Home Inspection: Live Knob & Tube Wiring

 
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Sunny Boy
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Post by Sunny Boy » Fri. Jun. 26, 2015 1:40 pm

gaw wrote:I loaned my outlet tester to Fred five years ago and haven’t seen it since….until now!
Didn't he tell you ? What goes "on" in Freetown, stays in Freetown ! :D

Paul


 
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Post by davidmcbeth3 » Fri. Jun. 26, 2015 2:08 pm

gaw wrote:I loaned my outlet tester to Fred five years ago and haven’t seen it since….until now!
http://www.ebay.com/itm/GFCI-Electric-Outlet-Plug ... 3f171a69c9

Don't worry, you can get it back now....its up on ebay.

 
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Post by Flyer5 » Fri. Jun. 26, 2015 2:29 pm

gaw wrote:I loaned my outlet tester to Fred five years ago and haven’t seen it since….until now!
:clap: toothy

 
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Post by freetown fred » Fri. Jun. 26, 2015 2:31 pm

Damn it, I knew I shouldn't a posted that! :clap: toothy
Sunny Boy wrote:
gaw wrote:I loaned my outlet tester to Fred five years ago and haven’t seen it since….until now!
Didn't he tell you ? What goes "on" in Freetown, stays in Freetown ! :D

Paul

 
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Post by warminmn » Fri. Jun. 26, 2015 3:14 pm

For whatever its worth, stay away from using electric ovens, heaters, and clothes dryers until you do repairs. I doubt you will have problems with lighter loads, except with the non-grounded issue. Plenty of old homes were wired crazy, which was normal then.

 
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Post by davidmcbeth3 » Fri. Jun. 26, 2015 4:31 pm

He should simply state that the house failed his inspection and it would cost a zillion dollars to get it up to code.

Then have the deal fall through and look for a different investment property.

He doesn't need to spend $$$ on electrician for that.

 
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Post by gaw » Fri. Jun. 26, 2015 5:02 pm

warminmn wrote:For whatever its worth, stay away from using electric ovens, heaters, and clothes dryers until you do repairs. I doubt you will have problems with lighter loads, except with the non-grounded issue. Plenty of old homes were wired crazy, which was normal then.
Modern stoves and dryers require two hots, a ground, and a neutral.

I could live with these electrical issues if I was in the process of upgrading it, but to rent it “as is” with grounded receptacles that are not grounded and all the other issues is asking for trouble.

Tell the seller that it needs to be completely rewired and reduce price accordingly. :D


 
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Post by gaw » Fri. Jun. 26, 2015 5:08 pm

davidmcbeth3 wrote:He should simply state that the house failed his inspection and it would cost a zillion dollars to get it up to code.

Then have the deal fall through and look for a different investment property.

He doesn't need to spend $$$ on electrician for that.
If you can get it cheap enough and know keeping it rented is not going to be a problem why not just buy it and fix it?

There are local tales of a slumlord who is legendary around here for doing his own “fixing” of his properties. He is known for using extension cords to wire his “houses” :idea:

 
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Post by SMITTY » Fri. Jun. 26, 2015 8:57 pm

My buddy's wife's family was living in a house wired knob and tube. They just replaced it a few years ago. Nothing bad ever happened, but they always wondered why a fuse would blow so often. Come to find out, 3/4ths of the entire huge house was wired to that one fused circuit ... :shock: :lol:

 
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Post by nealkas » Sat. Jun. 27, 2015 8:31 am

The anticipated load on many K&T homes was a couple 25 watt lightbulbs and maybe a radio.

Torn out enough to have seen a good many "near fires".
The insulation is dry rotted or rodent chewed off, and the wires got hot enough multiple times to char lathing.
Sheerest luck there wasn't a fire.

Rewiring plaster and lathe is no job for the faint hearted.
Although I don't really care for the look, sometimes surface mount is really about the only way to go unless you plan to gut the place.

 
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Post by NoSmoke » Sun. Jun. 28, 2015 5:35 pm

My concern is not with the knot and tube wiring so much as people have given you advice regarding that already, but that the knot and tubing wiring is indicative of it being an old house. If the house has not yet received upgrades to something as essential as the wiring, then with the home being intended as a rental unit, I would be extremely concerned with the home having lead-based paint.

It poses little threat to adults, but there is a litany of lawsuits out there regarding landlords who failed to take protective measures concerning protection of tenants children from the effects of lead based paint.

It is the one reason I will not rent one of my homes to family's with young children and just wanted to be sure this issue was at least raised in case you did not think of it.

 
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Post by grumpy » Sun. Jun. 28, 2015 6:32 pm

litany of lawsuits out there regarding landlords who failed to take protective measures
What can one do ? You can't remove it can you, to me that would be worse.

 
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Post by coaledsweat » Mon. Jun. 29, 2015 7:50 am

You have a responsibility to notify the tenant if lead paint may be present. That means you have their signature on a form saying they got a pamphlet from you about the dangers. Removing it is costly but doable. Most just paint over it with latex, unless you live in Mass and then you are better off just burning it to the ground.

 
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Post by nealkas » Mon. Jun. 29, 2015 8:26 am

grumpy wrote:
litany of lawsuits out there regarding landlords who failed to take protective measures
What can one do ? You can't remove it can you, to me that would be worse.
There are coatings, etc.
Or drywall over everything.
Srsly tho, if there is lead paint and electrical work, and likely plumbing, you might want to let this one pass on by you. :shrug:

 
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Post by davidmcbeth3 » Mon. Jun. 29, 2015 1:08 pm

NoSmoke wrote:My concern is not with the knot and tube wiring so much as people have given you advice regarding that already, but that the knot and tubing wiring is indicative of it being an old house. If the house has not yet received upgrades to something as essential as the wiring, then with the home being intended as a rental unit, I would be extremely concerned with the home having lead-based paint.

It poses little threat to adults, but there is a litany of lawsuits out there regarding landlords who failed to take protective measures concerning protection of tenants children from the effects of lead based paint.

It is the one reason I will not rent one of my homes to family's with young children and just wanted to be sure this issue was at least raised in case you did not think of it.
Many things to be concerned with ... like you said, can't keep up with basic electrical needs? Then others are right down the pot.

OP should not buy the house IMO ... plenty of investment properties out there


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