By Dave Rongey Summary:
Electrical Rewiring Question: We are looking to buy our first home in a neighborhood that has many older homes (circa 1910-1930).
Electrical Rewiring: Knob and tube electrical rewiring
Electrical Rewiring Question: We are looking to buy our first home in a neighborhood that has many older homes (circa 1910-1930). Those that have not already been fixed up usually have knob and tube wiring, and thus, no insulation. They also often have plaster and lath walls. My question is, is it feasible to have an electrician rewire (and then insulate) an entire house without having to remove the plaster walls? Are there tricks that can help minimize damage to the walls or cut down on the labor the electrician has to do, such as locating outlets in the baseboards? Thanks for any info you can provide! ask-the-electrician.com Thanks- Jennifer and
John.
Hi Jennifer and John - Great Electrical Repair Question! I understand your dilemma. What it really comes down to is accessibility to perform the work and not disturbing the walls, or the need to open portions of the walls to install new wiring. However you must understand what you are up against. If the home has all original wiring and your family will require the services of a modern electrical system you will need to rewire the home. This may not need to be done all at one time, you may want to start by upgrading your panel to a 200 amp meter main for example and then take one room at a time. You will need to apply for a permit to do any of this work as you definitely want this work to be documented and inspected, for insurance reasons and to write off the improvements of the home. Typically what happens is this (at least in California), the building department will require the whole home to be brought up to code when you begin any construction work inside. The electrical upgrades will involve Interconnected Smoke Detectors, GFCI Protection in Bathrooms, Kitchen etc
, AFCI Circuits for the Bedrooms, and Required Appliance Circuits for the Kitchen. This link may be of help: http://www.lni.wa.gov/TradesLicensing/Electrical/BasicElectInstall/default.asp The attached pdf file will help as well. Good luck, and let me know how it all works out. Now is a great time to buy a home even if you need to upgrade the utilities. While your at it, check the plumbing too. If you need to open the walls it's a great opportunity to think about all of the house systems and any future requirements. As for the charm of the home, you will never know by looking at the finished walls if it was sheet rock of lath and plaster, and it's always good to remove outdated building materials, and you are given the opportunity to install insulation properly. Check into incentive programs which may be available through state or federal programs that could help out, especially if you are a first time buyer.
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My absolute favorite wire stripping tool that I have had in my personal electrical tool pouch for years, and this is the tool I use to safely strip electrical wires.
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Electrical Wiring Safety and Home Inspections How to Troubleshoot Home Electrical Wiring Problems: Testing Electric Circuit Wiring, Home Electrical Wiring Inspection, Upgrading Older Home Electrical Wiring.
Upgrading Knob and Tube Electrical Wiring How can I replace knob and tube wiring? The Most Common Methods for Upgrading Knob and Tube Electrical Wiring, How to Upgrade Electrical Wiring for Light Fixtures and Switches.
Electrical Wiring for a Bath Exhaust Fan How to Install Bathroom Exhaust Fan Electrical Wiring - Fully Explained Photos and Wiring Diagrams for Bathroom Electrical Wiring with Code Requirements for most new or remodel projects.
Upgrade Old Knob and Tube Electrical Wiring Can I upgrade circuit wiring and outlets and still keep the lighting circuit in tack? How to Fix Old Electrical Wiring Problems: Guide for Repairing Old Wiring, Upgrading Knob and Tube Wiring and a Fuse Box
Grounding Electric Outlets I have outlets that are not grounded, what should I do? How to Ground Outlets and GFI Receptacles.
Updating Knob and Tube Wiring for an Older Home Is it common practice to add new wire with old knob and tube wiring? How to Replace Knob and Tube Wiring, Replacing Old Electrical Wiring, What Areas of the Home to Rewire First.
Knob and Tube Wiring and GFCI Video How to Add a GFCI Outlet to Knob and Tube Wiring or a 2 Wire Outlet: Identify the Polarity of the Circuit Wiring, Wiring the GFCI Outlet, Adding a Ground Wire to the GFCI Outlet
knob and tube electrical re - 1624
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Skill Level:
Intermediate to Advanced - Electrical Repairs and Circuit Wiring is Best Performed by a Licensed Electrical Contractor.
Tools Required:
Basic Electricians Pouch of Hand Tools, a Voltage Tester and a Multi Meter.
Estimated Time:
Depends on personal level experience, ability to work with tools, work with electrical wiring, and the available access to the project area. Precaution:
Identify the project circuit, turn it OFF and Tag it with a Note before working with the wiring.
Important:
Modifying existing electrical circuits or installing additional electrical wiring should be done according to local and national electrical codes with a permit and be inspected.
This is a testing tool that is a Non-contact tester that I use to easily Detect Voltage in Cables, Cords, Circuit Breakers, Lighting Fixtures, Switches, Outlets and Wires. Simply insert the end of the tester into an outlet, lamp socket, or hold the end of the tester against the wire you wish to test. Very handy and easy to use.
This is great to troubleshoot a problem with outlet circuit wiring, is also used by most inspectors to test for power and check the polarity of circuit wiring.
It detects probable improper wiring conditions in standard 110-125 VAC outlets
Provides 6 probable wiring conditions that are quick and easy to read for ultimate efficiency
Lights indicate if wiring is correct and indicator light chart is included
Tests standard 3-wire outlets UL Listed Light indicates if wiring is incorrect, Very handy and easy to use.
A wire stripping tool used to safely strip electrical wires.
This handy tool has multiple uses:
The wire gauges are shown on the side of the tool so you know which slot to use for stripping insulation.
The end of the tool can be used to grip and bend wire which is handy for attaching wire onto the screw terminals of switches and outlets.
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