I have been working in an old house today and noticed some silver coloured P.V.C. insulated cable dating from the 50s/60s.. Most other cable there is grey coloured. I now know why the cable outer sheath was made in a silver colour. Do you?
I have heard it suggested that the silver colour was purely cosmetic, to make the cable look like lead covered cable, which was still regarded by some as being the better qaulity product, with the new fangled plastic being considered as a cheaper and lower qaulity product.
Whilst it sounds improbable to design fixed wiring cables for appearance, the same could be said of plumbing pipe, and there was at about the same time "copper effect" plastic waste pipe.
I believe that you are correct about the silver coloured P.V.C. being made to resemble lead sheathed cable of old. I came across a short piece of lead covered single cable under the floor boards. The lead was really shiny and looked like new. The single core conductor seemed to be copper with cotton/rubber insulation. The lead sheath was exactly the same colour as the newer silver coloured P.V.C. cable.
Did sparks of old wear gloves when handling lead cable? Or were the risks unknown back then?
I have heard it suggested that the silver colour was purely cosmetic, to make the cable look like lead covered cable, which was still regarded by some as being the better qaulity product, with the new fangled plastic being considered as a cheaper and lower qaulity product.
Whilst it sounds improbable to design fixed wiring cables for appearance, the same could be said of plumbing pipe, and there was at about the same time "copper effect" plastic waste pipe.
I believe that you are correct about the silver coloured P.V.C. being made to resemble lead sheathed cable of old. I came across a short piece of lead covered single cable under the floor boards. The lead was really shiny and looked like new. The single core conductor seemed to be copper with cotton/rubber insulation. The lead sheath was exactly the same colour as the newer silver coloured P.V.C. cable.
Did sparks of old wear gloves when handling lead cable? Or were the risks unknown back then?
