earthing towel rail? old house wiring?

[Echo the husky]

Any chance of a photo of the inside of the point you wanted to connect your towel radiator to? The wiring doesn't look all that old from your photo. It will be unlikey that there is no earth to the sockets.

I hope there are no metal lights or switches that require earthing on your lighting circuits...

 

[JohnW2]

House built in 60s so just two wire nothing is earthed.

That seems surprising. What are these 'two wires'? Are they perhaps separate wires, which are contained within metal conduit, rather than a 'two core cable' (with two wires, presumably red and black, enclosed in some sort of outer sheath)?

Kind Regards, John

 

[oldbutnotdead]

Well good news is (in that pic of yours) there appears to be a very skinny CPC (earth) running from the incomer to your CU (fuse box). Quite common for lighting circuits not to have CPC (earth) connected from that era but the CU isn't that old so I'd be surprised if your sockets didn't have an earth in them.

If your towel thing is in a utility room (and so outside zones where you're not allowed sockets) then why not just put a plug on the flex and plug it into the socket?

 

[sean oc]

Just taken a look and does look earthed.
I was guessing it wasn't as all the lights I have changed haven't been earthed at all and looks like a lot older cable. My worry was the fact there is sockets above skirting boards, cut in to some, all different and dotted everywhere.

The last owner was a handy man and I have found plenty of bodge jobs on with plaster, flashing etc but I'm clues with electrics.

Does this mean it should ever okay to fit a fused 13 amp spur ?

Thanks for any info again

 

[Echo the husky]

Is that wired in small flex?! There are a number of dodgy looking things in those photos!

I would advise calling an electrician to carry out an installation conditon report on all of your wiring. It will give you a list of recommended improvements. With the number of obvious DIY alterations I would not go extending any part of the installation without knowing it is in good condition.

 

[oldbutnotdead]

Loving the fuse carrier in Pic 4- not at all appropriate for domestic install but at least it is visible and labelled.

If you're really clueless with electrics then it may be wise to use the Yellow Pages (WHOOOOOOOOOO!) and engage the services of someone who does understand how it all works before you hurt yourself or someone else!

 

[sean oc]

Is that wired in small flex?! There are a number of dodgy looking things in those photos!

I would advise calling an electrician to carry out an installation conditon report on all of your wiring. It will give you a list of recommended improvements. With the number of obvious DIY alterations I would not go extending any part of the installation without knowing it is in good condition.

Yeah everything seems a handy man job not done by a proper spark etc

I was planning eventually getting all the wiring sorted out so I now it's all good and safe as some rooms do need new sockets etc.

Thanks for help and info on stuff

 

[Echo the husky]

Looking at the photos I would start saving for a full rewire, it will be money well spent. Make sure you do it before you start decorating!!!

 

[oldbutnotdead]

PS Current best practise does not include putting sockets in skirting boards. But in lots of houses built before mains electricity came along sockets were set into skirting boards on the first wiring because it was easy (no chasing up the wall, just poke your shiny new asbestos covered singles up the gap between floorboards and wall and job done).

On subsequent rewires, people just used the old cable to pull the new cable through so naturally put the socket where the old one was. Not intrinsically dangerous- as long as the circuit design is good and the cables are the right size for the use they're being put to (for power they should be minimum 2.5mm cross section area) then no need to fret.

Getting an EICR (Electrical Installation Condition Report) will be a good idea but that CU doesn't look ancient and the wiring in your Pic 1 looks like PVC so as long as the power rings are actually rings and not spurred to death there shouldn't be too much to worry about. If you're going to redecorate then think very hard about getting extra sockets put in, light switches moved, aerial/comms feeds installed now- you can probably save yourself a fair bit of cash by doing the scutwork for your chosen electrician (chasing walls and lifting floorboards) so all they need to do is run cables, test and connect. Time is money-doing your own chases etc can easily turn a 2 day job into a 1 day or less job

 

[PBC_1966]

Just taken a look and does look earthed.
I was guessing it wasn't as all the lights I have changed haven't been earthed at all and looks like a lot older cable.

It was common for there to be no earths on lighting circuits up until the late 1960's, but certainly not other circuits.

 

[sean oc]

Looking at the photos I would start saving for a full rewire, it will be money well spent. Make sure you do it before you start decorating!!!

already done a cheap clean up and decorate of house as moved in .. typical haha.

I think I'm going to save some money and get it done in the next 3 years .. itll take me a while to save it as running my max budget in the first place when I bought the place

Cheers for help info etc

 

[sean oc]

PS Current best practise does not include putting sockets in skirting boards. But in lots of houses built before mains electricity came along sockets were set into skirting boards on the first wiring because it was easy (no chasing up the wall, just poke your shiny new asbestos covered singles up the gap between floorboards and wall and job done).

On subsequent rewires, people just used the old cable to pull the new cable through so naturally put the socket where the old one was. Not intrinsically dangerous- as long as the circuit design is good and the cables are the right size for the use they're being put to (for power they should be minimum 2.5mm cross section area) then no need to fret.

Getting an EICR (Electrical Installation Condition Report) will be a good idea but that CU doesn't look ancient and the wiring in your Pic 1 looks like PVC so as long as the power rings are actually rings and not spurred to death there shouldn't be too much to worry about. If you're going to redecorate then think very hard about getting extra sockets put in, light switches moved, aerial/comms feeds installed now- you can probably save yourself a fair bit of cash by doing the scutwork for your chosen electrician (chasing walls and lifting floorboards) so all they need to do is run cables, test and connect. Time is money-doing your own chases etc can easily turn a 2 day job into a 1 day or less job

Yeah these are all over the place, fitted where they fancied... some spurred off in the utility room from 2 gang to 4 gang underneath etc
im going to save up and hopefully get 2016 out the way and get it sorted within the next 3 years.

Cheers for info.

 

[Jackrae]

With all due respect, your first electrical mistake was when you said "I guessed...."
Never, never guess when it comes to electrics.

Presume - Examine - Test - Confirm

 

[ban-all-sheds]

I'm not really wiring the whole house for that job. It's lasted since the 60s with everything else.

Since the day I passed my driving test I could have driven without using a seat belt, and without having airbags, and I'd still be here.

Past experience is no guide to future ones when it comes to features designed to protect you if something goes wrong.

 

[theprinceofdarkness]

My garden shed was all wired up with a proper RCD "garage box" when I moved into the house. All the PVC cable earths were commoned in the CU but not connected to anything else, not to the SWA feed armouring or an earth spike.
Frank