On Thu, 18 Dec 2008 19:53:56 GMT, Harry Bloomfield
wrote:

John Rumm formulated on Thursday :
Harry Bloomfield wrote:
george (dicegeorge) explained on 17/12/2008 :
But if done in 1958 it may have been done in VIR. If that is so the
stuff is probably rotting by now

is VIR that old style rubbery wire?

Its a rubbery coating for insulation, with a waxed cotton woven over the
top for mechanical protection.

That sounds more like PBJ than VIR

http://wiki.diyfaq.org.uk/index.php?...ins_Cables#PBJ

Not suggesting you ( or Wiki) is wrong, but -

The plain rubber insulated - rubber covered 2c (or 2c plus earth), with
an over all cover of rubber was simply known as rubber insulated. VIR
(or VRI) was the single core cable with a cotton waxed outer which was
drawn into conduit or installed in the wood channelling etc..

The only VIR I ever used was rubber insulated twin with a rubber outer
sheath. Was used with those simplex light fittings you clamped over
the cable with two prongs to stick in the conductors. I found plenty
of the same stuff in the older houses we have bought over the years.


Installing the latter always left your hands with brown or black greasy
stains from the wax impregnated cotton. You put a requisition in for
100 yds 3.029 VRI the latter was what you got.

Probably down as an allowed alternative in your buyers handbook

(This is getting to be very much a thread on the right way to change a
light bulb with some people sayingtheyshould be called lamps)