any other options?

lorny80

our house was built in 1961, and has what i think is the original fuse box still installed.
i know our pipes are earthed
i know our gas pipe is earthed
i know our plug sockets have old style earth, ( basically a metal prong type thing)
i know our lights have no earth.

i know in an ideal world we need to get the house rewired, but right now, we cannot afford it.

are there any steps we can take to make the electrics safer?

phill99

If you are using power tools, electric lawn mowers, you can buy yourself a plug in RCD adaptor. This cuts the power immediately there is a fault with the equipment and stops you being shocked. About £20

tlh858

lorny80 wrote: »

i know in an ideal world we need to get the house rewired, but right now, we cannot afford it.

Your house needed to be rewired 25+ years ago.

Realistically, the plug in RCD is about all you can do.

If any of your light switches or light fittings are metal, they must be replaced with plastic ones immediately.

keystone

lorny80 wrote: »

our house was built in 1961, and has what i think is the original fuse box still installed.
i know our pipes are earthed
i know our gas pipe is earthed
i know our plug sockets have old style earth, ( basically a metal prong type thing)
i know our lights have no earth.

i know in an ideal world we need to get the house rewired, but right now, we cannot afford it.

are there any steps we can take to make the electrics safer?

Your system complied with the regulations when it was installed. Changes in regs are not retrospectively applied unless you change something or add something. Provided the cable insulation isn't breaking down (although that possibility is probably quite high by now) there is nothing inherently unsafe about your system although it has to be said that a modern installation provides with you a lot more protection both for building and people than you present setup. You are due for a rewire though (25 years ago is a bit of a stretch tbh) now. The suggestion that any metal light fittings that might have been fitted should be replaced as a matter of urgency is correct. Double insulated ones will be fine though. No houses built pre 1967 had an earth conductor on lighting circuits.

I would suggest that its well worth investing in the services of a qualified sparky to provide you with an Electrical Installation Condition Report which he can do after having conducted visual inspections and tests with his specialised test equipment and allow you to make an informed decision. Without that report you cannot.

Cheers.

Ectophile

It may make a difference whether the cable insulation is rubber or PVC.

If it was the new-fangled PVC when it was installed, then the insulation is probably still OK. As tlh858 has pointed out, watch out for metal accessories on the un-earthed lighting circuit. They would originally all have been insulated.

If it's rubber, the insulation will be well past its best. Beware, it may crack and crumble if disturbed.