Hi!, how often should house wiring be replaced when using plastic covered
cable. I know it used to be 20 yrs with rubber

"john walker" wrote in message
.. .
Hi!, how often should house wiring be replaced when using plastic covered
cable. I know it used to be 20 yrs with rubber

I have given up trying to find the recommended maximum service life of
standard PVC-sheathed cable under good conditions. Probably longer than the
period after which you'd expect to rip everything out and rewire, but that's
not the point. The info must be out there somewhere!

In article ,
john wrote:
Hi!, how often should house wiring be replaced when using plastic
covered cable. I know it used to be 20 yrs with rubber

PVC if not exposed to sunshine or overheated etc seems to have a longer
life than it's been around yet. I recently removed a bit of (dead) 7/.029
PVC from the depths of my cellar and that was in perfect condition. Would
be 40 years old or so.

So an old installation is likely to need replacing for other reasons than
the cable becoming unsafe.

--
*Many people quit looking for work when they find a job *

Dave Plowman London SW
To e-mail, change noise into sound.

On Sun, 28 Jan 2007 17:11:22 +0800 someone who may be "john
wrote this:-

Hi!, how often should house wiring be replaced when using plastic covered
cable. I know it used to be 20 yrs with rubber

It shouldn't. In most situations the condition should be monitored
and rewiring undertaken when necessary.


--
David Hansen, Edinburgh
I will *always* explain revoked encryption keys, unless RIP prevents me
http://www.opsi.gov.uk/acts/acts2000/00023--e.htm#54

I have given up trying to find the recommended maximum service life of
standard PVC-sheathed cable under good conditions. Probably longer than
the period after which you'd expect to rip everything out and rewire, but
that's not the point. The info must be out there somewhere!

We probaly have not reached the time yet, considering pvc coated cable
started to be in fairly widespread use around the sixties .

Dave

john walker wrote:
Hi!, how often should house wiring be replaced when using plastic covered
cable. I know it used to be 20 yrs with rubber

Oh dear. How ever did me mums house survive 50 years with its original
rubber cable?

In general woiring will last longer tan its useful for..I have never
heard of degrade PVC wiring being found unless in the sun or near
polystyrene..

It's got to be at lest 50 years life for the old stuff put in the the
late 50s' ..

Most houses tend to go through modest refurbs every 30 years and major
ones every 50-60. I doubt many houses exist with wiring much older than
60 years.

In article ,
"john writes:
Hi!, how often should house wiring be replaced when using plastic covered
cable. I know it used to be 20 yrs with rubber

PVC cable itself is predicted to have a life of 1000 years at 30C,
dropping to 21 years if running continuously at max temperature of
70C. The cable in the first PVC T&E installations is usually found
to still be in perfect condition unless some external influence
has damaged it.

What does wear out are the wiring accessories such as sockets,
switches, lampholders, fuse boxes. These are easy to replace
compared with the cable itself, but in an older installation,
you may find you don't have enough sockets, circuits, etc for
modern requirements. A wiring accessory which is worn out can
generate extra heat, which in turn can damage the PVC in the
locality. Occational inspections will bring to light accessories
which need replacing.

There's also the issue of bringing an installation up to current
regs. There's no requirement to do this for its own sake, but if
you are working on an installation, you should for example bring
the earthing up to current regs.

--
Andrew Gabriel

john walker wrote:
Hi!, how often should house wiring be replaced when using plastic covered
cable. I know it used to be 20 yrs with rubber
Not common but it can deteriorate dangerously, depending on the
original design, installation and what load it has carried

mmzz wrote:
john walker wrote:
Hi!, how often should house wiring be replaced when using plastic covered
cable. I know it used to be 20 yrs with rubber
Not common but it can deteriorate dangerously, depending on the
original design, installation and what load it has carried


That's what some warlord once said as he pounded a castle with his
cannon isn't it?