Aluminium versus copper
In buildings put up before 2000, the wiring is aluminium in about 80% of cases. Aluminium is brittle — every twist and bend weakens the conductor. Modern appliances (washing machine, water heater, air conditioner) draw loads it was never designed for. If the wire at the consumer unit is silvery rather than reddish, it is aluminium.
Hidden twisted joints are the real risk
In Soviet-era buildings the wires are joined by twists buried under the plaster. Over the years they oxidise, heat up and arc. The signs: a faint burnt smell, lights flickering under load, a breaker tripping for no visible reason. That is not a "glitch" — it is a warning.
What you can check yourself
- Open the consumer unit — if the breakers are Soviet-era (levers rather than switches), they are overdue for replacement.
- Switch everything on at once: washing machine, kettle, microwave. If the breaker trips, the circuit is overloaded.
- Touch the sockets half an hour after a heavy load — a warm socket means a poor connection.
- Look at the wall near the ceiling: yellowish patches around sockets mean they have been running hot.
When a full rewire is the only answer
If the flat still has its original wiring after 30 years or more, the question is not whether it fails but when. A full rewire with chasing runs from ₾35/m² for labour, plus cable and breakers. Expensive — but cheaper than a fire, or a short circuit that takes your appliances with it.
What to tell the electrician when you call
Say up front how old the building is, what the wiring is made of if you know, and which appliances you plan to run. The electrician can then calculate the load and offer a real choice: rewire the whole flat or only the problem circuits. Do not accept "let me just fit a bigger breaker" — that hides the problem instead of solving it.