When did red and black wiring colours change?

cojomo2

Hi Folks

As in the title, does anyone know what year regulations came in to change the old black and red wiring colours to the current brown/blue and yellow/green? Asking to gauge the age of a wiring installation ..I plan to get a sparks to have a proper look but just wanted an idea in the mean time.

Thanks

black & white

I started serving my time in ‘79 and seem to remember brown/blue being used at that time. Wouldn’t swear to it though.

beachhead

1977 was the year for phasing in of blue and brown with plain green under IEE regulations applying in Europe.

cojomo2

Thanks folks.

1977, so safe to assume if the wiring is black and red...not really any point in investing further, absolutely needs a full rewire?

beachhead

Most likely the insulation on red and black wiring will be extremely brittle by now.Safer to rewire.Insurance will require a full rewiring.

Rows Grower

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122380280#Comment_122380280

My memory of timelines wouldn't great but I'd say it was around that year when my Dad showed me how to wire a plug and his instructions for the wires was just go with the second letter of the colour, brown on the right and blue on the left.

Electricity is a dangerous game to be playing with old wires, I'd wire a plug or have a go off something I can plug out and google but old wiring sticking out of walls makes me shiver.

Call in a sparks but the testing they have to do and the paperwork they have to go through these days if they touch a job like that is big. You'd be better off to get a price off him to redo the lot.

Keith186

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122380336#Comment_122380336

I'm not an electrician or expert by any means but old copper is the same as new copper, just different coloured cover on the outside of the cables.

If the fuse board was replaced with a new one it might be fine to leave as is.

If buying a new house, then now is the time to do the rewire especially if you feel you don't have enough sockets plus you can get cat cables run to each room for wired internet.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122380348#Comment_122380348

Depends on the brand, some did not stand the test of time.

Doolittle51

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122380348#Comment_122380348

Since when do insurance companies require you to have your house rewired?

Rows Grower

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122380525#Comment_122380525

Maybe he means it'll need to certified as everything has been tested and is safe and no electrician is going to do that without rewiring the whole lot.

L1011

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122380525#Comment_122380525

If the house is either >100 years old, or pre 1900, insurer depending, you may be expected to have had it rewired within a period when starting a policy.

I've been asked for within 25 years, and within 40 years by two different insurers on an 1830s house.

Any "modern" house and they're not going to care; my 1972 house had its 1972 wiring until 2022 and I'd say most of the rest of the street still do and still have insurance.

RurtBeynolds

My house was constructed in '87 and has red/black wiring.

drury..

Yes i was going to say

My best recollection is that red/black was in use in late 80s

DublinDilbert

Definitely in common use till the late 80s, and if cable was sourced from the North, till the late 90s.

wildwillow

I know blue and brown were in use in 1973 as I taught a class how to wire a plug. It was during teaching practice so I can pinpoint the year.

We had a pupil whose surname was Browne and was a lively individual so one pupil said brown is live like said pupil. They all remembered brown/live as a result and it still is my reminder.

tphase

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122382186#Comment_122382186

correct…I know couple of buildings finished in 1988 or 1989 where red/black was used

drury..

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122382688#Comment_122382688

I joined RECI at its inception sometime 93-95 era

I remember a lot of talk about cable colours back then

I think maybe about 1990 or thereabouts the new colors were being sold

Hager

I started serving my time in 1990 and I never used anything except brown/blue. Parents house built in 1980 had red/black, so sometime in the 80s.