Knob and Tube Wiring is a Concern
The old knob n tube system was originally designed to carry very small currents. Back in the day, the most common need for electricity was for lighting. Today, the needs for the average family are considerably greater. More items will be plugged into the outlets drawing more electricity. Usually, the needed current is greater than what the knob-n-tube wiring was designed for. When you overload this old wiring, it becomes a very significant fire hazard and is one of the leading reasons that knob-n-tube wiring should be replaced in a lot of homes. However, not all homes need to be upgraded. If your home has this old system, you should hire a licensed electrician who has experience with knob-n-tube wiring to review it. Depending on the condition of the wiring, they may recommend removing all of the wiring, removing part of the system, or leaving it alone. One safety, non-expensive upgrade they may recommend is installing S-Type fuses to ensure that no one "accidentally" installs an oversized fuse in the main panel box or sub-panels. This helps prevent overloading of the wires.
Common Problems
In addition to the problems mentioned above, a professionally trained home inspector looks for insulation damage from rodents, people stepping on the wiring, and storage crushing the wiring. We also look for rolled or loose-blown insulation and debris from previous roof replacements covering the wiring. There needs to be a 3" space between the live wire and any flammables. Homes that have had insulation added in the attic over the wiring are just waiting for a fire to happen. As there are many do-it-yourselfers out there, we constantly see Romex wiring spliced into knob-n-tube to feed newly installed light fixtures, ceiling fans, or additional outlets. Remember, these lines were not designed for system additions and all of these greatly increase the risk of causing a fire.
' Smart Move Home Inspection LLC'
