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Time comes for everything, especially your home. Paint starts to chip, window hinges start to squeak, and lighting needs replacing. But there are some things in your home that especially don't age well and can even put your family and home in danger.
Old cabling, some as old as 1910, puts … View moreTime comes for everything, especially your home. Paint starts to chip, window hinges start to squeak, and lighting needs replacing. But there are some things in your home that especially don't age well and can even put your family and home in danger.
Old cabling, some as old as 1910, puts you at risk for electrical fires and shocks and might not be something you are immediately aware of.
VIR Cables
Vulcanised Indian rubber, or VIR, cables are copper conductors insulated with vulcanised rubber. When they were common practice, these cables were often installed in timber ducting or metal conduits.
These cables are typically found in villas, sometimes bungalows, and installed between the 1910s and the 1950s.
Because of unqualified or inadequate electrical work, it is not uncommon to find these old, deteriorating cables joined with new power points or light fittings. This is extremely dangerous as it puts the entire home and its occupants at risk for electrical fires or shock.
What makes these cables so dangerous is the crumbling of their rubber insulation. As the rubber dries out, it begins to crack and flake off, leaving live wires exposed within your home.
And if installed in metal conduit, the conductors could come into contact with the metal resulting in the entire conduit being live and dangerous.
Even if it hasn't cracked, it is still unsafe to do any alterations, as disturbing the cable will ultimately cause the insulation to crumble. Something as innocent as accidentally touching the VIR cable can cause it to break.
These cables are now considered totally unsafe, and it is likely the home will need to be rewired with newer, modern cabling.
TRS Cables
Tough rubber sheathed cabling, while slightly newer than VIR, are still considered unsafe.
Installed between the 1950s and 1960s, TRS cables are frequently found in bungalow style houses.
These cables have copper conductors surrounded by rubber insulation. They are more similar to modern cables than VIR cables, however, they do not have an earth cable.
It is not uncommon to find these cables installed as unsheathed, bare earth cables running throughout the home. This kind of installation is now prohibited. Under new safety regulations, each electrical circuit must have its own independent earth cable in order to prevent accidental disconnection.
Like VIR cables, TRS cable’s rubber starts to crumble and fall away from the conductors, leaving behind live, exposed wiring.
This type of wiring very common and extremely dangerous, and it is often found with the insulation almost completely deteriorated.
TRS cabling should be immediately rewired with safe and modern cabling.
TPS Cables
Termoplastic sheathed cables first were installed in the 1960s and are the most durable, modern cables used to date. They have a much longer life span than VIR and TRS cables and can even last for several decades.
The copper conductor is sheathed in coloured thermoplastic insulation and doubled with another outer layer of thermoplastic insulation.
While this is the ideal cable for replacing old VIR or TRS cables, they will eventually reach the end of their long life span and need to be replaced.
These cables only become seriously dangerous when installed alongside poor insulation or from botched DIY electrical work.
For your home and your family's safety, it is vital that you use certified and experienced electricians with a trustworthy reputation.
Non PVC Cabling
Unfortunately, PVC cabling can have negative impacts on the environment. They degrade, can leach contaminants, aren’t easily recyclable, and poor installation can cause fires.
However, some manufactures are starting to move away from PVC cables and embrace newer, greener options.
PVC free alternatives are slowly becoming more available. These cables can often be smaller and lighter than standard PVC and can be recycled in an everyday recycling bin.
CHOOSE OUR CERTIFIED ELECTRICIANS FOR ALL YOUR NEEDS
From commercial electrical services to residential new home lighting, No Shock has a team of fully qualified, accredited, and registered Master electricians dedicated to giving you fast, efficient, and reliable services at affordable rates.
Along with our exceptional customer service, we proudly uphold our ethical standards, priding ourselves on our safety, top quality work, and a high-performance standard.
When you need an Auckland electrician you can genuinely trust, call the No Shock Electrical Team on (09) 636 8742 for fast, friendly, and efficient electrical services.
There's nothing worse than someone doing a job and leaving your house in a mess and not cleaning up at the end of the job.
Thats why here at No Shock we always carry vacuum cleaners and make sure our work sites are spick and span after the works completed
Are you kitchen benches looking a little dark?
Some LED strip lighting is a great way to lighting up the area. You can even go colour changing. Integrate with all your smart Apps to turn off on on or even dance to the music.
Hey all, hope everyone has been keeping safe and more importantly sane during these crazy pandemic times but the light at the end of the tunnel is coming, abet slowly.
As of Tuesday the 28th April we move to level 3, which means tradespeople can come and do no-essential works. For a full indepth … View moreHey all, hope everyone has been keeping safe and more importantly sane during these crazy pandemic times but the light at the end of the tunnel is coming, abet slowly.
As of Tuesday the 28th April we move to level 3, which means tradespeople can come and do no-essential works. For a full indepth look into this check out our monthly newsletter in the link
We look forward to catching up with you all once this bloody virus is behind us
Homeowner Prosecution - Otaki man fined for unlicensed electrical work
An Unlicensed electrical worker has been fined in the Wellington District Court for undertaking prescribed electrical work (PEW) on his own property.
The unlicensed man has been ordered to pay $1900 plus costs for carrying out… View moreHomeowner Prosecution - Otaki man fined for unlicensed electrical work
An Unlicensed electrical worker has been fined in the Wellington District Court for undertaking prescribed electrical work (PEW) on his own property.
The unlicensed man has been ordered to pay $1900 plus costs for carrying out the electrical installation of his residential garage while he did not hold a licence from the Electrical Workers Registration Board and was not a registered electrician.
“The work, which included installing electrical equipment and fittings, is considered PEW and must be undertaken by a licensed and registered electrical worker,” says Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment Investigation’s Team Leader Simon Thomas.
It also requires a Certificate of Compliance and Electrical Safety Certificate in order to make sure the work is safe and compliant.
“The homeowner made a serious breach in judgement carrying out this work himself which potentially could have resulted in serious harm to the property and people,” says Mr Thomas.
“The homeowner used unsafe cabling which was buried too shallow beneath the surface, there was no cover placed over the garage distribution board protecting the circuit breakers and cables. Also, no residual-current device was installed – which is designed to automatically switch off electrically if there is a fault.”
The electrical work the homeowner carried out is outside an exemption for domestic electrical wiring due to the nature of the work and that it was not carried out in a competent or safe manner.
“It is incredibly important when undertaking any home repairs or upgrades that all prescribed electrical work is carried out by a licensed and registered electrician,” says Mr Thomas.
“Licensed electrical workers are professionals who are trained to do the job safely and correctly. Incorrectly installed electrical work can result in fire and serious harm, which is why it can only be carried out by a licensed electrical worker.
“Where prescribed electrical work isn’t being carried out by a licensed electrical worker, the Electrical Workers Registration Board will investigate, ensuring the safety of New Zealanders and their homes.”
See the WorkSafe website for guidelines on carrying out electrical work in your home
worksafe.govt.nz...
Daylight savings and BBQ season is upon us this weekend! Please be careful when firing up the BBQ for the 1st time this year. Below is some safety tips from the 1 News website to help keep you safe this summer. Happy grilling!
Firefighters attend about 75 incidents a year, whether it's an … View moreDaylight savings and BBQ season is upon us this weekend! Please be careful when firing up the BBQ for the 1st time this year. Below is some safety tips from the 1 News website to help keep you safe this summer. Happy grilling!
Firefighters attend about 75 incidents a year, whether it's an explosion, fire or leak from a BBQ. Source: 1 NEWS
Glenn Menzies of the The New Zealand Fire Service says on average they attend about 75 barbecue-related incidents nationally a year, "where it's either an explosion, fire or leak".
The best way to check for a gas leak, particularly at the start of summer or when connecting a new bottle, is with some soapy water, as Mr Menzies demonstrated for 1 News.
"We're just spraying some water around all the joins just to make sure that they're all secure."
A leak will cause air bubbles to appear in the soap.
Another tip is, if the barbie doesn't light, hold fire before trying again.
"Turn it off again and let the gas dissipate for five minutes or so because otherwise or you'll get a rush of flame and quite often you're caught in the middle of that," Mr Menzies said.
And even when the food is on the grill, it doesn't mean you're out of the woods.
Don't forget the one all important rule when it comes to cooking.
"Whilst you're barbecuing, keep looking while you're cooking because you can get fat fires," Mr Menzies said.
And of course, at the end turn off the gas at the BBQ and the bottle.
The safety tips are timely after a spate of gas bottle explosions in Australia.
Need any Electrical work, give us a call here at No Shock, mention this post and get a 10% discount for the works.
Time to upgrade to an Electric car!!
Time you called us for a in-depth talk about ELV chargers!
Dont buy the car then expect to just plug it into you house power points, this has been known to cause house fires in Europe, not to mention its very inefficient. New Electrical regulations will be… View moreTime to upgrade to an Electric car!!
Time you called us for a in-depth talk about ELV chargers!
Dont buy the car then expect to just plug it into you house power points, this has been known to cause house fires in Europe, not to mention its very inefficient. New Electrical regulations will be coming out soon so its best to call us and have a certified ELV charger installed right before you start.
Sponsored by Master Electricians
Homeowners need to be really careful when getting electrical work done on their property.
Homeowners need to be really careful when getting electrical work done on their property.
Master Electricians has a warning for homeowners.
If you don't get … View moreSponsored by Master Electricians
Homeowners need to be really careful when getting electrical work done on their property.
Homeowners need to be really careful when getting electrical work done on their property.
Master Electricians has a warning for homeowners.
If you don't get electrical work certified by a registered sparkie, "you may as well have tied two wires together yourself, in the eyes of an insurance company".
And that’s not all. If you sell your house and it has electrical work that hasn't been certified, you could find yourself legally liable.
"If there's a fire or someone gets electrocuted then the liability comes back on the homeowner," says the organisation’s chief executive Bernie McLaughlin.
"That's what you pay a [registered] electrician for; you pay them for certification, so that it's safe. The same risks apply to those people who watch a youtube video then do their own work, which a surprising number of people do!"
Certification needs to be issued by a registered electrician
A Certificate of Compliance (CoC) is required for any major work and if they have anything connected to a power source done, they need an Electrical Safety Certificate (ESC)
"It includes heated towel rails that are wired in. Also, items like wall heaters, security lights or other appliances available at hardware stores that are required to be hard-wired in. Things you'd be tempted to wire up yourself," says Mr McLaughlin.
"Installing or removing them requires a ESC and isn't something you should be doing yourself," he said.
"The risk is that if there's a fire, your house insurance could be rendered null and void."
People get caught out when selling
"If an inspection is done, which 9/10 times is done at point of sale, an inspector WILL pick that up, and you could be required to have the work redone."
What to know and check
There are a few key steps homeowners should follow to ensure electrical work in their home is done safely and the liability is in the right place, with the electrician.
All registered electricians are self-certifying. Sparkies need to be a registered electrician with a current Practising Licence from the Electrical Workers' Registration Board website.
Check that the individual electrician, not the company owner, has a current Practising Licence before commencing work. You can check that it's current on the EWRB website.
A licence expires every two years. "If a licence has lapsed at the time, any CoC or ESC issued by that electrician will be invalid," says Mr McLaughlin.
Ask for a copy of your CoC (Certificate of Compliance) and/or ESC (Electrical Safety Certificate) after work has been completed.
Sparkies need to be a registered electrician with a current Practising Licence from the EWRB.
Sparkies need to be a registered electrician with a current Practising Licence from the EWRB. Photo credit: Getty
Changes to the 'Wiring Rules'
With new wiring rules set for release soon and the unanswered question as for when electricians will be required to comply with the 200+ change, Master Electricians says it's a really important time to be making sure you get the right certifications from electricians.
Doing this can safeguard you and your home down the track.
"What concerns us, is the lack of information around changes to a standard about wiring. It's not a small topic and we are predicting a backlash. How are electricians meant to comply with standards they don't know about?" says Mr McLaughlin.
"The new changes were scheduled to be released in March, by official bodies. We have yet to see anything come out and have had no official statement otherwise."
Worksafe said in March, "it's likely to be a couple of months before The Wiring Rules are published."
Roadshows about the changes are taking place across the country for electricians wanting to get up to date.
This article was created for Master Electricians.
Here at No Shock Electrical we prove to be leaders in providing value-added Electrical Contracting services to our customers by creating a successful partnership with them throughout the construction or maintenance process. Our pledge is to establish lasting relationships with our customers by … View moreHere at No Shock Electrical we prove to be leaders in providing value-added Electrical Contracting services to our customers by creating a successful partnership with them throughout the construction or maintenance process. Our pledge is to establish lasting relationships with our customers by exceeding their expectations and gaining their trust through exceptional performance by every member of the Electrical team.
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