Lauterborn Electric receives a lot of questions concerning knob and tube wiring. We have done many projects removing and replacing it with modern grounded wiring. These are some of the questions we tend to receive from customers and how we respond:
- Is knob and tube an outdated form of wiring? Yes knob and tube is ungrounded and a very outdated form of wiring. It began being phased out in the 1940s but homes in the 50s and 60s could still have knob and tube wiring.
- Can I extend knob and tube wiring? No you should never extend or tap into knob and tube wiring to add more receptacles or lighting.
- Can I get insurance with knob and tube in my home? While a lot of homes in Philadelphia still have some knob and tube wiring in them, we are seeing more and more when properties are sold with knob and tube wiring that insurance companies want the wiring removed and updated in order to insure.
- When you remove the knob and tube, does the whole house need to be brought up to code? While we recommend bringing your house up to code during a knob and tube rewire project, it is totally up to you what the scope of the work will be. Older homes with knob and tube wiring tend to lack outlets. New code requires more outlets to be installed.
- How much damage will be done to replace knob and tube wiring? It depends on the amount of active knob and tube wiring. We may need to trench ceilings or make small notches in order to run wiring. We go the over worst case scenario with our customers and try to minimize the notches and trenches as much as possible when on job site.
- Would you replace it if it was in your home? Yes.
If you’re in need of a quote for Knob and Tube removal contact your Licensed Philadelphia Electricians Lauterborn Electric. The pictures show different images of knob and tube wiring. Click Images to Enlarge.
