{"id":425,"date":"2019-08-19T11:00:42","date_gmt":"2019-08-19T15:00:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.schererelectric.com\/blog\/?p=425"},"modified":"2019-08-15T13:14:31","modified_gmt":"2019-08-15T17:14:31","slug":"knob-and-tube-wiring-rewire-home","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.schererelectric.com\/blog\/electrical\/knob-and-tube-wiring-rewire-home\/","title":{"rendered":"Knob and Tube Wiring: Should You Rewire Your Home?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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We have a long history, more than two decades, servicing\nhomes in Western New York, so we know all about specific issues homes in the area\nencounter with their electrical systems. Numerous homes in the area are vintage,\nbuilt before World War II, and they often still have wiring that\u2019s of the same\nvintage. An early 20th-century home kept in good shape is often a beautiful\nplace to live\u2014but if the wiring is the old-fashioned \u201cknob and tube\u201d wiring, everything\nis not so beautiful. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

We\u2019ll answer the questions people have about knob and tube wiring. To schedule an appointment with an electrician to see if you need rewiring in Buffalo, NY<\/a> for your house, simply reach out to our team. <\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

What Is \u201cKnob and Tube\u201d Wiring?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Also known as \u201copen wiring,\u201d knob and tube wiring is an\nearly type of wiring system for homes that was used from ca. 1900 to around 1940.\nThis is an ungrounded system made up of copper wires that are run through floors,\nceilings, and attics. The wire has cloth insulation around it, and to further\nlimit the possibility of fire damage, the wires are passed through porcelain knobs\nto keep raised wires away from wood and other combustible surfaces. The porcelain\nalso lines the holes through beams and joists where the wires pass. It can look\nmessy, but it did get the job done of moving electricity through homes in\n(relative) safety. The term \u201copen wiring\u201d refers to the amount of space around\nthe wires to help prevent overheating.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Is Knob and Tube Wiring Dangerous?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Not if it\u2019s properly cared for an upgraded\u2014it was designed\nspecifically to address the safety concerns of early 20th-century homes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But here\u2019s the problem\u2014knob and tube wiring is almost\nnever<\/em> cared for or in good shape today. If a home has this type of wiring\nthat is more than eighty years old, it\u2019s facing serious fire hazards. The cloth\naround the copper wires eventually deteriorates and the porcelain knobs crack,\nallowing wires to sag. Previous homeowners probably did their own repair and\nupkeep work in these electrical systems, and that means many houses will have clumsily\njerry-rigged \u201csolutions\u201d to their knob and tube wiring. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

A further danger is upgrades to the insulation in older\nhomes that places the insulation directly over the wiring. Without enough air\naround the wires, they\u2019re at a higher danger of overheating. The wiring can\nrarely handle the increased energy demands of modern households, which adds\nanother dangerous layer to knob and tube wiring.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We Strongly Recommend Replacing Knob and Tube Wiring<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

For all these reasons, as well as the decrease in value of the house on the market, we advise our customers to schedule a whole-house rewiring to upgrade the electrical system to current standards. This is a large job, but it\u2019s one our licensed electricians can accomplish without creating too much disruption to your home life. And the outcome is worth it\u2014peace of mind about safety and a more reliable electrical system that can handle your current appliances.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Call on Western New York\u2019s Favorite Electrician!<\/a> Scherer Electric offers a 100% satisfaction guarantee.<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Knob and tube wiring is an early type of wiring system for homes that was used from ca. 1900 to around 1940. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[87],"tags":[91,92,93],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.schererelectric.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/425"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.schererelectric.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.schererelectric.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.schererelectric.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.schererelectric.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=425"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/www.schererelectric.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/425\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":430,"href":"https:\/\/www.schererelectric.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/425\/revisions\/430"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.schererelectric.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=425"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.schererelectric.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=425"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.schererelectric.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=425"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}