Buying a home with knob and tube wiring? You should be concerned with the safety of the wiring and the insurability of the home. I’ll discuss both in this video.
L.O.L Come on out to the West Coast and you'll see a lot more houses wired in knob & tube that you ever imagined, if your Previous experience has been back East.
I have 2 K&T circuits in my house that are still in excellent condition. I see that Farmers in on the no list however they are insuring my place! They even got the home inspection report showing it!
Shortly after I bought my house (which was built in 1938 and has some knob & tube) I stood in the attic for a while, staring at the small, bare copper wire strung around the entire attic perimeter. I thought about it for weeks and I had actually theorized it was a radio antenna, but I never found where it went. I drops into the wall above the dining room and I've never seen one of the outlets you pictured. Anyway thanks for confirming my theory!
Seen many fires from KNT wiring with blown insulation. After 30 years in the fire service. If you find it. Replace it. Just like you would asbestos or lead paint.
I was house shopping and found an old Craftsman style house that had K&T. My bank would not issue a loan on a house with K&T. My insurance also said the same thing.
You can absolutely replace a two prong plug with a three prong plug and do so per NEC. You have to apply a sticker that states "Ungrounded outlet. You can install a GFCI under the same conditions.
It does, I'm not digging through the NEC either but he's right. My inspector recommended it when we moved into our 1933 home with original wiring. Now I am replacing all of the wiring but I did convert to all GFCI outlets to ensure a bit of safety in the interim.
In all these explanations on TH-cam I never see or hear the word loom mentioned in Knob & Tube wiring. Loom was specified in the day when K&T wiring was used as a wiring method at the terminations in enclosures and lighting fixtures. I never the National Electrical Code being mentioned as well. The NEC states in Article #324 that K&T wiring is still an approved wiring method. Read what the NEC says about the approve wiring method. I ‘m a retired IBEW electrician that had over 40 years on the job and saw lots of K&T wiring in old homes . I’ve never installed a K&T job from rough-in to completion but have trouble shot many. K&T wiring today would too labor intensive with all the grounding requirements ,etc $$$$$$$$ . Most inspection bureaus enforcing the NEC now require that all K&T must be eliminated when remodeling is done down to the old framing ,3 different bureaus in my area require this . I agree that through the years improper terminations and wiring extensions have been done ,poor workmanship, which have led to these conclusions. Thanks for listening to my thoughts.
People today are more like laborers, they're not even after they're apprenticeship able to discuss things in an engineering perspective about The trade of being an electrician. They just are still doing what they were taught to do and they have belief systems they were told to have, And not anything they understand in practice.
9/10's of the homes in my development have knob and tube. I'm upgrading to Romex myself in our 1933 colonial simply because I draw significant amounts of power with my woodworking/renovation hobby (formerly career) my slightly extreme work from home office setup, and both living rooms multimedia. It's going to be a hell of a task, but the old system is pretty dodgy. We bought a diamond in the rough per say, so 'foundational' repairs like the plumbing and wiring are my main concern before cosmetics like stripping the paint off the beautiful cedar shake, repaving the old driveway, and adding an addition/attached garage. It's not a forever home, but the location warrants pretty significant upgrades if we want them.
good video. There are actually two generations of K@T wiring, pre 1910 and after. Very big difference in insulation quality. But, at the end of the day, it should all go. I wouldnt trust a continues load on any of it.
Nob & tube wiring, with Conductor spices wrapped around Other conductors without being in a Junction Box is called a Western Union spice. And before you use friction tape you're supposed to use rubber tape around your sodder joint. Then you put the friction tape around it as a last procedure. If you're not good at sodering that's where you have a fire hazard. The Combined wires have to be ONE- by the time you're done sodering. I can't find a part of the electric code which allows it. I was taught with existing knob and tube you could do a spice like that and it would be legal as far as the Actual NEC code is concerned.
I got insurance from a major carrier in California, but I don't think they inspect the attic more than a quick look, and if they see recent renovation with roamex, they don't notice most ceiling lights were on K&T or think it was abandoned. I since had a fire, so I don't know what they might require.
@@frankpaya690 roommates...friends of friends who I saved from being homeless left a pan of oil on the stove, while they were outside working on a car... I think, ...but I was at my girlfriend's at the time, ...they claimed to have lost their phones but I nor others found them, but I found all sorts of other electronics that were not totally melted.
@@frankpaya690 No it had nothing to do with the fire, but after I discovered that it was not abandoned ...,I'm still using K&T except the part that was over the kitchen where the fire was. I will replace only if someone requires me to put insulation in the attic, but I have a drop ceiling with insulation on that, so none in the attic need. All of the wall outlets are Roamex from the floor. K&T are only for the overhead lights ... one in each room. Also, I thought it was abandoned ... and I don't even know if it was in the disclosure documents when I bought the house.
Wow, I'd run if I found this stuff in a house. However on the other hand, it would work great for an open wire antenna feeder for an amateur radio station.
I was replacing knob b tube wire the other day and had to walk away from the job. Here is what happened. The customer had two of her walls knocked down on the 1st floor and she wanted to relocate the existing circuits which were in those walls, most of them we're knob n tube that ran up from the basement pass the 1st floor, to the 2nd floor and up to the attic I believe. I cut two KT wire pulled the 2 from back up the ceiling and back down the new stud, now the other 2 KT wire we're pulled down into the basement, I made a Jbox in the basement and spliced the KT back together with 12/2. I couldn't find a ground reading nowhere in the house not even in the panel so I didn't know the hot from the neutral but I did pay attention to which wire was on side and just contacted the KT to the 12/2. After that I lost voltage in 2 GFCI outlets on the 2nd floor. So my question is did the break in the KT at the Jbox cause a voltage drop?
In a situation like I think you're describing I run a jumper wire from a cold water pipe to isolate which wire is hot and which wire is neutral and even though you're not supposed to do it, wiring an equipment ground to a cold water pipe will work fine as long as nobody comes in and replaces it with something Non- metallic, Like PVC.
Given the cost of reaching and removing ENTIRELY ALL KT wires within the walls, do inspectors and insurance companies allow disconnecting KT circuits, superseding them with modern wiring, but leaving KT wiring in place behind the walls??? If this is allowed, how should the electrician label each particular run of wire to show the inspector, or another electrician, that this wiring is dead and no longer part of a house circuit?
I'm in Quebec so I don't know if my answer is relevant, but the Quebec electrical code requires the electrician to remove any obsolete wiring "as much as possible". Therefore, all accessible portions of the wiring must be removed.
In Canada if there is knob and tube wire in a home it must be replaced. It is illegal to work with it and insurance companies will not insure the home.
This guy is a salesman if I ever saw one. Reminds me of an HVAC position I applied for years ago, where I was told to "Check my ethics at the door". No real improvement were made until the ground wire was finally introduced. Prior to that it was nothing more than cost cutting and sales tactics.
I'm amazed how many people even after they're Apprenticeship still are just doing what they were shown, & Repeating what they've always heard, without an understanding from an engineering perspective a since of workmanship. and so they're not thinking for themselves& relating their own viewpoints but they're passing along what's been handed- down to them, blindly.
Im using all new led lights for my nob and tube is that better? Single level dug out basement house uninsulation basement i can see alot of the wiring!
prior to 1960s and around 1960s they where running ground wires to all the boxes so there is a slim chance you cld have knob and tubing with a ground system to the boxes
1880's to 1930's and it was well insulated contrary to what this video may suggest. It had a cloth and rubber insulation, with porcain mounts, that was quite possibly more surdy and longer lasting. The real difference happened when a ground wire was finally introduced, and that was much much later. Until then it was basically nothing more than cost cutting, and sales tactics.
Rueben… I’m hopefully closing on a 120 yr old house that has knob and tube…It’s located in Florida and I’m trying to get it insured. I will be upgrading the wiring obviously. Would you have any insurance company who can help??
You really should understand that many of these people, making these big decisions around insurance, have never, ever done this work. They know what they have been told but they don't understand what they have been told, to "unpack it" and find out what is sound mechanical information and what is a lot of protocol- repeated.
This guy isn't a qualified electrician. High quality knob and tube is not only safe, it will last longer than most modern wiring. If you are buying a house that has knob and tube wiring. Hire an electrician and pay him to tell you if there is anything unsafe in the knob & tube. Make it clear you will not be Hiring him to replace the k&t. The number one retrofit for k&t systems is to replace the fussed with circuit breakers
He's not really a Craftsman hes a laborer doing what so many do today changing parts because they've been told to, not because of anything they understand from an engineering perspective about the trade of being an electrician.
Who was the idiot that came up with knob and tube wiring anyways? I mean its very inconvenient for the person who is getting that house in the future. The house that I own now was built in 1870 and there are knob and tube wiring in my bathroom. The switch and the light. Its very frustrating.
I've literally watch 12 videos saying that knob and tube wiring is dangerous and should be replaces but no explanation as to why. Why not just cut it off from the main power? How is it dangerous with no electricity? If the concern is that is could come in contact with a live wire when installing romex, why not just use a stud finder camera to find exactly where it is and just cut it from small holes by the nubs instead of drilling large holes all over the place?
It is all a ploy to get you to spend more money on rewiring or removing. Knob and tube in and of itself is NOT a dangerous form of wiring. It is actually more insulated then today’s romex cable which has the 120 volt hot and neutral run next to eachother whereas knob and tube always kept the hot and neutral separated by a great distance. Knob and tube also is less likely to cause a fire when overloaded when compared to other wiring as all the wires were supported on fireproof porcelain insulators to keep the wires one inch away from ALL woodworking so as to insure that EVEN if the wiring got hot (which would only happen in an overload situation which would be caused by a person changing the fuse or breaker to a higher amperage than the wire is rated for) which would not happen in a untouched knob and tube setup it would be less likely to catch the surrounding wood on fire. Knob and tube becomes dangerous when modified improperly by DIYers or homeowners who add extra circuits that the knob and tube wasn’t rated for, or when there are improper splices such as the ones talked about in the video, but those could and do happen with all other forms of wiring it’s just that knob and tube is more likely because of its age that overtime people have added to it improperly.
Another thing is that the rubber insulation that is used to insulate the knob and tube wires is often brittle with age now. Which as long as you don’t flex the wiring is mostly ok because all the wiring was double insulated on both porcelain knobs ceramic tubes (and a thick extra insulating flexible loom when going into boxes and when the wires couldn’t be supported on porcelain) and is very unlikely (not saying it can’t as in the junction box the wires are close together as with any other wiring method) to short out.
Btw You can get the knob and tube rewired without removing the original K&T. All they will do is run a new (probably romex) cable along side the original K&T and abandon the K&T.
@@rickduncan692 from what I can tell The biggest threat to knob and tube wiring is rodents chewing through it or a leaking roof, corroding the insulation.
i was looking at buying a investment property and the owner put GE panel doors on the FPE panels...i do building maintenance for a living and can spot those panels easily .....anyone else could have been fooled...there were 6 panels and as soon i saw those told my realtor not interested....this guy is hiding all kinds of problems...
I just finished this video. As a licensed electrician it’s evident your knowledge of basic electrical is subpar at best. Particularly in regards to K&T wiring. This video includes incorrect and potentially dangerous information for homeowners, sellers, or DIYers. I’d recommend you review your content and re edit this video.
Many "electricians" are Really laborers doing what they were shown and echoing belief systems they were told to have. They don't understand a core engineering perspective Of being an electrician Their parts changes so they can't get in a dialog about the cause-and-effect and the exceptions because they're just doing what they've been told & Trusting on faith what they've been hearing without any understanding of why allegedly that way would be the "right way".
another untrained person commenting about wiring. the fused safety switch is not antiquated, they are still being installed today. k&t wiring is has some drawbacks, but is not inherently dangerous. i would study things carefully before you shell out thousands to replace everything. don't forget wall & ceiling damage. if your going to gut the interior, by all means replace the k&t. he did get the fpe breaker panels correct. not all fpe equipment is dangerous, just the breaker panels. when in doubt, call a qualified (and reputable) electrician, if you can find one, to evaluate the condition of your wiring.
Leslie, Graham's wife in the movie "A Shock to the System" finds out what knob and tube wiring can do. That's how Graham finishes off his nagging wife.
@@frankpaya690 ROMEX? What can go wrong with knob and tube wiring: Any of the problems listed below can cause short circuits or overheating. To avoid these problems, you may need to replace your house’s wiring. If in doubt, have an electrical inspection done. Insulation over the wiring: If household insulation is installed over knob and tube wiring, a fire is just waiting to break out. The wiring is coated with a rubber/cloth insulation. It needs lots of space to dissipate the heat that builds up when an electrical current is flowing through. If there’s no room, because it’s been covered with insulation, a very dangerous situation is created. Excess use: Knob and tube wiring was installed when there were really very few electrical appliances in the average home. Nowadays, with TVs, sound systems, computers, washers, and dryers, the system can easily become overheated. Many times, there is overuse of extension cords, and power bars, as well. Old systems, are just not designed to handle the demands for electricity that occur in our modern computerized world. The ground pin (or 3rd prong) on power bars or other electrical items should never be removed to accommodate the two pin outlets used in k&t wiring. Alterations: Most problems occur with k&t wiring as a result of improper alterations being made to the existing wiring. As it’s such an old system, proper replacement parts are not always available, which could be the reason a lot of makeshift handyman fixes are so dangerous. Knob and tube wiring is easily accessed in the basement, which is perhaps the reason why this wiring is often spliced unsafely with modern wiring by home handymen, as opposed to certified electricians. Damage: Serious problems can occur when this type of wiring is damaged, either due to wear and tear, handyman fixes, or other types of damage. Porcelain knobs and tubes can crack, and the wires tend to sag and fray over time exposing live wires. Brittle insulation: The rubberized cloth insulation on k&t wiring becomes brittle over time, and can flake off.
@@murcuryvapor You don't understand about how to judge the size of a conductor in a house, many nob and tube applications have number 12 throughout, which is a 20 amp capacity. There's Box there's boxfilk calculations, you're talking about the Cellulose insulation, that was common in the eighties that had to have screening around the knob and tube and it had to have screen Laid down over the wiring in the stud bays so an electrician could lift up the screening, exposing the wiring. If you're talking about fiberglass Insulation that is not gonna cause the wiring to overheat , You've never heard of doing a load calculation &adding up how many amps are on a given circuit? You don't understand apparently if you had romax that's gonna have a sheath around it keeping The conductors in cased which will make heat dissipation less than nob& tube. which is right there, the conductors, the hot and the neutral attached to the Jost.knob and tube wiring is not in any Box or raceway so there's no problem Overheating unless you were to pack insulation tightly around it. Or have a higher overcurrent then for that wire's capacity.You're repeating a lot of rhetoric word-for-word, without really an understanding of the basics Technically speaking to understand from an engineering perspective this trade. So through your ignorance, you're ripping people off. You're more of a salesman, than you are an "electrician"
@@frankpaya690 the wire *itself* would lose insulation-making it unsafe. Are you that daft? This type of wiring needs to be replaced-despite your numerous red herring suggestions.
Half the houses in my neighborhood have K&T, I'm pretty sure we all have insurance.
But if there is a fire the Insurance Company won't pay out.
L.O.L Come on out to the West Coast and you'll see a lot more houses wired in knob & tube that you ever imagined, if your Previous experience has been back East.
@@micheleemcdaniel389 How do you know that?
outstanding information. just bought a knob and tube wiring, learned soooo much. Thanks,,,
I have 2 K&T circuits in my house that are still in excellent condition. I see that Farmers in on the no list however they are insuring my place! They even got the home inspection report showing it!
Shortly after I bought my house (which was built in 1938 and has some knob & tube) I stood in the attic for a while, staring at the small, bare copper wire strung around the entire attic perimeter. I thought about it for weeks and I had actually theorized it was a radio antenna, but I never found where it went. I drops into the wall above the dining room and I've never seen one of the outlets you pictured. Anyway thanks for confirming my theory!
Seen many fires from KNT wiring with blown insulation. After 30 years in the fire service. If you find it. Replace it. Just like you would asbestos or lead paint.
I was house shopping and found an old Craftsman style house that had K&T. My bank would not issue a loan on a house with K&T. My insurance also said the same thing.
You can absolutely replace a two prong plug with a three prong plug and do so per NEC. You have to apply a sticker that states "Ungrounded outlet. You can install a GFCI under the same conditions.
I think so but you really should list the article in the NEC that says so.
@@frankpaya690 You are right, I looked this up a year ago ... sorry! I also like when people cite their sources in politics!
It does, I'm not digging through the NEC either but he's right. My inspector recommended it when we moved into our 1933 home with original wiring. Now I am replacing all of the wiring but I did convert to all GFCI outlets to ensure a bit of safety in the interim.
In all these explanations on TH-cam I never see or hear the word loom mentioned in Knob & Tube wiring. Loom was specified in the day when K&T wiring was used as a wiring method at the terminations in enclosures and lighting fixtures. I never the National Electrical Code being mentioned as well. The NEC states in Article #324 that K&T wiring is still an approved wiring method. Read what the NEC says about the approve wiring method. I ‘m a retired IBEW electrician that had over 40 years on the job and saw lots of K&T wiring in old homes . I’ve never installed a K&T job from rough-in to completion but have trouble shot many. K&T wiring today would too labor intensive with all the grounding requirements ,etc $$$$$$$$ . Most inspection bureaus enforcing the NEC now require that all K&T must be eliminated when remodeling is done down to the old framing ,3 different bureaus in my area require this . I agree that through the years improper terminations and wiring extensions have been done ,poor workmanship, which have led to these conclusions. Thanks for listening to my thoughts.
People today are more like laborers, they're not even after they're apprenticeship able to discuss things in an engineering perspective about The trade of being an electrician. They just are still doing what they were taught to do and they have belief systems they were told to have, And not anything they understand in practice.
9/10's of the homes in my development have knob and tube. I'm upgrading to Romex myself in our 1933 colonial simply because I draw significant amounts of power with my woodworking/renovation hobby (formerly career) my slightly extreme work from home office setup, and both living rooms multimedia.
It's going to be a hell of a task, but the old system is pretty dodgy. We bought a diamond in the rough per say, so 'foundational' repairs like the plumbing and wiring are my main concern before cosmetics like stripping the paint off the beautiful cedar shake, repaving the old driveway, and adding an addition/attached garage. It's not a forever home, but the location warrants pretty significant upgrades if we want them.
good video. There are actually two generations of K@T wiring, pre 1910 and after. Very big difference in insulation quality. But, at the end of the day, it should all go. I wouldnt trust a continues load on any of it.
Helpful information, it was much appreciated..
In Canada you just cant get home insurance with knob and tube or aluminum so it's usually gets replaced with copper
However, aluminum wiring is still allowed, even for new construction!
Monkey "C" monkey do.
The people making these determinations, usually have never ever worked "in" the "tools".
Nob & tube wiring, with Conductor spices wrapped around Other conductors without being in a Junction Box is called a Western Union spice. And before you use friction tape you're supposed to use rubber tape around your sodder joint. Then you put the friction tape around it as a last procedure. If you're not good at sodering that's where you have a fire hazard. The Combined wires have to be ONE- by the time you're done sodering.
I can't find a part of the electric code which allows it. I was taught with existing knob and tube you could do a spice like that and it would be legal as far as the Actual NEC code is concerned.
I’m not familiar with the term “spicing”, am I wrong to think you meant to say splicing? Could you please respond
Thanks
Awesome video. I have a 1930s bungalow with this and the old fuse panel box…
30 app service?
this was informative!
I got insurance from a major carrier in California, but I don't think they inspect the attic more than a quick look, and if they see recent renovation with roamex, they don't notice most ceiling lights were on K&T or think it was abandoned. I since had a fire, so I don't know what they might require.
How did the fire start?
@@frankpaya690 roommates...friends of friends who I saved from being homeless left a pan of oil on the stove, while they were outside working on a car... I think, ...but I was at my girlfriend's at the time, ...they claimed to have lost their phones but I nor others found them, but I found all sorts of other electronics that were not totally melted.
@@scottmonfort So the fire had nothing to do with faulty Wiring ?
@@frankpaya690 No it had nothing to do with the fire, but after I discovered that it was not abandoned ...,I'm still using K&T except the part that was over the kitchen where the fire was. I will replace only if someone requires me to put insulation in the attic, but I have a drop ceiling with insulation on that, so none in the attic need. All of the wall outlets are Roamex from the floor. K&T are only for the overhead lights ... one in each room. Also, I thought it was abandoned ... and I don't even know if it was in the disclosure documents when I bought the house.
@@scottmonfort what part of the Country Are you in?
This seems quite fair and balanced
The right way to do it is decommission the knob and tube run and get rid of it altogether
Why do you Believe that?
Wow, I'd run if I found this stuff in a house. However on the other hand, it would work great for an open wire antenna feeder for an amateur radio station.
I was replacing knob b tube wire the other day and had to walk away from the job. Here is what happened. The customer had two of her walls knocked down on the 1st floor and she wanted to relocate the existing circuits which were in those walls, most of them we're knob n tube that ran up from the basement pass the 1st floor, to the 2nd floor and up to the attic I believe. I cut two KT wire pulled the 2 from back up the ceiling and back down the new stud, now the other 2 KT wire we're pulled down into the basement, I made a Jbox in the basement and spliced the KT back together with 12/2. I couldn't find a ground reading nowhere in the house not even in the panel so I didn't know the hot from the neutral but I did pay attention to which wire was on side and just contacted the KT to the 12/2. After that I lost voltage in 2 GFCI outlets on the 2nd floor. So my question is did the break in the KT at the Jbox cause a voltage drop?
Time to just rewire and upgrade the service
In a situation like I think you're describing I run a jumper wire from a cold water pipe to isolate which wire is hot and which wire is neutral and even though you're not supposed to do it, wiring an equipment ground to a cold water pipe will work fine as long as nobody comes in and replaces it with something Non- metallic, Like PVC.
@@aaronhuffman4852 Exactly! I'm a licensed electrician, and I would not touch that stuff unless I was completely rewiring the house.
Given the cost of reaching and removing ENTIRELY ALL KT wires within the walls, do inspectors and insurance companies allow disconnecting KT circuits, superseding them with modern wiring, but leaving KT wiring in place behind the walls???
If this is allowed, how should the electrician label each particular run of wire to show the inspector, or another electrician, that this wiring is dead and no longer part of a house circuit?
I'm in Quebec so I don't know if my answer is relevant, but the Quebec electrical code requires the electrician to remove any obsolete wiring "as much as possible". Therefore, all accessible portions of the wiring must be removed.
In Canada if there is knob and tube wire in a home it must be replaced. It is illegal to work with it and insurance companies will not insure the home.
This guy is a salesman if I ever saw one. Reminds me of an HVAC position I applied for years ago, where I was told to "Check my ethics at the door". No real improvement were made until the ground wire was finally introduced. Prior to that it was nothing more than cost cutting and sales tactics.
I'm amazed how many people even after they're Apprenticeship still are just doing what they were shown, & Repeating what they've always heard, without an understanding from an engineering perspective a since of workmanship. and so they're not thinking for themselves& relating their own viewpoints but they're passing along what's been handed- down to them, blindly.
Im using all new led lights for my nob and tube is that better? Single level dug out basement house uninsulation basement i can see alot of the wiring!
Great video!
Please tell us the time period in which K& T was installed in homes.
1960s
@@nbates9893 That's incorrect. K&T was installed from the late 1800's to about 1940.
prior to 1960s and around 1960s they where running ground wires to all the boxes so there is a slim chance you cld have knob and tubing with a ground system to the boxes
1880s to early 1940s, would have been used in majority of homes wired prior to WWII, almost nonexistent after the war.
1880's to 1930's and it was well insulated contrary to what this video may suggest. It had a cloth and rubber insulation, with porcain mounts, that was quite possibly more surdy and longer lasting. The real difference happened when a ground wire was finally introduced, and that was much much later. Until then it was basically nothing more than cost cutting, and sales tactics.
Nailed it!
Rueben… I’m hopefully closing on a 120 yr old house that has knob and tube…It’s located in Florida and I’m trying to get it insured. I will be upgrading the wiring obviously. Would you have any insurance company who can help??
You really should understand that many of these people, making these big decisions around insurance, have never, ever done this work.
They know what they have been told but they don't understand what they have been told, to "unpack it" and find out what is sound mechanical information and what is a lot of protocol- repeated.
This guy isn't a qualified electrician. High quality knob and tube is not only safe, it will last longer than most modern wiring. If you are buying a house that has knob and tube wiring. Hire an electrician and pay him to tell you if there is anything unsafe in the knob & tube. Make it clear you will not be Hiring him to replace the k&t. The number one retrofit for k&t systems is to replace the fussed with circuit breakers
He's not really a Craftsman hes a laborer doing what so many do today changing parts because they've been told to, not because of anything they understand from an engineering perspective about the trade of being an electrician.
Who was the idiot that came up with knob and tube wiring anyways? I mean its very inconvenient for the person who is getting that house in the future. The house that I own now was built in 1870 and there are knob and tube wiring in my bathroom. The switch and the light. Its very frustrating.
Very interesting video! Can I ask a question?
thanks
My insurance company didn't even ask.
Same why would they insurance dosnt cover structure so lets hope you got fire insurance
What year was your house built?
@@MMGJ10 Between 1880 and 1915
I've literally watch 12 videos saying that knob and tube wiring is dangerous and should be replaces but no explanation as to why.
Why not just cut it off from the main power? How is it dangerous with no electricity?
If the concern is that is could come in contact with a live wire when installing romex, why not just use a stud finder camera to find exactly where it is and just cut it from small holes by the nubs instead of drilling large holes all over the place?
It is all a ploy to get you to spend more money on rewiring or removing. Knob and tube in and of itself is NOT a dangerous form of wiring. It is actually more insulated then today’s romex cable which has the 120 volt hot and neutral run next to eachother whereas knob and tube always kept the hot and neutral separated by a great distance. Knob and tube also is less likely to cause a fire when overloaded when compared to other wiring as all the wires were supported on fireproof porcelain insulators to keep the wires one inch away from ALL woodworking so as to insure that EVEN if the wiring got hot (which would only happen in an overload situation which would be caused by a person changing the fuse or breaker to a higher amperage than the wire is rated for) which would not happen in a untouched knob and tube setup it would be less likely to catch the surrounding wood on fire. Knob and tube becomes dangerous when modified improperly by DIYers or homeowners who add extra circuits that the knob and tube wasn’t rated for, or when there are improper splices such as the ones talked about in the video, but those could and do happen with all other forms of wiring it’s just that knob and tube is more likely because of its age that overtime people have added to it improperly.
Another thing is that the rubber insulation that is used to insulate the knob and tube wires is often brittle with age now. Which as long as you don’t flex the wiring is mostly ok because all the wiring was double insulated on both porcelain knobs ceramic tubes (and a thick extra insulating flexible loom when going into boxes and when the wires couldn’t be supported on porcelain) and is very unlikely (not saying it can’t as in the junction box the wires are close together as with any other wiring method) to short out.
Btw You can get the knob and tube rewired without removing the original K&T. All they will do is run a new (probably romex) cable along side the original K&T and abandon the K&T.
@@rickduncan692 Sound right to me. Why remove it if its got no power.
@@rickduncan692 from what I can tell The biggest threat to knob and tube wiring is rodents chewing through it or a leaking roof, corroding the insulation.
an insurance nightmare K&T wire with an FPE red handles of hell fire main panel lol
i was looking at buying a investment property and the owner put GE panel doors on the FPE panels...i do building maintenance for a living and can spot those panels easily .....anyone else could have been fooled...there were 6 panels and as soon i saw those told my realtor not interested....this guy is hiding all kinds of problems...
I just finished this video. As a licensed electrician it’s evident your knowledge of basic electrical is subpar at best. Particularly in regards to K&T wiring. This video includes incorrect and potentially dangerous information for homeowners, sellers, or DIYers. I’d recommend you review your content and re edit this video.
In what way is this video including dangerous information?
please elaborate instead of kicking up dust
Sparky Chris, please elaborate
Many "electricians" are Really laborers doing what they were shown and echoing belief systems they were told to have. They don't understand a core engineering perspective Of being an electrician Their parts changes so they can't get in a dialog about the cause-and-effect and the exceptions because they're just doing what they've been told & Trusting on faith what they've been hearing without any understanding of why allegedly that way would be the "right way".
another untrained person commenting about wiring. the fused safety switch is not antiquated, they are still being installed today. k&t wiring is has some drawbacks, but is not inherently dangerous. i would study things carefully before you shell out thousands to replace everything. don't forget wall & ceiling damage. if your going to gut the interior, by all means replace the k&t. he did get the fpe breaker panels correct. not all fpe equipment is dangerous, just the breaker panels. when in doubt, call a qualified (and reputable) electrician, if you can find one, to evaluate the condition of your wiring.
Leslie, Graham's wife in the movie "A Shock to the System" finds out what knob and tube wiring can do. That's how Graham finishes off his nagging wife.
The gay politician?
@@frankpaya690 No, Graham is the husband's name in the movie. Dark comedy movie. Revenge on the boss and his nagging wife. Watch the movie sometime.
Jesus christ...just run a new length of Romex to the main box, and forget splices. Knob and tube is just crap.
So you've been told. Knob and tube in a Junction Box & meeting romax or A.C is fine.
@@frankpaya690 ROMEX?
What can go wrong with knob and tube wiring:
Any of the problems listed below can cause short circuits or overheating. To avoid these problems, you may need to replace your house’s wiring. If in doubt, have an electrical inspection done.
Insulation over the wiring: If household insulation is installed over knob and tube wiring, a fire is just waiting to break out. The wiring is coated with a rubber/cloth insulation. It needs lots of space to dissipate the heat that builds up when an electrical current is flowing through. If there’s no room, because it’s been covered with insulation, a very dangerous situation is created.
Excess use: Knob and tube wiring was installed when there were really very few electrical appliances in the average home. Nowadays, with TVs, sound systems, computers, washers, and dryers, the system can easily become overheated. Many times, there is overuse of extension cords, and power bars, as well. Old systems, are just not designed to handle the demands for electricity that occur in our modern computerized world. The ground pin (or 3rd prong) on power bars or other electrical items should never be removed to accommodate the two pin outlets used in k&t wiring.
Alterations: Most problems occur with k&t wiring as a result of improper alterations being made to the existing wiring. As it’s such an old system, proper replacement parts are not always available, which could be the reason a lot of makeshift handyman fixes are so dangerous. Knob and tube wiring is easily accessed in the basement, which is perhaps the reason why this wiring is often spliced unsafely with modern wiring by home handymen, as opposed to certified electricians.
Damage: Serious problems can occur when this type of wiring is damaged, either due to wear and tear, handyman fixes, or other types of damage. Porcelain knobs and tubes can crack, and the wires tend to sag and fray over time exposing live wires.
Brittle insulation: The rubberized cloth insulation on k&t wiring becomes brittle over time, and can flake off.
@@murcuryvapor You don't understand about how to judge the size of a conductor in a house, many nob and tube applications have number 12 throughout, which is a 20 amp capacity. There's Box there's boxfilk calculations, you're talking about the Cellulose insulation, that was common in the eighties that had to have screening around the knob and tube and it had to have screen Laid down over the wiring in the stud bays so an electrician could lift up the screening, exposing the wiring. If you're talking about fiberglass Insulation that is not gonna cause the wiring to overheat , You've never heard of doing a load calculation &adding up how many amps are on a given circuit?
You don't understand apparently if you had romax that's gonna have a sheath around it keeping The conductors in cased which will make heat dissipation less than nob& tube. which is right there, the conductors, the hot and the neutral attached to the Jost.knob and tube wiring is not in any Box or raceway so there's no problem Overheating unless you were to pack insulation tightly around it. Or have a higher overcurrent then for that wire's capacity.You're repeating a lot of rhetoric word-for-word, without really an understanding of the basics Technically speaking to understand from an engineering perspective this trade. So through your ignorance, you're ripping people off. You're more of a salesman, than you are an "electrician"
@@frankpaya690 the wire *itself* would lose insulation-making it unsafe. Are you that daft? This type of wiring needs to be replaced-despite your numerous red herring suggestions.
@@frankpaya690 and I understand-yes, you're cheap, and like to appeal to the 'cheepnis' in other people. Half-assed.