Unusual (to me anyway) lighting cable

[sprocketflup]

During a board swap and test this week I came across some lighting cable I've not seen before.

The house (in the midlands) was built around 30 years ago and all other circuits are wired in twin and earth. The two lighting circuits however were wired with two separate cables, the first having a red sheath and incorporated a Live and an earth. The second was a single but double insulated PVC conductor to provide a neutral. 

Anyone seen this before? Would like to find out more about it

 

[ProDave]

It almost sounds like someone has adopted a conduit wiring scheme but in sheathed cables?  i.e. the neutral just loops to all the light fittings in turn and the L independently loops to the light switches then to the lights.

Never seen it myself (apart from in conduit)

 

[NozSpark]

There is loads of that type of cable in my area,,,, mostly in the 70's 80's dormer type properties.... Neutrals looped at the fittings and lives looped at the switch

 

[poni]

I have used this abroad manly for two way switching also used "twin red and earth" for switch drops and i am sure i have seen twin brown and earth for the same thing.

 

[NozSpark]

During a board swap and test this week I came across some lighting cable I've not seen before.

The house (in the midlands) was built around 30 years ago and all other circuits are wired in twin and earth. The two lighting circuits however were wired with two separate cables, the first having a red sheath and incorporated a Live and an earth. The second was a single but double insulated PVC conductor to provide a neutral. 

Anyone seen this before? Would like to find out more about it

usually red/red with a green CPC and black/grey without a CPC

 

[Fleeting]

It is not that common but not unusual have seen it a few times I have some floating about in my garage. Fire alarm zone circuits were commonly wired with T&E which had a red overall sheath.

 

[sprocketflup]

It is not that common but not unusual have seen it a few times I have some floating about in my garage. Fire alarm zone circuits were commonly wired with T&E which had a red overall sheath.

Yeah when i spotted it I thought "Ooh fire alarm cable" 

As Noz said, neutral looped at the fittings and lives at the switches.  Show us a pic of the stuff you have in your garage?

I cant see any advantage over normal twin and earth which was used everywhere else. 

 

[Fleeting]

It even has a sleeved green cpc. 

For some reason it won't let me upload the file.

Why does it say I can only upload a file of a certain size when nearly all pics will exceed this?

 

[Andy™]

seen it before. used it before. used to be common for outside lights - neutral from the hallway light to the outside light. sw.live & cpc from the light switch

 

[steptoe]

Apart from the red sheath, 2 core strappers and singles for switch/feed very common for 2 way switching before the widespread adaption of 3c&e , 

Was the issue of "borrowed" neutrals often, landing light switch from downstairs, neutral from upstairs, 

@poni NIHE used to specify 1.5 with a 1.5 earth , fkn nightmare ,!!! and yes, they wouldn't permit red/black to be used as a switch wire either, it had to be twin red. 

Is the red sheath "normal" pvc stuff, or is it a harder type sheath,? 

I've often seen it as a direct buried cable but with an almost plasticky type hard sheath. Kinda like LSF type sheath. 

 

[kerching]

Very common around  here

i think it was 6241Y?

singles version may have been 6181Y BUT that is a guess

 

[binky]

only ever encountered such stuff in '60s built schools

 

[kerching]

Mainly in 70s built flats around here and a few houses

 

[Geoff1946]

I did general maintenance at a care home as a semi retirement job  2003 - 2013.

Half way through my spell a new wing of about 12 rooms was added.

The contractor decided for some reason to wire the lighting entirely in singles; all grey and running down a "spine" cable tray above the central corridor with dozens of branches.

Given that there were multiple lighting groups and circuits, two way switching, a mix of maintained and non-maintained escape lights it made even slight changes , such as adding an escape light, far more difficult than it otherwise need have been.