How can i tell if my new house needs a re-wire

[robc3129]

Hi.

I'm in the process of buying a new house and i know that it was built around about 1950. I'm concerned that the place will need a re-wire when i move in so i was hoping that i could get some advice on how i can tell if this is the case.

At the moment i don't know too much about the electrics, other than that some of the light switches are very old fashioned, and some of them seem quite modern. Bit of a mixture? I also know that all of the electrical sockets are fixed to the skirting board as oppose to the wall. I know that this is a quite old fashioned place for them!

Not sure what the consumer looks like at the moment, hoping to get a look at this next week which i know will help.

Are there any particular things that i should be looking out for which will tell me that it's in need of a rewire?

 

[ricicle]

A competant electrician will be able to give you an accurate assessment but as a general guide look for :-

-Lack of earthing in the lighting circuits
-Inadequate number of sockets
-Tired/worn accessories
-Lack of main protective bonding to incoming services (water, gas, oil) This will consist of a green/yellow wire about the diameter of a pencil connected near the stoptap for the water and near the meter for the gas. This should run back to the main earth terminal in the consumer unit or a block close by.
-Rewirable fuses, although perfectly acceptable, can along with some of the above indicate that the installation is past it's useful life.
Modern installations will have RCD protection for some/all socket outlets and even newer installs have them for all circuits in a domestic set-up.

 

[sparkwright]

A selection of fuse boxes may indicate an old installation.

Sockets on skirting boards and old fashioned light switches would certainly suggest old wiring, though not proof.

If the wiring is original, around 1950 could suggest vir or rubber, which would be pretty shot by now, or early PVC, which may still be reasonably good perhaps yet still sensible to replace

Impossible to judge without an electrician looking inside some accessories.

Try and take photos of the fuse box area, some older switches and sockets, and the wiring in the loft.

 

[robc3129]

Thanks guys, that's given me some food for thought.

I will certainly be getting a qualified electrician in to give the place the once over. I just wanted to do some preliminary investigation myself. As well ad find the money for a rewire!

 

[Richard C]

As others have posted but, if it’s 50’s & never been touched, has an old style removable fuse “fuse box” you should anticipate a full rewire + sockets, lights & even additional spurs needed to cope with modern facilities.

 

[valdidshaw]

As well ad find the money for a rewire!

Slightly off topic point, perhaps, but if it's an old-style fuse box then it's abundantly clear a rewire is on the cards, and if the estate agent hasn't thought that worthy of mention when considering the asking price for the property, then it sounds to me like you've got pretty sound grounds for negotiating the price downwards.

Getting back on topic. if you can see for yourself that it is indeed an old-style fuse box then I'd save yourself the cost of an electrician - it's a virtual certainty that the electrician will recommened a new consumer unit with new circuits.