On Sun, 5 Feb 2006, Hellraiser wrote:

I've heard lots of people stating that houses need re-wiring after 25 years
or so, but can't for the life of me figure out why this should be the case.
Copper tends not to corrode, and PVC stays flexible for many many years so
is this 25 year thing designed to give electricians a good earner or is
there some other reason? I'm curious as I am about to buy a 26 year old
house which has not been re-wired and am wondering what to look out for.

A 26-year old installation is unlikely to require a complete rewire but a
full inspection and test is probably in order. It might be worth
considering replacing the consumer unit with a modern split-load one. It
is also quite likely that the number of socket outlets will be
insufficient for the number of electronic devices in most homes these
days.

HTH

--
Alistair Riddell - BOFH
Microsoft - because god hates us