Lighting wiring in a late 1950's house

[SJD]

I am working in a late 1950's house - the owner thinks it was built 1957, Bracknell new town.

The downstairs lighting is wired in twin & earth (and tests OK).
The upstairs lighting is wired in twin, with no earth found at any point (there are now mostly metal light fittings installed).
Oh, and of course the landing light is wired across the two circuits.

The upstairs will be rewired, but has anyone any idea why just the downstairs lighting would have an earth? Or could it just be down to what reels of cable were available on the day?

 

[Pete999]

I am working in a late 1950's house - the owner thinks it was built 1957, Bracknell new town.

The downstairs lighting is wired in twin & earth (and tests OK).
The upstairs lighting is wired in twin, with no earth found at any point (there are now mostly metal light fittings installed).
Oh, and of course the landing light is wired across the two circuits.

The upstairs will be rewired, but has anyone any idea why just the downstairs lighting would have an earth? Or could it just be down to what reels of cable were available on the day?

Sparky had been for a liquid lunch before he wired the upstairs lighting

 

[Squid]

Have you stripped back the upstairs T+E to see if there is an earth, I believe older systems used the neutral.

 

[GeorgeCooke]

Perhaps the downstairs has been rewired at some point. Maybe when a metal florescent was fitted in the kitchen.

 

[Octopus]

I'm on a refurb at the moment. Twin and twin and earth, mixed on the upstairs lighting circuit. No logic, guess they used the wire to hand

 

[SparkyChick]

I'm on a refurb at the moment. Twin and twin and earth, mixed on the upstairs lighting circuit. No logic, guess they used the wire to hand

That's the same situation I found at the rewire I've recently done. 1957 I believe, all rubber, mixed twin and T+E on the lighting circuit. Also the same in terms of no logic to it.

 

[buzzlightyear]

did not need a earth at that point in the 50s like to day .

 

[SJD]

@SWD: Yes, I’ve stripped back a portion of the upstairs twin in the consumer unit – there is definitely no earth. The nice surprise was lots of slack (a foot or more) on all the cables in the ceiling before they enter the fuse box.

@GeorgeCook: No, the downstairs has definitely not been rewired in any way, twin & earth throughout.

This morning, I’m just back from looking at another local 50’s house. This time all rubber cabling, and lighting is a mix of with and without earth, both up and down, somewhat random. The not-so-nice feature of this one is laminate floorings throughout upstairs!

 

[HappyHippyDad]

I am working in a late 1950's house - the owner thinks it was built 1957, Bracknell new town.

The downstairs lighting is wired in twin & earth (and tests OK).
The upstairs lighting is wired in twin, with no earth found at any point (there are now mostly metal light fittings installed).
Oh, and of course the landing light is wired across the two circuits.

The upstairs will be rewired, but has anyone any idea why just the downstairs lighting would have an earth? Or could it just be down to what reels of cable were available on the day?

Just ask Tel why he did it that way

 

[telectrix]

twin cable was cheaper. every job done with just twin saved 2 pints.

 

[Squid]

Seen installs in old houses where the earth was a bare cable clipped by the circuit.

 

[telectrix]

seen a couple where all cable was twin only and a single bare earth was spidered with branches to JBs on each circuit.