Signs Your House Needs Rewiring

Wiring hidden in walls and under floors is easy to forget. Many homes are still running on installations that are decades old, and some have parts dating back much further. Old wiring doesn't always announce itself, but there are signs worth knowing. This guide lists them, explains why each matters, and ends with the only reliable way to find out: having the installation inspected.

Rubber, lead or fabric-covered cable

Before PVC-sheathed cable became standard, houses were wired with cable insulated in rubber, sometimes covered in fabric or lead sheathing. Rubber insulation becomes brittle with age and can crumble when disturbed, exposing the conductors. If you see black rubber-sheathed cable, braided fabric cable or lead-covered cable in the loft, under the floor or at the consumer unit, a rewire is very likely needed.

Round-pin sockets and old accessories

Round-pin sockets, brown or black bakelite switches and ceiling roses, and switches mounted on wooden blocks are signs of a very old installation. Even if the accessories have been changed, the cable behind them may be original. Light switches with metal plates but no earth connection, or no earth at all in older lighting circuits, are other clues.

Scorch marks, warmth and smells

Brown marks around sockets or switches, plugs that get hot, a fishy or burning smell with no obvious source, or accessories that feel warm are signs of overheating. That can come from loose connections or cables carrying more than they should. Stop using the affected point and get it checked.

Frequent trips and blown fuses

An installation that trips or blows fuses regularly may have deteriorating insulation, overloaded circuits or faults in old wiring. Our guide on why the RCD keeps tripping covers the causes in more detail.

No RCD protection

An old fuse box with rewireable fuses, or a board without RCD protection, doesn't necessarily mean the wiring is bad, but it does suggest the installation hasn't been updated for a long time. It is worth having tested.

Too few sockets

Rooms with one or two sockets, extension leads everywhere and adaptors stacked on top of each other show an installation that was designed for a very different way of living. A rewire is a chance to put sockets where you actually need them.

Lights that flicker or dim

Flickering can have harmless causes, as our guide to flickering lights explains, but along with other signs it can point to loose connections or tired wiring.

How often should you rewire?

There is no fixed schedule. PVC wiring installed in good condition can last for many decades. What matters is the condition, how it has been altered over the years and whether it suits current use. Age alone isn't the deciding factor.

An EICR is the way to know

An Electrical Installation Condition Report tests the insulation, the earthing and the protection of every circuit and records the condition in a standard format. It tells you whether the installation can continue in use, what needs fixing and whether a rewire is advisable. It's the best starting point before buying an older home or planning a renovation. Our guide to EICRs explains the report.

Can you rewire one room at a time?

Circuits rarely follow room boundaries, so rewiring a single room can leave half a circuit old and half new. A partial rewire is still possible, planned around complete circuits. See full vs partial rewire and, for budgeting, what affects the cost of a house rewire.

Buying an older house

A survey for a house purchase usually only comments on the electrics in general terms. If the property is older or shows any of the signs above, an EICR before exchange gives you a clear picture and can inform negotiations. Look in the loft and under the stairs during viewings for old cable, an old fuse box or a jumble of junction boxes. Ask the seller for any certificates for electrical work they have had done.

Living in the house during a rewire

Many people stay at home during a rewire, with the work done room by room and power restored at the end of each day where possible. It is dusty and disruptive, so plan around it.