House built in 1930's how old do you think the electrics are?

techmob

Hi

i know this is a vague question and i will obviously need someone qualified to come and see it but we are nearly at the exchange date of a house that was built in the 1930's it has no central heating and the electrics don't look like they are new.

i have no idea how old the electrics are and because it is a repossession the seller does not have that information either

So i am wondering if a house built in the 1930's how old do you think the electrics will be?

thanks

Inactive

Check the colour of cables, if they are grey, it will have been rewired at some time.

If they are black rubber it urgently requires a rewire.

techmob

thanks

so if the cables are grey, at what year would grey cables of been introduced?

how often do houses need rewiring?

i will check the cables

thanks

dkmax_2

techmob wrote: »

Hi
So i am wondering if a house built in the 1930's how old do you think the electrics will be?

You can usually get a big hint by looking at the fuse box / consumer unit.

LandyAndy

My first house (bought in 1980) was a 30's semi with the original wiring and round pin sockets. We had it rewired immediately. The cabling was in a terrible state. Every socket had a foot long lead from it with a round pin plug on one end and a square ppin socket on the other.

macman

If it's never been rewired since it was built then it will be pretty obvious after 80 years! Otherwise it could have been done at any time. Post a pic of the CU and someone might hazard a guess.

ormus

the old black cables were changed about the mid 70s, from memory.
the grey ones (red/black wires) were changed again in 2004. to the new wiring colors of brown/blue.

techmob

ok thanks everyone

i will get some pictures up as soon as i get the keys

thanks

Raksha

I remember helping my Dad rewire in around 1973, and we used grey/black/red cables then, so the switch to grey outers must have been early 70s

diable

If you have to switch on the light by using a match then don't worry about the electrics.........

peterbaker

I rewired a 1930s built house once - many such houses were very concscientiously built so it was a straightforward job - I remember working in a three or four foot space beneath the floorboards which made the ground floor ring main very easy.

When I bought it, it had been "rewired" at least once but it had a single spiral of a circuit for almost all the plug sockets from top to bottom - very dodgy! I was quite proud of myself for installing proper ring mains. Not allowed to DIY thesdays though.

Good luck!