sign on the outside of the door.

 

[shanky887614]

vir is bassically the same as 6491b but rubber with a clothlike look, it might still be shiny but i doubt it and the easiest way to tell if its vir is, bend it, the insulation should snap and look a bit like a shoelace

 

[ipf]

vir is bassically the same as 6491b but rubber with a clothlike look, it might still be shiny but i doubt it and the easiest way to tell if its vir is, bend it, the insulation should snap and look a bit like a shoelace

Not necessarily, it depends upon the situation. I've seen the stuff in very good condition, in capping and casing, mostly. A bit unusual for it to snap....unless it's been a subject to overheat in the past, usually close to termination points....and we do see that with some much newer cables. Yes, it's old and outdated but it's not always a case of throw your hands up in despair.

 

[shanky887614]

Not necessarily, it depends upon the situation. I've seen the stuff in very good condition, in capping and casing, mostly. A bit unusual for it to snap....unless it's been a subject to overheat in the past, usually close to termination points....and we do see that with some much newer cables. Yes, it's old and outdated but it's not always a case of throw your hands up in despair.

its more because the installs we come across with vir are comercial its usually degraded a bit.

(usually fans etc in old plantrooms, in the hospitals mind its non essential and why change it if its not broken, only changed because a new fan was being installed to a different supply)

some like you say is still in perfect condition and others almost crumbles to the touch

 

[baldsparkies]

Only last week we came across a property built in 1955.
Pvc wiring throughout but no cpc on lighting OR power circuits.
Not even a main earth to the met
The elderly couple had bought the property from new, and raised there children there.
They were looking to have the CU upgraded, and yep we explained the obvious dangers to them regarding lack of cpc or main earth.
Explain as much as you like they just cant see the problem.
And from there perspective you can understand why.
1955 to present day with no problems in all those years. Yea but no but yea but.
10 more years or so and there pushing up daises anyway so yep why bother !!!
Rewire sure, but as they say. Not on there watch.
Of course we wish them luck and walk away, bless em.

 

[dez0178]

VIR Cable is usually a reddish colour, unhelpful if it isn't present though. Usually the supply cable to the cut out in old houses is VIR , if branched from next door, so you could compare with that, unless it is a pilc cable. The Electric board are trying to replace these cables, only on the distribution side that is.

 

[ipf]

VIR Cable is usually a reddish colour, unhelpful if it isn't present though. Usually the supply cable to the cut out in old houses is VIR , if branched from next door, so you could compare with that, unless it is a pilc cable. The Electric board are trying to replace these cables, only on the distribution side that is.

Unless it's black, that is....

 

[shanky887614]

Only last week we came across a property built in 1955.
Pvc wiring throughout but no cpc on lighting OR power circuits.
Not even a main earth to the met
The elderly couple had bought the property from new, and raised there children there.
They were looking to have the CU upgraded, and yep we explained the obvious dangers to them regarding lack of cpc or main earth.
Explain as much as you like they just cant see the problem.
And from there perspective you can understand why.
1955 to present day with no problems in all those years. Yea but no but yea but.
10 more years or so and there pushing up daises anyway so yep why bother !!!
Rewire sure, but as they say. Not on there watch.
Of course we wish them luck and walk away, bless em.

im guessing it was a conduit install?

there are a lot of old properties about with no proper earth, sadly most refuse to see the danger of no earth

 

[baldsparkies]

im guessing it was a conduit install?

there are a lot of old properties about with no proper earth, sadly most refuse to see the danger of no earth

Sorry Shanks only just seen your post,

Unfortunately no conduit to be seen, wish it was cus provided the integrity of the conduit is verified nowt wrong using it as a cpc.

There are soooo many properties out there with potentially lethal installs that have been in service for years, and trying to explain that potentially lethal scenario often falls on deaf ears.

You can drive a car on the motorway for miles with no brakes no problem, but when those brakes are needed !!!!!!!!!

 

[ipf]

Only last week we came across a property built in 1955.
Pvc wiring throughout but no cpc on lighting OR power circuits.
Not even a main earth to the met
The elderly couple had bought the property from new, and raised there children there.
They were looking to have the CU upgraded, and yep we explained the obvious dangers to them regarding lack of cpc or main earth.
Explain as much as you like they just cant see the problem.
And from there perspective you can understand why.
1955 to present day with no problems in all those years. Yea but no but yea but.
10 more years or so and there pushing up daises anyway so yep why bother !!!
Rewire sure, but as they say. Not on there watch.
Of course we wish them luck and walk away, bless em.

Going back a decade, a lovely, tiny old lady, Alice, used to to live a few doors away from me. She'd lived there all her life and was in her nineties with her sight badly impaired but she got by alone after losing her husband a good few years before. She was economic with words and only said what had to be said before toddling off home...a real broad local accent but grand lass. They'd both worked hard all their lives and she carried on that way but he was a real do it yourselfer. When he'd died, she used to ask me to help her out now and again, changing the odd lamp and such. The wiring was a real mess with cables clipped up door casings and extensions plugged into lampholders, a death trap really. I used to tell her to be careful because of the danger but always used to get the same..''Ahl be alreet, bin t' same all me laaf''. She did her cooking on a small gas cooker...another deathtrap, really.
Anyway, it turned out that way. Alice was found dying with serious burns due to the cooker. She passed away after a few days of extreme agony. I only wish I'd have done more and sorted things out a bit ...but she would never listen.
The moral......Ignorance is bliss, unfortunately some will never listen. But dying in such pain hurts just as much when you're ninety as when you're twenty.
God rest Alice. God help a lot more.