What is the oldest electrical wiring you've seen working?

[NewOrder]

In the past few years?

Did a job today (I am computer technician) the house looked quite smart and modern from the outside, I would say its a mid 60's build or slightly earlier.

All the fittings were original, the sockets where 1363 and made out of plastic but they were much smaller than the modern ones we have now, the light roses fittings where the very old fashioned type which looked Bakelite and the wiring to the bulb holder looked like speaker cable.

Even if the wiring is PVC I dread to think how worn the fittings must be, most our fittings needed replacing at around 25 years old.

Has anybody recently seen anything older than this and even worse the owner didn't think anything of it?

 

[Paul_C]

It's only a few years ago I saw a lot of pre-war equipment in an old Victorian house. Much had been added and changed over the years, including most of the circuits supplying sockets for a change to BS1363, but a large proportion of the lighting circuits were still running on VIR in the thinwall electrical conduit which was common in that era. Multiple wooden boards with double-pole fusing supplying it all (large house, three floors, so a number of lighting circuits).

An almost-completely 1960's installation isn't really that uncommon today. A lot of the places where I live which started out as holiday homes appear to have had full rewires around that time, with little done since, except perhaps an odd socket added here and there.

So long as they've not been misused or really used excessively, a lot of the old sockets, if of a good make at the time such as MK, are probably actually still in better shape than a lot of the stuff being installed new today.

 

[PrenticeBoyofDerry]

I was recently on a job(domestic) that had about 90% of the lighting circuit in VIR cable the fuse box was an old metal switched fuse affair.
There was three different types of distribution the metal switched fuse, 3 isolated switches and a an old plastic wylex.
I had a look in one of the switch plates it defied physics, the insulation was shot at and bodged up with yellow insulation tape.

 

[RF Lighting]

It's a few years ago now but during my apprenticeship we rewired a house which was wired fully in lead and paper insulated cable.

The sockets were BS546 15A and the ceiling roses were ceramic.

We initially got called in because the light at the top of the stairs had stopped working.

I still come across lead cable which is live every now and again.

 

[NewOrder]

When was lead and paper phased out? I removed some from hour house, although I suspect it was a long time dead. The house was rewired in the 1950's and then again in the 1980's, I suspect the lead and paper stuff may have been the original 1906 wiring. The house was unusual in the fact it had electric lights when it was built.

 

[securespark]

I saw some lead-sheathed in Buxton last week. Still going strong, a good EFLI on it and no voltage on the sheath!

 

[Stoday]

My first house had lead sheathed wiring. It was built in 1926.

 

[bernardgreen]

Rubber insulated singles in profiled wooden conduit, one single per groove. Conduit that was visible had a profiled decorative capping while that in the loft had plain capping.

The owner of the house believes it was orignal from before World War One.

Still in use in 2009

 

[TheGayOwl]

About three years ago I saw a 'beautiful' DB made of lovingly finished wood with a etched glass front cover and finished with untarnished/polished brass hinges/bolts etc.

I know it was replaced shortly afterwards, I would hope this original board was not tossed asunder.

So actually, the above is not actually in use anymore so ignore all the above!!

Regards