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Bl***dy electrics

Decided to replace a couple of light switch back boxes & wiring in preparation for some smart switches. The original back boxes were surface mounted with a bit of 1/2" steel/iron conduit for the cables.. No where big enough for a couple of lengths of 1.5mm² T+E (or even 1mm²) plus a neutral. On pulling the old cables out, who ever rewired this place had hit on the same issue of conduit being too small. So rather than replace the pipe, simply strip the outer insulation off and shove the wires in. At least they ran the earth wire down, even if it didn't have a bit of green sleeving inside the back box. Very much doubt that this was 14th edition compliant when the place was rewired back in the 1970s !
Her courage will change the world.

Treasure the moments that you have. Savour them for as long as you can for they will never come back again.

Comments

  • FreeBear said:
    Decided to replace a couple of light switch back boxes & wiring in preparation for some smart switches. The original back boxes were surface mounted with a bit of 1/2" steel/iron conduit for the cables.. No where big enough for a couple of lengths of 1.5mm² T+E (or even 1mm²) plus a neutral. On pulling the old cables out, who ever rewired this place had hit on the same issue of conduit being too small. So rather than replace the pipe, simply strip the outer insulation off and shove the wires in. At least they ran the earth wire down, even if it didn't have a bit of green sleeving inside the back box. Very much doubt that this was 14th edition compliant when the place was rewired back in the 1970s !
    There, there. At least your kitchen utilities won't be affected, you can always stick the kettle on :D

    Seriously, what redress do you have - if any - against bodged previous homeowner attempts at DIY?
    No man is worth crawling on this earth.

    So much to read, so little time.
  • FreeBear
    FreeBear Posts: 17,239 Forumite
    Ninth Anniversary 10,000 Posts Name Dropper Photogenic
    Rosa_Damascena said: Seriously, what redress do you have - if any - against bodged previous homeowner attempts at DIY?
    That's just it. It wasn't a DIY bodge, but a "professional" electrician that did this.

    Just needed to let off a little bit of steam :|
    Her courage will change the world.

    Treasure the moments that you have. Savour them for as long as you can for they will never come back again.
  • EssexExile
    EssexExile Posts: 6,344 Forumite
    Tenth Anniversary 1,000 Posts Name Dropper Photogenic
    My previous house was like that, just red, black and bare earth, in this case going to the upstairs socket. Yes, there was only one upstairs socket.
    Tall, dark & handsome. Well two out of three ain't bad.
  • Rosa_Damascena
    Rosa_Damascena Posts: 6,767 Forumite
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    edited 15 August 2021 at 7:41PM
    FreeBear said:
    Rosa_Damascena said: Seriously, what redress do you have - if any - against bodged previous homeowner attempts at DIY?
    That's just it. It wasn't a DIY bodge, but a "professional" electrician that did this.

    Just needed to let off a little bit of steam :|
    I suspected as much.

    Accept that there are corner-cutting charlatans in every trade and move on. That is not to say that tea and a thick slice of cake won't take the edge off your (understandable) anger :)
    No man is worth crawling on this earth.

    So much to read, so little time.
  • Carrot007
    Carrot007 Posts: 4,534 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Name Dropper
    Professional or not, you cannot repalce the conduit if teh customer does not want to.

    Many won't refuse a job.


    Just to upset you I did a bodge the other day. Not being to regs does not necessarily mean bad. The regs are sometimes rediculous. Look where subsequent regs have roled it back if you need proof!

    (the bodge however is just in my house and is waiting for my car to be repaired to go get a repalcement! What you ask. Well Becuase modern fitting are small the bloddy lot of wires in them is a pain so on changing a light I just wanted the 3 wires coming down from the loft. Only had a 3 terminal junction box. So (at my choice) the switched wire is out over the top into a terminal block. It probably is to regs as you could not touch anything, but I will change it when I can because I like things nice!).



  • Alanp
    Alanp Posts: 741 Forumite
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    You can run single core cable down conduit, indeed that’s what it’s for, when I used to rewire houses we used red black and green/yellow single core as twin and earth wouldn’t fit, it shouldn’t have a non insulated cable for the earth though.
  • Section62
    Section62 Posts: 8,658 Forumite
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    FreeBear said:

    So rather than replace the pipe, simply strip the outer insulation off and shove the wires in. At least they ran the earth wire down, even if it didn't have a bit of green sleeving inside the back box. Very much doubt that this was 14th edition compliant when the place was rewired back in the 1970s !

    I think running individual conductors in metal conduit is/was a 'norm', the outer insulation not being needed if the conductor insulation is protected against mechanical damage by the conduit. (although I could be wrong about this, not something I've ever needed to get involved with directly)

    If it is a length of T&E which has only been stripped back for the length in conduit there are possible detailing issues with switching between the two systems.

  • FreeBear
    FreeBear Posts: 17,239 Forumite
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    edited 15 August 2021 at 11:26PM
    Alanp said: You can run single core cable down conduit, indeed that’s what it’s for
    Yes. Done industrial 3-phase installations using flexible single core cables. Even the earth would be insulated - But the whole run from fuse board to what-ever would be in conduit.

    Other questionable wiring - Live feed for lights in the kitchen picked up off an adjacent socket which in turn was spurred off a socket upstairs. That was sorted ~5 years ago.
    Power for the upstairs lights comes up through 1/2" conduit on the landing. The bottom half of cable has the outer insulation stripped and is joined to an unstripped length with s screw terminal block hidden behind the surface mount light switch..
    Wall mounted electric heater spurred off the immersion heater which is in turn spurred off (presumably) the upstairs socket ring.

    Her courage will change the world.

    Treasure the moments that you have. Savour them for as long as you can for they will never come back again.
  • Alanp
    Alanp Posts: 741 Forumite
    Sixth Anniversary 500 Posts Name Dropper
    Sounds like my late fil did your electrics😀
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