Is rewire due?

[Carol Anne]

My house is 30 years old, the electrics still look OK by todays standards, plenty of sockets and no problems apparent, but an electrician neighbour insists that a rewire is now due, and has set about doing his own house.

Do the regulations set down a maximum age for an istallation and when should |I be thinking of rewiring? Any help would be appreciated as this preying on my mind a bit now.... Thanks

[andyjevs]

I'm not an expert but i would say that 30 years is nothing. If i would do anything, i'd get a sparky in to change the fuse box over to mini RCB type fuses if you haven't already got them....they're much safer.

Get a good sparky to come and check your wiring etc to put your mind at rest...it might cost you �50 or so but it's worth paying that rather than the upheaval of having new wiring

[qapmoc]

If its thirty years then the wiring will be PVC insulated which should still be in good condition provided that it has -
A: not been overheated (touching a hot pipe?),
B: not been exposed to the sun,
C: Not touching foamed insulation.

The best thing is too get a insulation test carried out. However some changes to the regulations have happened in that time, especially related to the earth bonding etc.. get this checked out as well.

[joko]

perhaps he's touting for business...

[Clanad]

In the U.S., roughly 30 years ago or so, many houses were wired with aluminum (aluminium in U.K.) wire rather than copper. Many of these houses have required rewiring... but other than that, homes here only have to meet the code that was applicable at the time the house was wired...

[stanleyman]

Over thirty years the only major changes are to earthing improvements and the increased use of MCB's and RCD's. To put your mind at ease have an inspection carried out to determine if your installation is safe and complies with current regulations.

If it does not comply then it does not mean a complete rewire is necessary, only those parts that need changing, most likely the main and supplementary earthing. If you haven't one already an RCD will give increased protection from electric shock from faulty appliances and MCB's are quicker operating, more sensitive to overload, more convenient to reset and where no RCD is fitted, help keep earth fault voltages low in live to earth fault conditions, but not essential.

[Carol Anne]

Thanks everyone for the advice.

Im going to have an inspection done soon.