There is a pretty good chance you have never heard of"knob and tube wiring" before. You probably don't understand what it is, what it's used for, or why it could be dangerous. You may even have knob and tube wiring in your home or construction without knowing it.
If you perform , you will most likely want to eliminate it ASAP. We'll explain why, and answer your other knob and tube wiring questions in the procedure. Let us start from the very best:
From the end of the 1930s, many city-based homes and about a quarter of rural inhabitants had electrical wiring. More houses were gaining access constantly, along with the go-to method for wiring these houses was knob and tube wiring.
Knob and tube wiring has both parts of its title for quite obvious reasons. The"knobs" refer to the ceramic knobs that are used to hold the wires. The"tubes" refer to the ceramic tube casings that shield the wires within walls. Most modern electric installations have three wires. A hot wire, a neutral wire, and a ground wire that's used in case of a brief or excess charge. In knob-and-tube, however, there are just two wires: the sexy and the neutral one. This makes the system less secure than modern electrical systems in Charlotte.
First, you probably don't have this relatively antiquated form of electric wiring if your house was constructed sometime in the previous twenty years. Nowadays, knob and tube systems are rarely installed or perhaps re-wired. If your house is older than this, however, you might still be relying on knob and tube systems. The simplest way to find out for sure is by looking inside a wall. If you see the telltale ceramic knobs and tubes, then you understand.
If you can't look inside your walls, you should also look at your own outlets. As a result of its own two-wire system, homes with knob and tube sockets can just have two prongs, never three. Possessing a three-pronged outlet or two doesn't necessarily imply you don't have this kind of wiring, however. Some homes have contemporary ground fault circuit interrupters as a stop-gap involving old systems and venting. These can be three-pronged if they're in your home. If your house is old and you have largely two-prong wiring, then you may have knob and tube wiring.
There's no immediate threat to your security if your home has working knob and tube wiring. That doesn't mean that you should ignore your wiring for long, however. Your old wires are coated using rubber, which may degrade. As it does, the cables get exposed to air and moisture. Exposed wiring could spark, fray, or even break, potentially starting fires.
Knob and tube systems are more readily overloaded as well. These cables can only handle twelve circuits inside a house. Historically, if longer circuits have been needed, electricians would splice knob and tube cables. Unfortunately, that splicing farther makes possible overloading, overheating, or shorting all the more likely. Long story short: if you need guaranteed security, you're likely to need to rewire your home.
Locate a business that has years of experience providing expert services. Whenever you do, try to already have pertinent information such as the size and age of your house available. The expense of a whole house rewire depends upon these and other factors.
If you want to save yourself some time, then it is also possible to get in touch with Plumber Charlotte NC. We are going to answer your questions and walk you through the process with full transparency. It's never the wrong time to upgrade your home's wiring and keep your family safe.
