Dating wiring.

[somersetsparks]

Doing a bit of work for a family member, fuseboard change etc..

Having a look around I found that the DB is a bakelite, wooden backed wylex 10mm tails 4mm earth.
All earthing is in black cable.
No bonding
Lighting circuits have no earths
Many switches are round on wooden pattresses
Oval-ish shaped bakelite MK sockets on wooden pattresses
PVC twin, 3cores have white has L2

Anyone guess a date just out of interest? they seem to think it is from 1961.


Problem I have is the lighting circuits, I can rewire the feeds but not the switchwires, as they are clipped, painted, caulked, painted and painted onto the door frames of recently decorated rooms and are extremely awkward to remove!
Is this worth doing?
Or should I just convince them to change the odd metal fitting back to pendants/class 2 fittings?

EDIT:- Forgot to mention IR is fine, well over 100 mOHms

 

[p11jor]

How about sending a seperate earth Back to the switches in singles? Maybe find a different way round?

 

[malcolmsanford]

Twin and Earth was around early 60s but the round switches I would think would be mid 50s

To be honest with that old a PVC the paint will have reacted with it and it is really a ticking bomb.

You are going to be in a rock and hard place here. What I would be recommending is that it needs replacing. Chances are it is 50 yrs old and to be frank it would need it. Once you start changing fittings it could all start going horribly wrong.

You do have a care of duty to advise what you feel is best, but in the end it is up to your family what they want doing. In the end as it is family it will wind up costing you either financially or otherwise as your unlikely to be able to just walk away

 

[snowhead]

If they are happy with caulked, painted and clipped cable, then they shouldn't be too dissappointed with either oval or mini trunking caulked and painted and running down the same route.

 

[somersetsparks]

Twin and Earth was around early 60s but the round switches I would think would be mid 50s

To be honest with that old a PVC the paint will have reacted with it and it is really a ticking bomb.

You are going to be in a rock and hard place here. What I would be recommending is that it needs replacing. Chances are it is 50 yrs old and to be frank it would need it. Once you start changing fittings it could all start going horribly wrong.

You do have a care of duty to advise what you feel is best, but in the end it is up to your family what they want doing. In the end as it is family it will wind up costing you either financially or otherwise as your unlikely to be able to just walk away

I do take your point malc, cabling does appear to be in Very good condition and meggers well however I can't really inspect those painted cables, looking at the 'history of wiring thread' it may be ashathene, is there any way of identifying it? This is just out of interest and will not affect my decision!
It is 3 starnded lighting cable, I'm guessing 3/029?

Family jobs always pose a problem and of course this has come from an insurance company request for a PIR, not through a desire for safer electrics!

 

[somersetsparks]

If they are happy with caulked, painted and clipped cable, then they shouldn't be too dissappointed with either oval or mini trunking caulked and painted and running down the same route.

Haha!
I take your point but with all the layered paint/paper/caulk etc. the cables are barely noticable!

On a side note, any of you boys used that d-shaped trunking? I have tested a house wired in it, looked a lot better then YT2! Where would one get such stuff?

 

[Guest111]

Haha!
I take your point but with all the layered paint/paper/caulk etc. the cables are barely noticable!

On a side note, any of you boys used that d-shaped trunking? I have tested a house wired in it, looked a lot better then YT2! Where would one get such stuff?

Forgive me for swearing but the big orange shed sells it.:yes:

 

[snowhead]

Stockists of D-Line - Decorative Trunking and Raceway Cable Covers

[url]http://www.tlc-direct.co.uk/Main_Index/Trunking_Pvc_Index/index.html
[/URL]

 

[topquark]

I'd have said before 60's. Those wylex boards were still being used in the mid/late 1960's but the switches would make it older than that.

What about utilising wireless switching for the lights (you can still rewire to the pendants/fittings).

 

[somersetsparks]

Think you may be right on the age, the fuseboard says 'patents applied for' inside it so would appear to be very early, and beautifully made!

 

[Guitarist]

The CU may have been upgraded at some point without the wiring getting the same treatment (just like today)

 

[Rauer]

What code would the board be considering its wooden backed?

 

[malcolmsanford]

It will really depend on it's condition IMO. These boards were predominately BS 3036 and if I found one that retained it's integrity concerning IP ratings, such as keeping it's original cover for the fuse carriers, there were not great chunks missing from it etc then I would most likely not give it any code.

That though is as rare as hens teeth, and the norm is to find them with covers missing, chunks cut out of them, and you would then have to start to think about coding it.

This for me would be again down to location. If it's up high inside a cupboard say and unlikely that you would accidentily get access to it then I would code it a 2. If though it was low level in the open and had easy access to it then most likely a 1

 

[johnboy6083]

regarding the wood, as far as im aware its no codes, as the operatimg temp ofthe equioment is not high enough to cause ignition.

 

[Rauer]

I was always told if it was wooden backed its a potential fire risk and the board needed changing