On Wed, 22 Oct 2014 09:03:19 +0100, charles wrote:

In article , Uncle Peter wrote:
On Wed, 22 Oct 2014 08:20:33 +0100, charles
wrote:

In article , Uncle Peter wrote:
On Tue, 21 Oct 2014 23:46:42 +0100, Rod Speed
wrote:

Martin Brown wrote
Uncle Peter wrote

A woman just told me she had her house rewired because it hadn't
been done for 30 years. Have you ever bothered? I mean if it
works, why not just leave it? Wire doesn't rot.

The copper wire might not but the insulation around it certainly
does - especially if there is some ozone about. Take a look at what
happens to Post Office rubber bands after a year or so and then
worry about it!

Rubber bands are nothing like the insulation used on electrical
wiring.

I have some old rubber extension cords that my dad had, must be well
over 60 years old now, they're still fine insulation wise.

The plastic extension cords I used when building the house 40 years
ago now are still fine and the insulated wiring in the house that I
did myself is even better, essentially because it was always better
than the extension cords and doesn't even get walked on because it's
a flat roof with only a max of 15" of space in the roof space. And
that stuff does get pretty hot in summer because its above the
ceiling insulation and below the metal deck roof and we routinely
have 10 days in a row over 100F, the roof space does get pretty hot
in summer.

If you are still on prehistoric round pin plugs and wire fuses then
it is probably time for a rewiring by now.

Makes more sense to just change the sockets and CU.

Mine was done with wire fuses, just because there was a shortage of
breakers at the time and the electrical supply authority had noticed
that I was powering the entire house from the builder's temporary
supply using an extension cord and so there was some urgency to to
the meter box and make it legal. I just use those breakers that plug
in in place of the fuse wire block.

Can't be arsed to redo the whole thing because that would involve
moving the meters and would involve getting an electrician to say he
did that and the two I know who would be happy to do that, one has
died of cancer and the other has moved away and couldn't be bothered
with the stupid training requirement to keep his license.

Why can't you move the meters yourself? If it's anything like mine,
there's a 100A fuse before the meter, which you can pull out while you
move the meter.

They should be sealed in place with a security tag which you break at
your peril.

Easy enough to buy a new tag and clamp tool. Or just leave it untagged
like an electrician I know does. The electricity board don't say
anything. After all it's the only way to shut off the electricity into
your house. My gas pipe has a shut off lever before the meter for an
emergency, so the electric should have the same.

why - can you have an electricity leak before the meter?

You mean before the consumer unit, which is inside, while the meter and main fuse is outside. Yes of course.

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