50 year old wiring methods Eh !

[Evans Electric]

Was asked to help my M8 yesterday , its a nearby private housing estate , many houses one offs , nice area , built circa 1958--1960. This is a 3 bed detached, elderly lady can't afford and doesn't want rewiring disruption but can we fit a new CU lower down where she can reach it and it won't have fusewire and check the rest out .

Being 13th edition Regs there is no earth on the lighting but there are 5 metal fittings put up by someone.

There were only 3 original circuits on a large house. But never had any problems,

Lights (12)

Ring

Imm Htr ( removed)

No bonding .

Wooden boxes flush for switches which are deemed to be combustible (Has anyone ever come across a problem?) But we fitted pattresses over them to comply. I think Sparks used to knock these boxes up on site .

Although the regs have never been any different TMK, bathroom had a wall switch and a 13A socket mounted on the ceiling wired in 3/.029 from the ring main.

 

[kerching]

ceiling socket was prob for an old Radisil wall heater.

Oooooop 'ere the wooden back boxes were a work of art...chamfered edges and finger jointed corners. ocassionaly come across ones fitted by my Grandfather , he always signed the back of the box prior to packing it out with a *** packet to seat the Mutac switches flush [think they were Mutac]......3 generations of Sparks! where did we go wrong................? :coat

 

[Evans Electric]

How nice to come across your Grandfather's name (under the Woodbine packet no doubt)

I'v e been leaving text behind panels and boards etc for years ....such as " Today is Sept 11... Twin towers .etc "

 

[kerching]

I sometimes write 'I didn't kill him'

I just have visions of Time Team coming along and thinking WTF!

 

[steptoe]

I do similar random stuff,

I just dont think it will ever last long enough for anyone to be even bothered,

not like the stuff we rip out today anyway.

 

[SLIPSHOD & SLAPDASH]

Should wooden boxes flushed into a brick wall be classed as combustible ?

 

[Evans Electric]

I know what you mean Albert , they're demolishing buildings I worked on now . Specially blocks of flats . Good riddance.

How things change quickly these days .

The secondary school I went to was knocked down , just after Ozzie left I think, and on the site was built the North B,ham Polytech .

This was later extended and upgraded to the University of Central England .

Last year it re-named itself ( Stupidly) Birmingham City University ( Causing confusion with Birmingham University 7 miles away)

Now it has announced it wants to move to what is called The Eastside ,Near to Aston University and Matthew Boulton College . Where the money is to come from I can't imagine. Why move a whole campus ?

I call it Empire Building .

 

[ProDave]

So did you fit a new CU and add the earth bonding?

And there was a link recently for a company that makes class 2 metal light fittings so that's the lack of lighting earth solved.

 

[Evans Electric]

Yes , new board with RCBOs down where the lady can reach it .

Bonding installed .

My M8 managed to pullout the Neutral to each of the metal fitts with a N+E hooked on , so they are now safe , the rest is still 13th ed .

Converted wall switch to pull sw.

Removed socket in bathroom with cables in switch pattress /lid .

Fitted surface switch pattresses over the wooden boxes.

Disconnected some ropey wiring in 6491X , lady can't really afford to have it replaced.

Cheapest option for the lady I think.

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Should wooden boxes flushed into a brick wall be classed as combustible ?

Never seen a problem with them TBH .

 

[Pete10001]

Ah wooden boxes, I remember them well, wood screws to fit the accessory back, back in the building boom of the 70s most dwellings were wired with singles with amechanical protection just like Twe, those were the days

Pete Retired Sparks

 

[Chewbacca]

never seen a burn't wooden back box, but then we don't see many these days. They are usually 'tinder dry'!

 

[steptoe]

found this a few months back, still in use, it was live. 

 

[ProDave]

I was altering the lights in a house recently, and under the floorboards there was some lead covered cable.

"Oh I'll have that for scrap" I thought.

Gave a tug, and as it pulled out there was a "pop"

Whoops, it was still live :innocent .

P.S a volt stick won't tell you that lead covered cable is live inside.

 

[kerching]

found this a few months back, still in use, it was live. 

DSC_0581.jpg

DSC_0580.jpg

Ah, casing and capping....predates me though

until a few years ago it was still an accepted method of wiring in the ' lighting and wiring of churches' publication!

just noticed i must have pissed somebody off as i got descoobed on post #2...... Barsteward

 

[M107]

I have to go careful when using the BB play book, sometimes it will do a scoob/descoob if I catch the screen in the wrong place when scrolling up/down...sorry if it was me.

 

[Sidewinder]

I have found who it was, sorted.

The de-scoober had only made 2 posts since joining!

In 2008!

 

[kerching]

I have found who it was, sorted.

The de-scoober had only made 2 posts since joining!

In 2008!

Thanks for that

never been descoobed, got quite upset. Nearly had tobe hospitalised   with michael gambon due to the trauma

can we issue a Fatwah. Or better still a Tw@wah on the individual in question?