Matthew Durkin wrote:
My Sister has just bought an old house pre-20th century house. We've found a
couple of mains cables running from the fusebox that have a lead sheath
(they looked just like the modern plastic ones until I scratched the paint
off and they revealed shiny lead.
Not sure yet where they run, but my hunch is the lighting circuits.
Getting them out will be very difficult (especially for my sister!)
What current would these be normally rated at?
Could they be dangerous - how can I tell?
Is there any way of safety testing them?
Any other comments?
Thanks,
Matthew



This wiring may have been installed in the 50s or earlier. I remember
watching it being installed in my grandparents house. We had to
completely rewire when we took over the house in 2000.
Typically the outer case is soft lead and the inner insulation is rubber.
When air gets at it the rubber is liable to perish. It then becomes
hard, brittle and prone to crumble, reducing its effectiveness as an
insulator.

What could you do with it?
1. Do not disturb. Ie. do not touch, move, change any light fittings or
switches etc ... and hope it lasts until you can replace it.
Clearly, not a long term solution! But any disturbance will aggrevate
the problem.
2. Get it tested. You are almost certain to be told its had it. But
you really want to know is if any of the circuits have lowered
resistance when all switches are off. Any small current leakage would be
a sign of trouble building up and will only get worse.
3. Rewire - to meet today's needs, which are likely to be different from
those of 50 years ago.. Leave the old stuff in place - just disconnect
it all.

Is it just the lighting circuits that are lead coated?
What is the the state of the power socket wire? They might be a
different type of cable - with itsa own problems.


David H-S