I've been refurbishing a condo that is about 20 years old. Have addressed issues with the kitchen, bathrooms and plumbing. Seems no problems with the circuit breakers, wiring and sockets at moment.

Want to ask those with experience if there are any issues I need to watch out for in the electrical system in a condo of this age? Concern is whether there are any risks, common issues to look out for and whether need any changes.

This post has been edited by Wcd: Mar 22 2019, 08:42 AM

look for signs of aging - cable become brittle/hard especially water heater and kitchen side.

breakers look for signs of yellowing/burnt mark. test all breakers for smooth switch on off. test the ELCB test button.

if u can, do modification so the bathroom water heater have its own ELCB 10mA

if already 20 years old, better to do rewiring all whole house.

I am currently redoing a condo that is now reaching 10 years old.

Wiring is a wear and tear issue. The lifespan of wiring in a residential property built between 1990 and now is around 15-30 years depending on how good a quality you opt for.

This isn't really something you could evaluate on your own, your best action is to call in an electrical contractor to perform a load test to get a clearer picture.

The chief culprits of failures tend to be air conditioner points, heater points and any 13A sockets that are in the kitchen.

I will be replacing the entire electrical system as place has insufficient plug points and there are too many cut and joints all over the place done by tenants over the years. Prefer to have it done now than to wait for it to give issues and then I have to deal with it when the place is inhibited.

Appreciate the input much. Will look into it.

Appreciate the sharing especially the details. I read and found that although wires should not get worn out much from electrical passage, wires can be degraded by heat or corroded, and tendency is at the contact points.

I know electrical system is something that needs a contractor to test and looks likely will do that before doing anything further.

20 years old Condo huh?
well personally I would do rewiring whole unit to be on safe side.
but if $$ is problems for u.. then can redo/change AC points, heater points and 13A sockets.