Old wiring = dangerous?

yorkshire_terrier_owner

I live in a 60's house which has some old wiring in it. The bathroom and kitchen were re-wired by the previous owners and a new consumer unit installed. However, as I am going round rooms, I am having partial re-wires done. I've just had the lounge gutted and had it re-wired. I have an excellent electrician who has checked all the electrics and says the old wiring I have is fine and the new consumer unit is large enough to take the load of the extra sockets I have had put in.

The nice thing about re-wiring is the ability to have plug sockets etc exactly where you want them. For example I have had 3 double sockets put on the wall behind where the TV goes for all the equipment - love the fact I have NO extension leads/adapters anywhere!!!!!

Mark_T27

The electrician has stated that it needs a total rewire, but does it? Or is it certain rooms?

Its estimated that 20% of house fires are caused by faulty electrical wiring. What you want to avoid is any wiring getting hot that could cause a fire or electrocution. That's the real danger with wiring. There are no regulations in the UK that say you have to change old wiring, just regulations around any changes or new wiring you make to the house.

If the house has aluminium wiring, which is unlikely as this was phased out in the 60's, aluminium does run at a hotter temperature than copper, so you have a bigger fire risk.

Likewise if your house has a fuse board/consumer unit mounted on a wooden block it should be replaced - only because the more recent consumer units are safer and there's less risk of faulty electrics causing a fire or shocking someone.

I've know people who have lasted for years without changing their wiring, and some, who just wanted peace of mind, that changes their after the house being only 20 years old.

Unless you are worried by sockets over-heating or bare wires that you can see (things that can cause a fire or electrocution), you might want to think about it carefully.

DRP

traceyed1 wrote: »

Hello

We are currently selling our house and our buyers had an electrics inspection done yesterday. The electrician noted that the wiring was from the 1970's. We knew the fusebox was dated and needed replacing but he has recommended that the house needs a total rewire which it probably does. Now because the wiring is old does that automatically mean its dangerous?

Thanks

A rewire might be his recommendation, but for what reason?

If he actually says it is dangerous then that is something worth negotiating over. Otherwise...pfff.

traceyed1

DRP wrote: »

A rewire might be his recommendation, but for what reason?

If he actually says it is dangerous then that is something worth negotiating over. Otherwise...pfff.

As it is our buyer that has sent the electrician we dont know what he has put in his report yet. This is what he told my husband. I think he was just recommending it as the fuse board is old and the wiring that he had seen was from the 70's apparently.

dimbo61

Full rewire for a normal house is £3000/4000 so if they are paying full asking price you could offer £2/3,000 off the price