We have really old electric in our house (knob and tubing). My husband says that if we have an electrician come in to fix our living room (putting in new electric). They will flag our house because it is unsafe. We can not afford to do the other rooms at this time. We have rebuilt the room already by putting in the studs so know we need the electric. Can we get somebody to come in and do the work without making us do the rest of the whole house?
2006-10-28 05:23:42 · 11 answers · asked by mccrearya 2 in Home & Garden ➔ Do It Yourself (DIY)
an electrician cannot condemn a house, he may be licensed by the state,but an inspector for the city he can make only a correction notices, he cannot condem the house outright, Knob and tube is not illegal under the NEC, and is not inherently unsafe so as long as the loads( amperage draw ) are not exceeded for the circuit fused rating. Some eelctricain have apprhension of tying into knob and tube, but if you are running new circuits, he probally make new howm runs back to the fuse box, the problem will be installing new circuits back at the fusebox, as if you have knob and tube you have a really old fusebox in need of serious upgrading. I have seen houses with K T, alumunum and olf thw cloth braided no ground wiring, none of them desirable, but all of them liveable, adding on to any of these types of houses always draws you into the need to bring what ever work is being done into modern NEC compliance, and that's where the trick lies, how to comply with NEC yet at the same time leave exsiting work alone and untouched.
2006-10-28 10:05:11 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 3⤊ 0⤋
Can the electrician condemn your house? Possibly. Can you get around this safety measure? Probably.
However, you don't specify where you live. Local laws & regulations vary. Factor your (& others') safety into the equation before you decide what to do. Here's an American take on your idea: the inspector's ethical stand.
This may sound like an exaggeration, but I believe the home inspector is responsible for saving more lives and property than any other tradesperson. Houses degrade from the day they are completed. And with human nature the way it is, many people won't fix a problem with their home unless they are forced to. The electrical system is a typical example. Many owners simply live with the problem. Only when the house is put up for sale does the electrical system get upgraded. In recommending the upgrade, the inspector can honestly say that he or she has possibly saved the house from burning down and perhaps taking some lives with it. The inspector looks around the basement or crawl space, shudders, and then slowly backs out hoping nothing happens until he or she gets out of there.
2006-10-28 05:42:09 · answer #2 · answered by Mary Jo 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It depends entirely on your local codes and your local electrical inspector. If the electrician has to get a permit then the work probably has to be inspected. If you're found to be in violation, you'd be given some period of time to bring the wiring up to code. Depending on local policy this could mean the whole house, but more likely just the wiring in the remodeled area, and possibly a replacement/upgrade of the main panel.
Call an experienced local electrician and follow his or her advice--they'll know what the deal is with the local codes and be able to assess the safety of what you've got right now a lot better than anyone on here sight unseen.
All that said, I agree with the poster who said you ought to get it fixed anyway. Knob-and-tube wiring isn't inherently unsafe under the loads for which it was originally intended--lamps and the occasional room fan--but it was't designed for the electrical demands of a modern home filled with electronics, air conditioners, microwaves and so forth. It's also susceptible to damage, especially if you're doing remodeling. Some insurance companies won't insure homes with knob-and-tube wiring. Rewiring the house to modern standards might not only save your life, it might lower your homeowners' insurance premiums.
2006-10-28 09:00:02 · answer #3 · answered by Chris A 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
A lot depends where you live. Here in Mass. when an electrician does work on your house he gets a permit from city hall. After the job is finished, the inspector will come to look at the job. If your house is that bad, you could find yourself in trouble. If you're lucky, the electrician won't get a permit. Electrical work is awful easy. Get a few books at the librairy and do it yourself.
Don't tell anybody I said that!
My personal experience with inspectors, he'll give you time to get things fixed for your own good.
2006-10-28 12:37:09 · answer #4 · answered by Matrix 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
An electrician may not work on your house without bringing it up to minimum code requirements.
You are looking at an expensive complete re-wire job.
2006-10-28 11:13:42 · answer #5 · answered by exert-7 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
There are a few Key Phrases in your question.
1. REALLY OLD
2. UNSAFE
There are RED FLAGS all over this plan, you MUST!! get the house rewired ASAP. All your rebuilding could go up in smoke. Faulty electrical wiring is the third most frequent reason homes catch fire. #1 Smoking #2 kitchen mishaps. Keep your selves and your home safe, Rewire now!!!
2006-10-28 05:32:27 · answer #6 · answered by sunkissed 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
STOP turning the breaker back on if it keeps shutting off automatically. It is shutting off because there is a problem with the electricity going through that particular breaker. Continuing to mess with it could cause a fire so leave it alone until your dad get's home.
2016-03-19 01:07:10 · answer #7 · answered by ? 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The electrician would probably suggest replacing all the wires, but it is up to the homeowner to decide. But it is recommended that it should be done, but doesn't have to be.
2006-10-28 05:35:23 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Knob and tubing wiring is fine as long as all parts are in good condition. If any part of it is bad, then it needs to be fixed.
2006-10-28 14:06:34 · answer #9 · answered by joatmon585 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Yeah it can be done. But you should have everything taken care of though.
2006-10-28 05:26:06 · answer #10 · answered by Biker 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋