Vulcanised Indian Rubber cables were common electrical cables in Australian homes between 1910 and the late 1950s.
A VIR cable consists of a tinned conductor with a rubber covering used as the insulation material. VIR electrical cables lacked their own independent earth cable. Experience has shown that the rubber sheathing on the VIR cable, like an old elastic band, begins to split and fracture as it becomes brittle. When the copper in the rubber cables is exposed, there's a danger of electric shocks, fire, or an immediate loss of power due to a short circuit rupturing the protective fuses. The VIR insulated electric cable is an old cabling type that no longer meets the Australian standards of electrical installation. It was succeeded by the Tough Rubber Sheathed (TRS) cabling, which is also an old cabling method (of the 1950s and 60's) considered unsafe compared to modern electrical installations.
This cable contains a steel core conductor and is covered with outer sheathing of vulcanised rubber.
The structure is similar to an old-fashioned bicycle tyre inner tube.
Worn out, they become brittle and crack or break open, exposing the wires. If that happens near a live electrical conductor like your mains switchboard, the results can be fatal.
They often fail without warning, giving off showers of sparks and burning odour; in some cases, bits fly off accompanied by clouds of acrid smoke creating an unsafe environment.Vulcanised Indian Rubber cables were common throughout many parts of Australia between 1910 and the late 1950s on low voltage power, lighting and distribution circuits.
VIR wiring is usually found on LV power, distribution, and light fittings circuits in locations where it would be exposed to moisture damage, weather, or vermin.When still new, vulcanised Indian rubber is corrosion resistant and abrasion resistant. However, after decades of service, the rubber compound that forms the outer sheathing of a VIR cable begins to break down, resulting in tiny cracks appearing. This exposes the bare metal conductor inside, which is now an excellent path for electricity if it comes into contact with another conductor.
If this happens near your switchboard, it can potentially cause a short circuit leading to tripping of the main circuit breaker or, even worse, electrical fires.Because VIR cables are usually found on low voltage circuits in exposed locations, they have a tendency to fail when you least expect them to. The VIR electrical wiring runs inside a metal conduit.
The degradation of a VIR electrical circuit leads to inconsistent power flow. If the VIR rubber insulation fails and comes into contact with the metal conduit, the metal can turn to a live transmitter itself which can cause an electric shock.
VIR wiring lacks an insulated earth wire mandatory in modern cables.
Failure of a VIR cable can result in sparks, burning odour, and showering sparks with the potential for an electrical fire or electrocution.
They are very strong, especially because they have great resistance to all types of ripping and tearing. This also helps to nullify any influence by humidity or bad weather conditions.
No, they don't. There is no electric charge present in VIR cables because no chemicals are used to produce them. That's a key point because a chemical reaction of the core wires inside the cable would lead to a different type of resistance and malfunctions. This makes VIR cables very durable and hassle-free while ensuring that they provide the same level of performance over their lifetime, unlike other types of electrical wire or cable available on today's market, which break down faster due to corrosion.
In the late 1960s, vulcanised Indian rubber cables were replaced by TPS cables. TPS cables are copper conductors surrounded by coloured thermoplastic insulation. The individual wires have a second outer layer of insulation to increase safety when using these electrical cable copper conductors. Today, the main substitutes for VIR cables are copper-clad aluminium (CCA) wires, which offer similar resistance levels as CCA but without any electric charge. However, one problem is that they do not have a low-resistance technical quality which could lead to overheating or malfunctioning. Another substitute for VIR cables are pure aluminium wires with very low resistance compared to ac wire. However, these types of electrical wires are not suitable for the home environment due to their lightweight nature and easy breakdown.
Despite the fact that VIR cables are extremely durable and have provided excellent performance for many years, they have managed to stay at an affordable price due to reduced production costs. Of course, there are types of electric wires on the market that costs much less, but you need to pay attention to what type of materials they use and how good their insulation is because low-quality electric wires are prone to overheating, premature breakage and electrical malfunctions.
Electric wires or cables are used in all homes and offices, essentially everywhere power is required. There are different types of electrical wire available on the market, but not every wiring system is designed for household purposes. Poor installation and low-quality electric wire can lead to overheating, premature breakage, electric malfunctions. This is why it is important to pay attention and choose the right type of wire or cable for your home.
It is recommended that VIR cable wiring systems be replaced to meet the new safety regulations. The current regulations require that all power points have their own independent earth wire that is also insulated.
It is also wrong to connect VIR electrical cables to new power points. Doing so jeopardises the entire wiring system.Troubleshooting or replacing a VIR electrical cable is a risky activity. It should only be performed by a licensed electrician.
Consult or engage the services of a local electrician for this kind of extremely hazardous work.
There are 5 main types of electric wire available on the market: aluminium, steel, copper-clad aluminium (CCA), pure copper, and more recently - vir (copper+CCA). However, not every one of them is suitable for household purposes because all these different types of wire have different properties.
Aluminium wiring can be safe, but it's very lightweight, which means that over time it wears down faster than other types of wiring and eventually leads to malfunctions and breakages due to grounding (aluminium oxide).
Steel wiring has great resistance, but it has a high level of impurities that can lead to overheating or electric malfunctions.
Pure copper is good because it has the lowest resistance levels, but it's very hard to install, not durable and over time, it also becomes worn down by humidity in the air, which leads to malfunctions. VIR cables have low resistance levels, which makes them perfect for household use; however, they are more expensive than other types of cable available on the market.
The main reason why VIR cables were removed from the Australian market is that they are considered unsafe by many standards. The vir rubber insulation weakens over the years and cracks. There is evidence of the VIR rubber insulation degradation as the rubber dries over the years. This weakening of the rubber coating can lead to metal conduits becoming live conductors causing electrical fires, shocks, or electrocution. Copper-clad aluminium wire is an alternative to vir cable, which can replace it in most cases. However, not all types of copper-clad aluminium wire are safe for household use, and you need to buy high-quality CCA wires manufactured by companies with the right certification otherwise, they pose a risk just like any other type of low-quality electric wire.