Looking round a house (with a kitchen refit done in 2013 and a boiler in 2010...) and came across some bare wire earths

https://flic.kr/p/2fGbsTq

On Friday, 3 May 2019 16:30:16 UTC+1, wrote:
Looking round a house (with a kitchen refit done in 2013 and a
boiler in 2010...) and came across some bare wire earths
https://flic.kr/p/2fGbsTq

Very new service head and meter on a delightful old board ...

I think bare earths are pre 1966. Green earths 1966-77 (although not always sleeved inside back boxes etc).

Owain

The name plate on top of the wood board is readable as Cambridge electricity supply company which according to https://discovery.nationalarchives.g...ails/c/F176409 dates it between 1892 and 1948.

So I would date the bare earth wires to between the above years.

I personally would update the earth bonding and also I would check for lead water pipes and also for steel gas pipes which are prone to corrosion.

The consumer unit is of the rewireable cart type which is of a later date but clearly does not have MCB or RCD or RCBO devices.

I would also consider replacing the consumer unit.

The Henley block also wants checking as some of the twin and earth cables may have been wired into the Henley block rather than via the consumer unit.

On 03/05/2019 19:05, wrote:

The Henley block also wants checking as some of the twin and earth cables may have been wired into the Henley block rather than via the consumer unit.


It certainly looks that way.

--
Adam

On 03/05/2019 16:30, wrote:
Looking round a house (with a kitchen refit done in 2013 and a boiler
in 2010...) and came across some bare wire earths

https://flic.kr/p/2fGbsTq

We need a slightly wider angle shot to get a more complete picture. I
can't quite see where that new green/yellow cable comes into the earth
terminal from - it could be the main TN-S connection to the incoming
supply sheath.

Other than the incomer and new meter, the rest of it is fairly old. The
equipotential bonding looks poor (although on the bright side there
probably is some). The main earth connection to the CU looks fairly
poor, although its probably adequate to meet expected disconnection
times on the main circuits (even if not for a fault in the CU itself).

I am not convinced about the T&E into the Henley - I can only see tails
of various sizes. The T&E you can see just looks like that pair of them
above the board clipped to the wall continuing down.

I can't see where those slimmer tails from the henley go either.


--
Cheers,

John.

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On Friday, 3 May 2019 16:30:16 UTC+1, wrote:
Looking round a house (with a kitchen refit done in 2013 and a boiler in 2010...) and came across some bare wire earths

https://flic.kr/p/2fGbsTq

It doesn't meet the regs now or since the 70s. Not sure why it's a big issue, the setup could do with some work is usually what counts when buying. You've got pvc cable, that's the main thing.


NT

On Saturday, 4 May 2019 08:27:30 UTC+1, wrote:
You've got pvc cable, that's the main thing.

I once lived in a house that still had lead cable and ironclad DP fuseboxes.

Lovely stuff.

The phone line was twin bare wires to insulators and braided insulated cables internally to a bakelite bell.

Owain

Maybe the slaving has perished or just fallen off? I have a lot of bare wire
earths in this house and nobody has died.
Brian

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...
Looking round a house (with a kitchen refit done in 2013 and a boiler in
2010...) and came across some bare wire earths

https://flic.kr/p/2fGbsTq

On 04/05/2019 09:58, Brian Gaff wrote:

Maybe the slaving has perished or just fallen off? I have a lot of bare wire
earths in this house and nobody has died.

Its not the fact that its bare as such that is the problem directly -
although it does hint at the age of the installation, and hence other
things you can expect to find. Its likely that much of the earthing will
be done using undersized wires. Its also more likely for earths to be
disconnected in places they are needed, and quite probable the lighting
circuits are completely unearthed.



--
Cheers,

John.

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On 04/05/2019 09:58, Brian Gaff wrote:

Maybe the slaving has perished or just fallen off? I have a lot of bare wire
earths in this house and nobody has died.

And should also add, the lack of any RCD protection will make things
like equipotential bonding (both main and supplementary) for more
important as a method of reducing shock injury risk.

--
Cheers,

John.

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On Fri, 3 May 2019 08:30:12 -0700 (PDT), wrote:

Looking round a house (with a kitchen refit done in 2013 and a boiler in 2010...) and came across some bare wire earths

https://flic.kr/p/2fGbsTq

What is the terminal block made of? Obviously before PVC. Was it
porcelain or that stuff with a rough feel that looked like a stone? It
doesn't look white enough to be porcelain.

On 03/05/2019 22:06, John Rumm wrote:

I am not convinced about the T&E into the Henley - I can only see tails
of various sizes. The T&E you can see just looks like that pair of them
above the board clipped to the wall continuing down.

I can't see where those slimmer tails from the henley go either.



I don't think that "slimmer" is the correct word.

If the meter tails are 25mm and double insulated (although I suspect
that they are 16mm) a simple comparison of od diameter from the photo
says that the "slimmer" cables are "seriously under sized".

--
Adam

On Sat, 4 May 2019 17:29:41 +0100, ARW
wrote:

On 03/05/2019 22:06, John Rumm wrote:

I am not convinced about the T&E into the Henley - I can only see tails
of various sizes. The T&E you can see just looks like that pair of them
above the board clipped to the wall continuing down.

I can't see where those slimmer tails from the henley go either.



I don't think that "slimmer" is the correct word.

If the meter tails are 25mm and double insulated (although I suspect
that they are 16mm) a simple comparison of od diameter from the photo
says that the "slimmer" cables are "seriously under sized".

Does it matter if earthing cables are undersized? They will only be
used very occasionally and for short periods of time.

On 04/05/2019 08:27, wrote:
On Friday, 3 May 2019 16:30:16 UTC+1, wrote:
Looking round a house (with a kitchen refit done in 2013 and a boiler in 2010...) and came across some bare wire earths

https://flic.kr/p/2fGbsTq

It doesn't meet the regs now or since the 70s. Not sure why it's a big issue, the setup could do with some work is usually what counts when buying. You've got pvc cable, that's the main thing.


How do you know he has PVC cables? All you can see is that there are two
PVC cables. The rest could be any old ****.


--
Adam

On 04/05/2019 16:56, Scott wrote:
On Fri, 3 May 2019 08:30:12 -0700 (PDT), wrote:

Looking round a house (with a kitchen refit done in 2013 and a boiler in 2010...) and came across some bare wire earths

https://flic.kr/p/2fGbsTq

What is the terminal block made of? Obviously before PVC. Was it

You mean the exposed main earth terminal?

porcelain or that stuff with a rough feel that looked like a stone? It
doesn't look white enough to be porcelain.

Usually plated brass:

https://www.tlc-direct.co.uk/Products/TLEB4.html



--
Cheers,

John.

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On 04/05/2019 17:29, ARW wrote:
On 03/05/2019 22:06, John Rumm wrote:

I am not convinced about the T&E into the Henley - I can only see
tails of various sizes. The T&E you can see just looks like that pair
of them above the board clipped to the wall continuing down.

I can't see where those slimmer tails from the henley go either.



I don't think that "slimmer" is the correct word.

If the meter tails are 25mm and double insulated (although I suspect
that they are 16mm) a simple comparison of od diameter from the photo
says that the "slimmer" cables are "seriously under sized".

Depends on what they are feeding - quite often you see very slim tails
feeding things like Economy 7 time switches.


--
Cheers,

John.

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| John Rumm - john(at)internode(dot)co(dot)uk |
\================================================= ================/

On Saturday, 4 May 2019 17:38:35 UTC+1, Scott wrote:
On Sat, 4 May 2019 17:29:41 +0100, ARW
wrote:
On 03/05/2019 22:06, John Rumm wrote:

I am not convinced about the T&E into the Henley - I can only see tails
of various sizes. The T&E you can see just looks like that pair of them
above the board clipped to the wall continuing down.

I can't see where those slimmer tails from the henley go either.



I don't think that "slimmer" is the correct word.

If the meter tails are 25mm and double insulated (although I suspect
that they are 16mm) a simple comparison of od diameter from the photo
says that the "slimmer" cables are "seriously under sized".

Does it matter if earthing cables are undersized? They will only be
used very occasionally and for short periods of time.

In Rodney's case no. For the rest of us yes, though the risk is not great.


NT

On Saturday, 4 May 2019 17:55:40 UTC+1, ARW wrote:
On 04/05/2019 08:27, tabbypurr wrote:
On Friday, 3 May 2019 16:30:16 UTC+1, wrote:

Looking round a house (with a kitchen refit done in 2013 and a boiler in 2010...) and came across some bare wire earths

https://flic.kr/p/2fGbsTq

It doesn't meet the regs now or since the 70s. Not sure why it's a big issue, the setup could do with some work is usually what counts when buying. You've got pvc cable, that's the main thing.


How do you know he has PVC cables? All you can see is that there are two
PVC cables. The rest could be any old ****.

The cables below the board are all pvc too.


NT