Do I Need A Rewire?
A question many house owners, and more often
potential house buyers ask themselves is "does this place
need a re-wire?" Often the answer is not straight forward,
as some parts of the installation may be satisfactory, others
not so.
Some older properties may have had modifications
carried out while different (ie. older) versions of the Wiring
Regulations were in force and are now in need of improvement.
The only way to be sure, is to get an approved
electrician to have a look and carry out an inspection. If you
are buying a property, paying for an inspection may be money well
spent if you discover the property needs to be re-wired.
TRS Wiring
Tough Rubber Sheath Wiring (TRS) was the forerunner
to today's modern PVC cables. It was last used in this country
in the early 60's and if your property is older than this, and
hasn't been re-wired at some point, there may be TRS wiring present
in your house. TRS wiring can be extremely dangerous. If you look
at the picture below you should see why straight away!
A good place to check for TRS cabling is in the loft as access
is easy. Of course these cables are also the easiest to replace,
so if you don't find any up there, there may still be some lurking
somewhere else!
It is important to remember that just because
there is TRS wiring present, doesn't necessarily mean it's live.
If you are in any doubt though, it is very important that you
get a qualified electrician to check for you. |
