swa wiring - not sure

[Mike Wild]

I am redecorating and on checking the wiring in the bedroom it is using swa wiring for all sockets (old house).

is there any issue with this or do i have to change to meet any new regulations etc?

thanks

[Christian McArdle]

SWA is armoured cable for underground or exterior use. I very much doubt you have it wiring up your bedroom sockets.

If, however, you have rubber insulated cable, then it is very likely to be in a dangerous condition and you should have the house rewired without delay. Rubber has a life expectancy of around 25 years and has not been fitted for about 50 years.

Christian.

[Lobster]

Could it be that pyro(?) stuff he's got?

To the OP: can you describe your wiring?

David

[Andy Wade]

Unlikely, but it might be that flat lead-sheathed rubber-insulated stuff used in the 1940s - a precursor to TRS and modern T&E.

[Dave Plowman (News)]

I'd be surprised to see that on a ring main circuit?

[Jeff]

dug some of that out of my walls a few years ago

Regards Jeff

[Christian McArdle]

No doubt. However, ring final circuits and rubber wiring are rarely found in the same installation. On the other hand, the OP never mentioned rings...

Christian.

[Andrew Gabriel]

I've plenty of it under the floor, not connected though.

Ring circuits were designed to be easily constructed by converting from 15A radial circuits, originally.

[Dave Plowman (News)]

No, but I'd guess anything with original 15 amp or 5 amp radial circuits would be a tad obvious?

[Dave Plowman (News)]

Could be. But I've not come across lead covered ever being used as part of a ring. Rubber, yes.

[Christian McArdle]

Yes, I'd forgotten about those! They usually have both ends of the ring going to different MCBs...

Christian.

[chris French]

In message , "Dave Plowman (News)" writes

I had one leg of the downstairs ring main in lead sheathed cable in this house (but then the wiring was a right mix, modernish - 60-70's PVC, original rubber sheathed, this lead stuff all sorts)

[Andrew Gabriel]

MCB's would be rather unlikely, but originally, they could both go to separate 15A fuses when such a conversion was done, these being the fuses which originally protected the two 15A radial circuits which were converted into the two ends of the ring.