Electrical Inspections

[Chris B]

A friend has just inherited a house built in the late 60s which has had pretty much nothing done to it since, except for uPVC Doors and Windows.

It needs the full bathroom/kitchen renovations but it may also need a complete electrical overhaul. We are not 100% sure if buried cables are rubber or PVC. The house has had 2 owners from new and was built by a builder for his own occupation and the rumour is that he didn't want any of the "new fangled PVC crap" when he built it.

At the very least it might be nice to replace the hard wired fuses with circuit breakers and add RCD type protection to the house.

I assume in the first instance some sort of electrical safety check is required where the the integrity of the insulation on the existing wiring can be assessed.

Would a landlord/house sale EICR suffice or would something more detailed be needed?

Can someone carrying out an inspection condemn and isolate the electrics in the same way as they can with gas?

[Ash Burton]

I would not rely on an EICR for electrical safety.

It would be advisable to get a competent electrician to inspect and give a report on the condition of wiring.

This inspection is unlikely to result in a 'forced' disconnection as per a gas safety check but if the wiring condition is 'dangerous' you may be advised not to use it until any necessary remedial work is completed.

[John Rumm]

The main difficulty with 60's installs is they are unlikely to be that well suited to modern usage patterns. So chances are there will be far too few sockets among other issues. If the accessories are original, then they are also likely to be in need of replacement - socket contacts are likely to be worn and dirty, and so generate lots of heat with high load appliances.

An EICR (i.e. what was previously called a PIR) should tell you what you need to know. However you an probably work out for yourself the key points.

If you pop a couple of sockets and light switches off the wall and look at the wires you will see if they are PVC or rubber, and if the lighting circuits are earthed (post '66 they should have been - but that took a while to percolate through).

If the cables are rubber, they will be very likely be at their end of life or past it - at least in some points of the installation.

I would expect that budgeting for a full rewire would be sensible.

Not really, but then again if they tell you the wiring a significant fire or electrocution risk, you would be sensible to take note and do something about it.

[newshound]

When I bought my first house in the 1970's (Victorian) it still had much of the first Edwardian wiring, cotton on rubber single conductors in wooden channelling.

I'd say basic 60's wiring is probably reasonably safe as long as it hasn't been hacked about a bit (and it is usually very obvious if a house has been occupied by a bodger).

As John says it is certainly overdue a rewire to modern standards.

If it was mine, I would start with a Megger test on all the circuits. If it passes that, I'd be reasonably relaxed. How you prioritise the work obviously depends on finances, and what else needs doing.

[tabbypurr]

Sparks like to exaggerate issues to pressure you into paying for more work than you need, making EICRs not as useful as you might like. Show us a photo of the fusebox & the wiring behind a couple of sockets/lights, and all should become clear.

NT

[charles]

You might find, in disturbing them. that the insulation starts coming off. Make surw you have plenty of insulation tape so that you can make it safe for the moment.

[Mr Pounder Esquire]

When I had to sell my parents house which was built mid 60s, the cables were rubber and the insulation was falling off.

[John Rumm]

Indeed - it certainly can in bad cases...

Tape or a bit of sleeving...

Worth motioning what I neglected to say in my previous post - do all these inspections with the power off at the main switch!

[Dave Plowman (News)]

Very unlikely to be rubber from the late 60s. PVC was around in the '50s.

But if you can't tell by looking inside a socket or switch, perhaps best get a pro in.

It's very likely an installation of that age is very lacking in sockets, etc, so may prove easier to simply start again.

[spuorgelgoog]

Slightly on the other hand, if the existing circuits are in reasonable condition it can be more convenient to keep them in use and add new circuits where required and when convenient rather than having to have a complete all-in-one-go rewire.

Owain

[Chris B]

You are right that there are too few sockets, and that they are very old. Replacing old for new or old singles for new doubles I am very happy to do myself. Changing the CU however is certainly a job for the Pros.

The house has been lived in up until very recently, so I don't think it will be that dangerous until it starts getting disturbed.

[Chris B]

No I think its fair to say it is pretty much exactly as left by the builders (once you remove the plug in adaptors and extension leads)

[Chris B]

Will try to get a couple of these but it will probably be a few days until I am round there again.

[Brian Gaff]

Hang on a mo, I had this house rewired in the 60s and although not as stringent as now, it had to be pvc and had to conform to stuff and be inspected after the work. We also got circuit breakers at that time. If this house has sort of slipped in under the radar, I think I'd be very wary to trust anything was right! Brian

[Brian Gaff]

You should be able to see what its made of by unscrewing a light switch, surely? Brian

[Brian Gaff]

Hmm strangely, I've checked my 1960s sockets here and they are all in very good condition. MK they are and I get no overheating or anything. I remember about 6 months after getting it done we had to get the bloke around to tighten a few screw terminals where they had relaxed. I was surprised then that live and earth went to ceiling roses and other places where they n did not need to be, but I gues that was the rules. I'd have much preferred the old methode of turning off the light left no live lines in the rose, but those days is gorn. I have to pop the breaker for that circuit now if I need to put a different light up. Brrian

[Dave Plowman (News)]

Trouble is lighting circuits of that age may well not have an earth. Might well be TW&E, but with the earth cable hacked off.

And often too few rings for modern requirments. As well as a smaller earth conductor.

[Dave Plowman (News)]

Fuses were allowed in the 60s.

[tabbypurr]

+1 if pvc.

no big deal

ditto. RCDs & MCBs improve things there.

NT

[Dave Plowman (News)]

It is if there isn't enough spare to make the earth connection. And lots of things need an earth these days.