Andrew Mawson wrote:

"Ewan MacIntyre" wrote in
message ...

Hello.

While adding some sockets to my wife's study, I've found sections of
non-copper cable in my ring main. It's an old house, though the vast
majority of the wiring is less than a few decades old.

The cable has multiple strands, perhaps about 7, and is made
by Pirelli. I couldn't see a type code on it. It seems quite chunky, but
I'm surprised to see that it is not made from copper, but is probably
steel. Outwardly, it looks like regular grey T&E, but is more amenable
to bending.

Is this cable normal? I suppose my concern is that this particular ring
is quite long, and I understand that steel has a higher resistance than
copper. The ring covers rooms containing mostly lower-powered items, but
does include the washing machine.

Ewan



During the Rhodesia crissis ( UDI etc 1965 onwards) aluminium was used in
house wiring due to copper shortages - dreadful stuff - breaks easily at
screw terminals. During the same period stainless steel was being used for
plumbing.

OTOH are you sure that you haven't come across a bit of the old 7/029 used
around then - seven strands of 29 thou copper that was usually tin plated -
this was a pre-metrication standard.


ISTR that was pretty standard in most house in the '15A round pin plug '
era...



Andrew Mawson