On Oct 26, 7:54*pm, Jules
wrote:
On Mon, 26 Oct 2009 16:47:00 -0400, Existential Angst wrote:
By the way, I'm glad you expressed your appreciation of this antiquated
wiring, which is often in much better condition than people give it credit
for.

Yeah, that wiring and the brass plumbing was a big part of the decision to
buy.

Sounds like we have similar wiring in our place (late 40s build) - the
problem I've found is generally in the light fittings, where years of heat
from bulbs has slowly cooked things and it's all turned a bit brittle
(fittings which take multiple bulbs being the worst). Cut further back
and it's stood the test of time pretty well.

That and the incredible attic ladder -- I figgered anyone who took the
trouble to install *that* quality ladder in a g-d attic had to have done
the rest of the house right. *I was mostly right. *

Our place is interesting - it was all built by the old lady who used to
own it, and it seems like she did a piece here and a piece there as and
when she felt like it. Some of it's done extremely well, but then there
are other bits where corners were obviously cut...

I once expressed the opinion that some significant percentage of
electrical fires *must* be due to wire nuts, because cross-sectional
area of electron flow is greatly reduced, even on a properly
twisted/nutted joint, while solder virtually completely eliminates this
conductive bottleneck.

Y'know, I was amazed the first time I visited the US and discovered that
typical wiring was held together with those things - I'd done plenty of
wiring overseas and it was always with junction boxes / fittings that had
proper insulated screw terminals inside. Using a wire nut would be a
hanging offense ;-)

I was, however, sort of shouted down, but I still don't see wire nuts as
anywhere near as effective or safe as soldering.

I've heard that soldered connections can melt if there's a serious
overload - but by that point there are probably other things to be
worrying about anyway. :-)

cheers

Jules

No problem with 'wire nuts' (i.e. wire connectors) since 1956 when I
arrived in North America. tree residences since then two of which we
built and wired ourselves. Like everything else if they are used
properly no problems at all. There are an estimated at least one
hundred or so in this typical all-electric house built in 1970 (some
inside the connection space of baseboard electric heaters) and we have
had no problems with overheating or bad connections on both lighting
circuits (15 amp maximum) or duplex outlets circuits (20 amp). And in
one case with a three wire heavier connection from the main panel to a
secondary (pony) one.

One UK style wiring item do not miss is those fiddly (silly) little
brass screws in so-called 'chocolate blocks' and/or certain lamp
holders' often made of brass, a soft metal! Easy to strip or mar the
small screw head (or drop one!); they require an additional small
'straight blade' screwdriver. Whereas much Canadian wiring can be done
with one #2 Robertson (square) screwdriver and a pair of pliers.

Ring main circuits while maybe a good idea are either very uncommon or
not used at all.

Having got used to it rather like the 115 - 0 - 115 volt single phase
domestic service. Although if/when encounters a 3 kilowatt electric
kettle it is till abit of a surprise how quilckly it boils. But how
much boiling water does one need to make one pot of tea anyway!
Including 'heating the pot'!

Also and not as one would suspect aerial service of both 13KV primary
lines and secondary 115/230 volt wires from pole mounted transformers
to homes results in very fast restore times. Our local utility company
line crews are excellent. Seen them change out a transformer in the
middle of a snow storm, at night, in a couple of hours from the time
the 'Power has gone off" telephone call had been made.

Yes 'tinned' copper wire is easier to solder; and sometimes used in
electronics and marine environments for that reason and to resist
corrosion.