I've just bought a house which was built in 1965. It has a modern consumer unit but having just removed a light switch I notice the wires leading to it are black and red.
At what point does a rewire become necessary?
Just before it kills someone.
If you're concerned you could get it tested to see if it's all working correctly.
Tends to be alterations that give rise to dangers. If it was wired in accordance with the standards of the day and is used in an appropriate manner then it could be safe for years. Some sockets may be getting tired though.
Make sure you have no metal light fittings if it doesn't have earthed lighting circuits.
When it's a) illegal (which yours might be) or b) before it's dangerous.
Don't risk it, install modern wiring, regulation compliant.
Maty
I wonder what HIPS would make of it?
Seriously ... I'm not criticising the wiring.
Mary
Please explain how you think wiring in a house built in '65 could be 'illegal'?
Perhaps some proper inspection and testing might be a cheaper alternative to blindly replacing things?
The likely major thing that doesn't meet current regs is that lighting circuits may not have an earth. But this is by no means certain with mid '60s wiring.
Why would an existing installation be illegal?
Yes. To the OP, the usual signs are insulation starting to perish or split. This can be seen if you take off a few sockets to see the state of the insulation. If it looks perished, or dry, then it is time to rewire. My parents house is 42yo, they had a sparky round who did various tests on the wiring, and told them there was no real need to get it rewired, as it was fine, though it would benefit from a new consumer unit and relevant RCD protection for different circuits. In the end, they left it as is. Alan.
Regulations change.
Mary
But it doesnt affect existing installations, otherwise 50%+ of houses in the Country wouldnt meet the regs. Alan.
A pigs breakfast?
True, but not in general retrospectively. Nor does non compliance mean the law is broken.
On Tue, 31 Jul 2007 20:31:57 +0100, "Mary Fisher" mused:
It can make what it likes of it. A test is done, the report written. If it fails, it faisl, if it passes, it passes. HIPS makes no difference to the state of the wiring, or the cost of the rewiring of it, or the safety of it.
Black and Red does not tell you much - most wiring in the country is black and red - "modern" colours have only been standard for 2-3 years, and even now there is plenty of old colour wire still being installed today (non compliantly!)
When one of two things happen:
The existing wiring deteriorates to the point at which it becomes unsafe. This would apply to most rubber insulated cables still installed now for example.
and/or
The layout and quantity and position of the available accessories is a long way from meeting your current requirements. That would include living in a "trip hazard" that is festooned with extension leads because you lack sockets in all the place you need them.
It is possible (although unlikely) that a 1965 place has already been rewired, but it is probably still original.
You can get some dating clues by reading this:
It might not be compliant with current regulations but that doesn't make it illegal. And, as already said, if the OP sticks to insulated switches and fittings the safety risk is negligible. But if he wants brass chandeliers and switches then it's rewire time.
I would do a sample check on fittings that the wires are still firmly terminated - I have found that the wires can work loose with time. Other than that I would do nothing unless you need to add a lot of sockets, etc.
The message from Geoff Berrow contains these words:
You could have bought a house built in 2005 and still made the same discovery.
These days not very often. If you had rubber covered wiring you should be concerned but that should not have been in a 1965 new build.
Yes, and if those houses' wiring was examined by The Authorities it would be condemned.
It happened to us, many years ago.
Mary
On Tue, 31 Jul 2007 21:38:59 +0100, "Mary Fisher" mused:
Just because it isn't up to the current standards doesn't mean it needs condemning.
You may have been conned, or the wiring may have been actually condemable.
There are all too many con artists out there who trade on the ignorance of simple folk!
We weren't conned, the regs said that you couldn't have two and three pin power points in the same room.
Mary
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