What To Know
Old wiring, by itself, does not necessarily mean trouble. However, an electrician will look for specific clues indicating hidden
dangers or faults that could require expensive repairs ahead, which might influence your opinion of the home. Some examples
include the following:
The electrical capacity of the home. Current code requires a minimum of 100 amps, although additional capacity is recommended
for today’s appliance filled households. It’s also important that all wiring and circuit breakers be properly sized for their service.
Wire insulation. Insulation can be damaged when a circuit is heavily loaded, or when scuffed or pierced. Rubber insulation,
usually from the 1960s or earlier, can easily crumble or flake off the wire.
Adequate outlets. Prior to World War II, homes were typically outfitted with only one outlet per room. Today, outlets are
generally required every 12 feet or within 6 feet of any doorway, so extension cords are not needed as often.
GFCI protection. Ground fault circuit interrupter (GFCI) outlets should be installed in kitchens, bathrooms, garages and
accessible outside decks and swimming pools.
Safe wiring. Some homes built in the 1960s and 70s were equipped with less expensive aluminum wiring instead of standard
copper wiring in branch circuits, which deliver electricity to each room from the service panel. It was later discovered that
aluminum connections can loosen over time, causing arcs and overheating at switches, outlets and the breaker panel.
When All Is Said and Done
Once both the home and electrical inspections are complete, you will have a comprehensive understanding of the home. Your
electrician’s assessment will inform you if there are potential electrical risks, as well as how to remedy any problems.
With this information, you can make an informed decision on whether or not to purchase the home. If you find the electrical
wiring is not up to your standards, you have a couple of options. You can rewire and modernize the home, or you can continue to
search for your dream house. Either way, you will sleep better at night knowing that you took the correct precautionary
measures to ensure your family’s safety.
________________________________________
KNOB AND TUBE WIRING
More and more insurance companies are refusing to insure homes with Knob and Tube Type wiring. We have been getting a lot of questions recently about this wiring system.
History: Knob and Tube Type wiring was installed from the late 1800's until the late 1950's. The type of wire used before about 1930 is subject to deterioration from high heat and air pollution (a big problem on the East Coast but not much of a problem here).
Problems: Knob and Tube Type wiring in houses was readily accessible to "Do It Yourselfers" in attics and basements. Because of this, we see a lot of cases of incorrect and often dangerous alterations. Knob and Tube Type wiring is a two-wire system and therefore has no ground wire (meaning no three-prong receptacles can be installed). Lastly and probably the biggest reason that Knob and Tube has such a bad reputation is because it was installed with fuses instead of circuit breakers. It was far too easy for someone to install oversized fuses, or worse yet a penny in the fuse socket. This would allow the wire to become overloaded, which in turn would cause it to overheat. This destroys the insulation and causes the soldered splices to become loose. Both of these conditions create a potential fire hazard.
Solutions: If it is possible to inspect the exposed portions of the wiring system and determine that they are in good condition, not overloaded nor altered to an unsafe condition, then the wire can still be used safely. Unfortunately, most insurance companies are not interested in an inspection, but rather insist on its replacement. Rewiring a house with the current standard NMB cable is as much a problem of access as it is an issue of wiring. If the house has an unfinished basement or crawl space, we can rewire the main floor receptacles from below. If the basement has a finished ceiling, then it must be removed. In a one-story house we can access the light fixtures and switches from the attic. However, if the house has two or more stories, then there is a problem: there is no way to access the first floor light fixtures and switches without opening the walls and ceilings. Obviously, this adds a great deal of expense and inconvenience to the project.
What to look for:
1. “System Interrupts” puts you in the dark. If electrical circuit-breakers trip often, or fuses blow frequently, your circuits are drawing more current than they can safely provide. This may also indicate a dangerous fault on one or more circuits.
2. The lights flicker and wane. Does your hair dryer give the vanity lamp a moment’s pause? When the fridge or air conditioner comes on, do the ceiling lights dim? Many motor-driven appliances draw lots of current and should be wired on dedicated circuits. If smaller appliances also cause problems, consider adding a 20-amp line to service them.
. There’s an octopus at many outlets. If plug-strips and multi-receptacle add-ons are strangling your outlets, your electrical system is working beyond capacity. Additional circuits with duplex receptacles are needed to restore order— and safety.
4. Rug bumps mess up the carpet. If your living room looks like a snake farm with wires running under the rugs and furniture, a dangerous condition exists, and you definitely need more outlets. If some of those wires are extension cords, the outlets you have are too far apart. Both signs usually indicate that additional outlets are required throughout the house.
5. Three into two won’t go. Many older homes have outlets that won’t accept three-prong grounded plugs. This is a bigger problem than not being able to plug in the microwave oven—it could indicate that your electrical wiring system is not fully grounded, and you’re not completely safe.
6. The old standards just don’t apply. When you remove an outlet or switch cover, do you find bits of black rubber in the box? Are the wires covered in cloth instead of plastic? If you have an older home and the answers are yes, it means the insulation on the wires is antiquated and dangerously deficient for today’s electrical needs.
7. You get a warm, tingly feeling all over. Are outlets, switches or other electrical- system surfaces warm to the touch? Do you see any blackening nearby on the switch plate or wall, switch terminals or wire ends? Does a switch or outlet give a mild shock? The problem could simply be too much demand on the circuit, or something far more complicated and dangerous. If your home was built or wired during the period from 1965 to 1975, it may even have aluminum wiring. If it does, have it checked regularly.
8. It’s not safe to go near the water. Wet locations such as kitchens, baths and utility rooms, as well as grounded areas like your basement or garage, now require outlets protected by Ground Fault Circuit Interrupters, or GFCIs. Easy retrofit installation will make your home code-compliant—and safe. If GFCIs have already been installed near sinks and dishwashers, test their reset buttons to be sure they’re working properly.
Rust is slowly taking over. If you begin to notice rust or moisture on or under your home’s main service panel, it’s a sign that something’s going wrong. Deterioration at the panel threatens the main wiring connections within, and could indicate similar problems throughout your electrical panel.