Reusing old electrical fittings

[wasiyku]

We're about to have the house rewired. It hasn't been done for years, the lighting isn't earthed, hardly any of the cables are concealed and anything that has been done looks very DIY.

I would like to keep the switches and sockets that are in place at the moment. They are thin with rounded edges (though square in shape) and look as if they could have been here since the fifties. None of the sockets have on/off switches so they are quite flush to the wall. They might have been white once but now they're rather faded.

The electrician advises get rid of all the fittings as he says they're near the end of their life. My husband says we must have switches on all sockets for safety reasons - though neither of the children have stuck their fingers in any sockets yet! I think new white fittings would stand out too much. It's a 17th century workers cottage - I'm reluctant to start putting in fancy Victorian brass fittings and jelly mould bakelite fittings would just be too big.

Any thoughts?

 

[Andrew Bodenham]

I'd have to agree with your electrician. The technical design of electrical fittings has changed quite a bit over the years, so it is unlikely that your existing fittings meet current design strandards, quite apart from issues of wear and tear. Your electrician will have to certify the job on completion, and he probably won't want to do that with old fittings which he can't gaurantee to be fit for purpose.

There are so many different styles of accessories available now I'd be very surprised if you couldn't find something to go with your decor.

 

[MdB]

Keep the style of your current fittings if you want but replace all with new parts. Old switches / sockets etc are simply not safe for mains usage (you can use them for low current low voltage circuits though if you want.) There are lots of safety features built into modern fittings which are not there in the old.

 

[NT]

I guess you mean the old (__) shape ones.

Retaining old fittings is a nice way to retain a fair bit of character, if the old fittings are suitable, and square pin sockets normally are. There are so many period electrical features, some really nice, that have been junked needlessly.

Old square pin sockets are suitable for reuse (they meet the same BS as new sockets today) as long as a few checks are made first.

There is no requirement today for switches on sockets, though theyre popular.


Things to check:
insulation resistance between l-e-n on each socket
L/N shutter present and working
no damage large enough to expose live parts to finger access
plug a 13A load in to check the socket doesnt heat up

If I resuse things I normally wash them in the dishwasher, tidies them right up and gets rid of a lot of insulation issues at the same time. However if doing this,
a) its essential to give them a full week in a warm room to dry out
b) it does slow the job down


If theyre round pin theres more to it, but round pin can still be fitted. If they are round pin, the practical option is usually to swap them to a 12v or 24v supply and not rewire. Reusing old round pin kit on mains is issueful and thus costly in labour.


NT

 

[NT]

> The technical design of electrical fittings has changed quite a bit over the years

with some things yes, but not with square pin sockets. Round pin are another matter entirely, with old sockets often riddled with problems.


>, so it is unlikely that your existing fittings meet current design strandards,

they should be marked BS1363.


> quite apart from issues of wear and tear.

If there is a problem there it'll show up on load testing. Not hard to repair either Repairing sockets is not the fashion today, but is the only way to maintain such period features when occasionally necessary, and is neither hard nor time consuming.

Old high quality sockets can last as well as new if in good condition when fitted, and thats simple to test for.


> Your electrician will have to certify the job on completion, and he probably won't want to do that with old fittings which he can't gaurantee to be fit for purpose.

BS1363 plus passing tests makes them fit. AFAIK he isnt expected to guarantee them long term.

The problem is the need to troubleshoot leakage and replace dirty accessories he's just fitted, plus the potential for arguments with an already fussy customer. This is one reason I'd clean them all properly.


> Old switches / sockets etc are simply not safe for mains usage

why would tested shuttered BS1363s be unsafe?


> There are lots of safety features built into modern fittings which are not there in the old.

Can you give us an example? While true of many accessories, I cant think of any with square pin sockets.


Most electricians will be concerned about a customer that wants to reuse old accessories, but if you let them know immediately the fittings are all BS1363 and have been insulation tested, those worries will relax to a fair extent. That does mean you doing that of course.

You're right about electrical kit and character, I still recall a 1940s install in a place I worked, and it changed the character of the place in a huge way. Ditto with another installation, a polished brass 1930s round pin system in a beautiful 30s building. You can throw it all away if you want of course.


NT

 

[NT]

I just noticed you said switches as well. Why dont you post a pic so we know what type you're dealing with?

If not suitable for direct mains connection, any kind in any condition can be reused by adding a miniature transformer & relay to isolate the switch from mains.


NT

 

[Moo]

Surely someone out there must know of a source of decent repro C17th light fittings.

 

[middi]

:lol: :lol: :lol:

 

[Pford75]

NT's advice is comprehensive and there's not a lot I can add.

The one thing which convinced us to replace some of our switches (bakelite dollys) was that the front of the switch could be unscrewed by hand. Not sure if this applies to your situation.

 

[NT]

The one thing which convinced us to replace some of our switches (bakelite dollys) was that the front of the switch could be unscrewed by hand. Not sure if this applies to your situation.

Yes, round pin era kit like that often needs modification to be safe. With the common unscrewable fronted round bakelite switches, a miniaure screw can be inserted (after drilling) into the underside of the front of the switch to prevent toolless unscrewing. However most of those switches lack proper spring action, which makes them unsafe on mains, though usable with the transformer & relay method.


Moo is a wit today


NT

 

[wasiyku]

Thanks for all the advice . I have a feeling I won't be allowed to keep any of the fittings but I will certainly check for the features you mention and discuss with my electrician.