Penners
Member
- Messages
- 17,294
- Location
- Suffolk, England
That seems an excessively radical solution to a minor inconvenience!MdB said:
- Thread starter dans
- Start date
Lime
Member
- Messages
- 2,749
- Location
- East of England
Sounds a good idea to me!Penners said:
The best form of wiring for many period properties where the wiring has to be exposed is Mineral Insulated Copper Covered (MICC) - one brand name is Pyrotenax and the cable is often known as pyro.
It's available in several different sheath colours and also in unsheathed copper, where it looks like microbore heating pipe (but can't be used next to lime plaster or new oak).
It's of small diameter for the cable size and because of its construction you can often use a smaller cable size than normal, eg for a 32A ring circuit with any other cable type the minimum conductor size is 2.5mm, with MICC you can use 1.5mm. It's fireproof, which is a benefit in period buildings, lasts forever, and needs fewer fixings than other cables because it's more rigid.
Pyrotenax catalogue
New Wires for Old
Information and installation manual from the 1950s.
sandstone-colour Pyrotenax cable used for St Giles Cathedral, Edinbburgh
you will need a commercial/industrial electrician to install it properly, not a house-basher.
It's available in several different sheath colours and also in unsheathed copper, where it looks like microbore heating pipe (but can't be used next to lime plaster or new oak).
It's of small diameter for the cable size and because of its construction you can often use a smaller cable size than normal, eg for a 32A ring circuit with any other cable type the minimum conductor size is 2.5mm, with MICC you can use 1.5mm. It's fireproof, which is a benefit in period buildings, lasts forever, and needs fewer fixings than other cables because it's more rigid.
Pyrotenax catalogue
New Wires for Old
Information and installation manual from the 1950s.
sandstone-colour Pyrotenax cable used for St Giles Cathedral, Edinbburgh
you will need a commercial/industrial electrician to install it properly, not a house-basher.
Zebra
Member
- Messages
- 2,986
- Location
- St Albans, Hertfordshire
An interesting link, that New Wires for Old... many practices it describes are best practice for many types of installation, not just historic ones, but of course care and attention to detail like that comes at a cost, which is why compromises and less perfect practices are often employed...
True most house-bashers don't know how to use pyro - I think in seven years I've had to use it once!!
True most house-bashers don't know how to use pyro - I think in seven years I've had to use it once!!