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after finding various lead sheathed cable in properties left by previous installers after rewires, the subject always comes up at coffee breaks ...... what size drums was lead sheathed cable supplied on ? due to the weight, we think maybe 30 yards.
 
Kinda irks me. leaving in redundant cables. Been criticised before about spending time removing old cables, but I think it should be part of the job, where reasonable to remove and there is the scrap benefit as well, and metals are precocious and should be recycled.
Must of been a hell of a job for the delivery driver, unloading those cables for a job!
 
So you would expect your customer to pay you extra money to take out some cable which you would then take to the scrapman and get even more money for?? Daz
 
it was a standard twin cable, as the lead sheath provided the earthing, and used metal joint boxes with screwits (porcelain then, plastic now)
 
Ooops, in reply to DPG

Nope!!
Turning it around, you're not doing a thorough job by not removing it IMO. If I have new windows installed, I expect the old ones taken away.
I did a kitchen refurb a while back, where the plasterboard ceiling was replaced. Took me some time, to remove the mass of redundant wiring left behind by the previous sparks, working out what was in use and what was dead.
Cant see the point of leaving in redundant cables, when trying to pull in new ones threw the same route?
 
Different argument. A pile of windows left in the front yard is nothing like a few meters of redundant cable left hidden under the floor. Daz
 
Different argument. A pile of windows left in the front yard is nothing like a few meters of redundant cable left hidden under the floor. Daz
We are starting to hijack this thread, but....just because it's hidden from view, never the less means a full service is not being done. Don't go out of my way to do it, but as I said before, why leave the old stuff in, when you're trying to pull in the new stuff?

Pee's me off when I see bits of pipe, broken floorboards and the rest of the detritus left by trades under the floor. If its not forming a function, it should not be there.
I don't collect the scrap money myself, I give to someone else, so that disses that. Failing that, it goes in the skip for recycling.
 
Its not always a good idea to leave any obsolete conductors under the floor as they may pick up a reactive voltage which suggests that all unwanted conductors should be grounded. However, to removed such cables can bump up the cost of installation.
Some kind chap from the previous owner left about 15m of unused red and black 25mm2 tails in my loft. I'm not sure whether to rescue it for scrap or installation.........
 
Re the roll / Drum size.
It will have been 100yards for Lead sheathed twin.
Remember it was when Men were Men and had Boys to carry their tools and cable and H&S didn't exist to the current standard.

And Horses and carts couldn't carry a Moffett Mounty or Hiab with them, so it was all hand loaded /unloaded,
 
There was a very interesting film (sad I know) posted in the forum about cable making in the thirties (can't find it now), sure lead sheath was in it.
 
Ooops, in reply to DPG

Nope!!
Turning it around, you're not doing a thorough job by not removing it IMO. If I have new windows installed, I expect the old ones taken away.
I did a kitchen refurb a while back, where the plasterboard ceiling was replaced. Took me some time, to remove the mass of redundant wiring left behind by the previous sparks, working out what was in use and what was dead.
Cant see the point of leaving in redundant cables, when trying to pull in new ones threw the same route?
Sorry, but I disagree what if when rerouting cables which happens on rewires, then you are going to tear the whole place apart to get too the old redundant cables.?I don't think so.!
 
Thin
Sorry, but I disagree what if when rerouting cables which happens on rewires, then you are going to tear the whole place apart to get too the old redundant cables.?I don't think so.!
Think this a continuation of a previous discussion, somewhat feverish. Don't know how you do your rewires, but I tend to lift the relevant floorboards, where I need to install new said cables, which is usually where my predecessors have been. Remove said redundant cables, and install new said cables. Refit floorboards. Tearing the place apart will do me no good, and leave me at the displeasure of my client.

Am I just being wound up here?
 
Thin

Think this a continuation of a previous discussion, somewhat feverish. Don't know how you do your rewires, but I tend to lift the relevant floorboards, where I need to install new said cables, which is usually where my predecessors have been. Remove said redundant cables, and install new said cables. Refit floorboards. Tearing the place apart will do me no good, and leave me at the displeasure of my client.

Am I just being wound up here?

Not at all, are we talking second generation rewires ?, because I have never done one (all mine have been first time rewires no cut boards etc). Also clients change positions of sockets lights etc as previously mentioned , so old positions will not be disturbed just cut away an left under floor once de energized . I specialized in full occupied rewires so mess an upheaval was to a minimum. My point is that pulling every old cable out is sometimes not possible or cost effective. IMO
 
I consider,the state an installation is left,whether visible or not,indicates the quality of the entire job.

Industrial sites aside,where on occasion,very old,original cables can be brought back into service,i would always make efforts to remove what was redundant.

My clients would not be upset to see me do this,indeed,some would expect it,but none of them come via advertising.

In the cut-throat world of domestic sparking,i readily admit these extra considerations would not always be possible.

Cables,bonds and other transmission items,can be part of future problems,they can slow fault finding and dissection inspections.

The value in scrap rarely covers the labour of extraction,and if we don't leave the mineral sarking under the roofs new breathable membrane,we should seek similar with our electrical work.

Maybe some of us do go a bit OCD,and i have a couple of pals who agree...i even have a plumber/gas engineer mate,who has a pouch on his tool belt for a cordless hoover...but his installs are exemplary :)
 
From the 1927 GEC catalogue, 100 yards of 3/.029 flat twin tough rubber sheathed weighs 23 lbs compared to 65 lbs for lead sheathed. For 7/.029 those are 34 and 100lbs respectively. All were supplied as standard on 100 yd drums or coils. The main bugbear with the weight of lead sheathed twin was not when it was on the reel, but the need to support it carefully during work to stop it damaging itself, creasing, stretching or kinking at the last point of support. For surface work where finish was important, one would measure the run and form a hand-coil of the correct length, that would be carried along while fixing and not left to drape on the floor etc.
 
In the middle of upgrade to a dental practice at the moment.
Under the floors we have lead VIR and old PVC twin with the tinned stranded and the existing white twin and earth.

All the lead and VIR is dead and just left in the way. The Grey old Pvc some is live as for night storage and some is dead and cut.

Turning into a right head ache as difficult to now what live or dead or off peak.

And to add to the mess there are old Gas, Air and waste services mixed in there as well.

Mind a big pile of scrap has come out lol
 

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