Rewiring a house

[richandjo]

Hello, everyone.

We are in the throws of buying a new house and are interested in knowing how to determine whether it needs a full rewire.

What are the signs to look for (good and bad), please? The house was built in the '50s.

This is not a job we're looking to do ourselves, by the way!

Thanks.

 

[Steve]

black rubber wiring (which may fall apart in your hands - be very careful!)

round pin sockets

only one cable at each socket

no earth on the lights (or worse, at the sockets)

horrible old light switches, brown or cream accessories.

Old Wylex re-wireable fuses in an old brown box

Just be observant, it is usually obvious when things look old etc. They say wiring older than 30 years is past its best.

 

[Adam_151]

Look to see if it has a modern CU as opposed to an old fusebox, have a look at any cabling you can see, if its black rubber its time for a rewire, look at ceiling pendants, if they have twisted(braided) drop cords, again time for a re-wire, twist off a ceiling rose and check for the presence of an earth.

 

[JohnD]

all of that, and anything that looks amateurish, like added-on extensions, sockets or heaters in bathrooms, mixture of surface and concealed wiring/accessories

 

[PompeySparks]

Isolate power to the lighting circuit in case there is a latent fault on an unearthed fitting!

Edit: (If you decide to inspect any light fittings - same principle with any other circuits you examine! It's probably best to do this in the day and isolate the DB at the main switch in case the circuits are 'intermingled'!)

 

[Pensdown]

And you could ask them if it's been rewired - if yes, when and by who

 

[richandjo]

Thanks, everyone, for your prompt and detailed replies.

Enough information there to keep us going, methinks.

Cheers!

 

[plugwash]

round pin sockets

note: 2A/5A round pin sockets are often used for switched lighting and 15A ones are sometimes used for sockets in inaccessible locations (e.g. behind a washing machine). So theese aren't nessacerally a sign of old wiring.

 

[Steve]

round pin sockets

note: 2A/5A round pin sockets are often used for switched lighting and 15A ones are sometimes used for sockets in inaccessible locations (e.g. behind a washing machine). So theese aren't nessacerally a sign of old wiring.

i meant to say that . . . sorry . . .

I might as well have made that list above titled "a list of things crafty1289's parents found when they moved into their house 18 years ago"

 

[baldelectrician]

another thing is to look for is sockets on skirting boards and light switches on the door facings. If you have either get someone in to have a gander.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

Look to see if it has a modern CU as opposed to an old fusebox, have a look at any cabling you can see, if its black rubber its time for a rewire.

And hope that the place hasn't had a "cut'n'shut" rewire.....

If you can get personal recommendations of an electrician, you could have a PIR done.

 

[Adam_151]

And even if its not rubber, its doesn't always mean its PVC... lead was used as the outside covering of cables once, and that I belive predated rubber (though I think that was more 1930's as opposed to '50s....) pulled out some of that in this house (thankfully not connected to anything)

(Was tempted to mess around with it and try and 'sweat' a conductor onto the sheath of a bit of it just to see how difficult it is.... would be interesting to see how it fares on an IR test as well, given its probably about 70 years old)

 

[jime17]

twisted strand cable is something I found im my 50's house when I bought it. anything more up to date would be solid copper conductors.

 

[plugwash]

might be an idea to get one of those socket testers with a crude EFLI meter. Quick and easy test that there is actually a decent earth getting to sockets.