Green Goo from plug sockets - 3 bed room - how long does re-wiring take?

ormus

about five days on average.

maninthestreet

Someone I know had a 3 bed semi rewired over 3 days.

wallbash

Thanks all. I rent from the council so would not foot the bill.

Would the council ? then they have money to burn!
As posted the green goo is not dangerous , its not even sticky, it wipes off .

If the socket is removed , cleaned and the exposed wiring wiped , how long before the problem resurfaces?

jackhulk

Not a case of of council having 'money to burn', its a case of the landlord providing a safe enviroment in which to live in.

First hand experiance, its extremely stick and does not simply wipe off. The substance is not water soluble.

Taken from link I posted above.

If the green goo is severe it can result in the cable insulation becoming brittle whereby the insulation quality may be significantly impaired, which could lead to electrical faults, including an increased risk of electrical fires.

...contact with it may lead to possible ill-heath effect such as skin dermatitis and/or rashes.

The above is not accepable with children present.

Not sure how long it would take to reappear if socket was changed and wires cleaned, but its said problem would return.

Sockets have been like this for a while now, and like you I have lived with it for many years and not giving it much thought, but things have got increasing worst, so now need a solution.

wallbash

and like you I have lived with it for many years

At least both us know what the problem is . As this thread has shown , even experienced electricians and diy 'er have never come across the effect .
The quotes you provided contain the magic words MAY /COULD so you could ? argue that they will not. I brought up my kids with no ill effects , wonder if there are any ill health reports actually recorded or are they just covering there backs.

I wish you well in getting your Land Lord to completely rewire his house .

anotherbaldrick

I would insist on safety grounds that at an electrician is called in to test the electrical insulation integrity . If he say OK fine, if he condemns it stick it up the landlord

27col

Like I have said on many occasions on this site. "You learn something every day". I must have had a very sheltered electrical career, as I never even heard of this phenomenon, let alone actually saw it.

ormus

its rare because you need all the different factors to happen together. ie the house/wiring temp is crucial.

wallbash

Well as I was bored , nothing to do , I thought I would unscrew some sockets and post some photos.
Well I failed to find any currant ... green goo to photograph .
But have never had the stuff 'escape' the face plate.
Every time I wallpaper , always take the plates off ( I get a better result) so its a wipe of the terminals and exposed ends of the cable.
Reading of some of the reports ,

The long-term consequence of the exudate is that it represents a de-plasticising of the insulation, meaning that as the process continues the PVC will eventually become brittle, and crack.

Well my PVC is still in remarkably good condition, wonder how long before it begins to crack , another 25 years ? 50 years? longer ?

Owain_Moneysaver

A 1960s maisonette might have been wired originally with conduit, in which case replacement cables may be able to be drawn into the existing conduit, meaning very little disruption and making good required.