Subfloor services – damaged wiring

Causes

Age of wiring

Poor installation

Wire sheathing in contact over a long period with polystyrene insulation

Listed under: insulation, plastic, polyvinyl chloride (PVC), electrical, Subfloor, framing, wires

Cause

Age of wiring

Repair

  • damaged subfloor wiring should be replaced. This is not something that can be done by DIYers – call in a registered electrician who holds an annual practising licence
  • you can check that an electrician is registered here
  • the electrician must give you a Certificate of Compliance after doing fixed wiring work. This says that the work is electrically safe, complies with electrical safety standards and codes and has been tested. Keep the certificate with the other paperwork for your house (house insurance policy etc.)
  • for pre-1960s houses, it is highly unlikely that a house will still have a type of wiring older than the thermoplastic-sheathed (TPS) wiring installed since the 1960s, but if this is the case, all the old wiring should be replaced 

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Cause

Poor installation

Repair

  • as above, but if the installation was carried out recently, call the installer back to make repairs or replace the wiring

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Cause

Wire sheathing in contact over a long period with polystyrene insulation

Repair

  • over the long term, polystyrene that is in direct contact with the PVC sheathing of electrical cables may cause deterioration of the sheathing
  • damaged wiring should be replaced. This is not something that can be done by DIYers – call in a registered electrician as in the first repair above
  • new wiring that is being installed in close proximity to polystyrene should be run through sleeves to prevent direct contact

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