How Do You Know If Your Old Electrical Wiring Is Safe

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Electrical wiring is the backbone of your home’s electrical system. Over time, electrical wiring can get damaged due to various factors. If the deteriorated parts are not repaired or replaced in due time, you’ll be dealing with serious shock or fire hazard risks. However, just because your electrical system is a bit older, it doesn’t mean that it is unsafe.

To properly evaluate the condition and safety of your electrical system, you need to call a professional electrician who can perform a thorough inspection. In this blog post we are going to discuss some common signs that can help you assess your home’s electrical wiring on your own.

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How To Identify Old Electrical Wiring In Your Home

Knob-and-tube wiring is the oldest type of wiring that can be found in homes. This kind of wiring used to be common in houses built before the 1940s. Knob-and-tube wiring used to be run as individual wires. T

here was one white neutral wire and one black hot wire. To keep the wires from touching each other, wood and other combustible materials ceramic insulators were used.

Electricians would solder the wires to make connections and splices. Afterwards, they would wrap the wires with a friction tape. Differently from nowadays, splices weren’t made in junction boxes.

Since most of these wiring systems are dirty and rusty, identifying the neutral and hot wires from one another is quite difficult. 

The problem with knob-and-tube wiring is that it doesn’t have a grounding system. In other words, these outdated wiring systems lack a very important safety feature that is found in every modern wiring system.

Appliances and electronics that are sensitive are also vulnerable to damage from power surges. Adding a ground to knob-and-tube wiring is impossible, therefore, if you wish to have a true ground for your home’s electrical circuits, you will definitely have to invest in knob-and-tube wiring replacement.

If you are not willing to do the full replacement yet, you can ask an electrician if they can fit GFCI receptacles. This can be done only if the wires are connected with the right polarity, meaning the neutral wire should be connected to the neutral terminal and the hot wire to the hot terminal.

Although the GFCI receptacles don’t create a proper grounding pathway, they can improve your safety by sensing ground faults and shutting off power. 

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Is It Possible To Keep Old Knob-and-Tube Wiring?

If the knob-and-tube wiring in your home is properly installed and maintained over the years, you may be able to keep as it is. Since the porcelain components are very sturdy, there are some homes that still run on their original electrical grid with no problem. Some local codes allow adding extensions to knob-and-tube systems, granted that proper technique and materials are used.

Some historic homes are also granted permission for specific restoration work on these systems. However, if you want to know whether the knob-and-tube wiring in your home is still working efficiently and safely, you should hire an electrician to perform an inspection. 

Common electrical problems with old electrical wiring

Common Problems Related To Old Wiring

If the wire insulation has worn away, knob-and-tube wiring can become a hazard risk. Here are some typical problems that you should look out for when considering whether your knob-and-tube wiring system should be replaced. 

Missing or damaged wire insulation

Damaged or cracked insulation can become a real problem. If the wires are exposed, they can become the cause for electrical fires. Therefore, if you see that the insulation of your home’s electrical wiring is damaged, you should immediately contact a professional electrician. 

Building insulation surrounds the wiring

If you are insulating your attic, you should make sure that you are not surrounding any working knob-and-tube wiring with loose fill or batt insulation. If that’s the case, contact an electrician who can swiftly correct the issue.

Splices that are exposed

If there are exposed splices wrapped with modern plastic electrical tape, it means that the wires are probably not soldered. 

The fuses are larger than 15-20 amps

Back in the days when knob-and-tube wiring was popular, there wasn’t a need for 30-, 40- or 50- amp service. Since old wiring was not sized for the large electrical appliances you find in modern households, a 30-amp or larger fuse box in a knob-and-tube system would be an over-fused circuit. That is a huge problem. As a rule of thumb, older wiring circuits shouldn’t be fused for more than 15 amps.

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Two-Slot Receptacles Replacement

It’s also important to note that knob-and tube systems are usually wired with two-slot receptacles. These receptacles don’t have a grounding slot. Some people make the common mistake of replacing a two-slot receptacle with a three-slot grounded one, as the latter is the standard choice in most electrical wiring installations. This is a serious mistake, for which the National Electrical Code presents two solutions.

You can either replace the old two-slot receptacles with a new one (this time a two-slot receptacle), or with a GFCI receptacle. The GFCI receptacle should be labeled “No Equipment Ground” to let people know that there is no grounding pathway. In this way, you can still use modern three-prong plugs.

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Signs Your Electrical Wiring May Need Repairing 

One of the best things you could do is periodically check your home’s circuits. However, in some cases electrical wiring problems may go unnoticed. That’s why regular electrical inspections, especially in older homes, are essential.

Here are some of the main warning signs that there may be an issue with the electrical wiring in your household.

Fuses and breakers go out pretty often

To understand why this is an issue, we must first explain how breakers work. Circuit breakers help in preventing fires by “tripping” whenever the circuit gets overloaded. Fuses basically do the same thing, however, unlike breakers they are not reusable.

Over time, circuit breakers will wear out. If you notice that your home’s breakers are going out regularly you should consider these two possible scenarios. Either too many electrical devices are being plugged into one circuit or there is a short in the wiring. 

It’s important to note that you shouldn’t try to replace the breaker with a higher rating one. The breaker or fuse must match the wiring size of the circuit. If you notice your breakers tripping too often, contact a licensed electrician for an inspection. They should be able to correctly detect the issue and provide the right solution.

Flickering or dimming lights

If the lights in your home start flickering often, it may be a sign that your circuit is overloaded. Keep in mind that even when it comes to good wiring, short flickering may be normal. However, if it is happening often, you may be dealing with faulty wiring or a circuit breaker that needs to be replaced. 

Signs your outlets and switches need replacing

Switches and outlets are buzzing or they look discolored

If you notice that the outlets or switches in your home look charred or discolored, don’t ignore the issue. Buzzing is another warning sign that there is a problem with the wiring. A faulty outlet or switch must be replaced as soon as possible.

In some cases, the problem may be with the electrical wiring near the outlet or switch. A qualified electrician will be able to quickly identify and resolve the issue.

A burning or odd smell

If you notice a burning smell but you can’t identify the source, you should always consider that there may be an issue with your electrical system. Ignoring such warning signs can be extremely dangerous!

Electrical fire or a brief burn from a short are associated with a quite acrid smell at first. If the electrical fire spreads to the surrounding materials, the smell differs. Keep a fire extinguisher in your home and call an electrician right away. 

Outlets or switches that are shorting out

If you notice your switches or outlets shocking, there may be a problem with the wiring in the circuit. Either the switch itself is malfunctioning or the appliance plugged has a problem. If you unplug the appliances and the problem continues, you should call an electrician who can examine the switch. 

Electrical wiring in both new and older homes must go through inspections. Prevention is key! Identifying issues in time can save lives. Moreover, prompt electrical repairs will save you both time and money in the long run.

Whether you are considering replacing your knob-and-tube wiring system or you notice that there are frequent issues with your electrical wiring, our electricians in New Jersey are ready to help! Call us for immediate assistance.

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