Historic Mains Cable
PVC twin Older T&E wiring having similar construction to today’s cables. Several versions exist: 7/.029 T&E imperial 7 stranded version of 2.5mm² T&E used for socket circuits until unstranded 2.5mm T&E was introduced around 1970 strands are 0.029″ diameter = 0.74mm 3/.029 T&E imperial 3 stranded version of 1mm² T&E used for lighting circuits 1/.044″ […]
PolyButyl Jute insulated cable Rubberised Hessian appearance to the sheath. The surface is these cables is quite uneven Commonly used for mains incomer insulation Lots of old PBJ is still safely in service
Each conductor has an aluminium core surrounded by copper An attempt to improve the properties of aluminium cable Significantly better than al, the surface oxidation problem is eliminated, creep reduced & the risk from cracking more or less eliminated. Primarily still being produced and used as welding cable
Cheaper alternative to copper Used from 1950s to 1970s, and old stock sometimes used into the 1980s. The insulation & sheathing is mostly the same as T&E – PVC for decades, may be rubber on older cable. A known fire risk Aluminium cable creeps, oxidises & fractures, all of which can cause fires. Requires special […]
Cab Tyre Sheathed Tinned copper conductors, each core insulated with VIR, & cab tyre outer sheath Single, Flat Twin and Flat Triple Cab tyre was the same rubber formula used for car tyres, making this cable a very tough rubber cable
Tough Rubber Sheath Rubber insulated conductors with a rubber outer sheath still used today but more often found used by bands, on stage, on the road and in the theatre.
Vulcanised India Rubber insulated cable. Along with imperial T&E, one of the most common historic wiring cables still in use Comes in 2 forms: Twisted pair, cotton/rubber insulated, with no outer sheath singles drawn into conduit Most VIR wiring doesn’t include an earth wire, which is sometimes run as a separate uninsulated single. Rated to […]
Common in 1930s for socket circuits Used as exterior farm cable well after that Lead sheath does not make reliable earth connections Rubber inner insulation Tail rubber insulation tends to disintegrate, and muck accumulates on cable ends causing leakage
Paper Paper insulation From the WW1 era Very rare now in domestic wiring Paper is somewhat hygroscopic Pre-war paper cable is still in service in distribution networks, and causes a good deal of downtime The polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) oil used in old paper insulation is toxic, and the insulation should not be handled with bare […]