rowan2•28d ago

Electrician told me knob and tube is fine if it's not disturbed

Three years ago I bought a house in Riverdale with original knob and tube wiring and every contractor since has told me it needs to go. Last week I had an old-school electrician in to quote a new light fixture and he said the wiring is actually in good shape and safer than some of the new stuff people install wrong. Is he right or is this a liability risk I'm ignoring?

3 comments

3 Comments

the_dylan11d ago

I've dealt with this exact situation in my own house actually. Had an old timer tell me the same thing about my knob and tube, said it was perfectly fine and built better than modern wiring. Then I called my insurance agent and they basically said "replace it or we drop you" no exceptions. The real issue is those old ceramic fuses like foster.charles mentioned - people put in 30 amp fuses on 15 amp wire all the time and that's where the danger creeps in. Also check if your insulation has been upgraded because blown in cellulose on top of knob and tube is a legit fire hazard that the old school guys sometimes overlook. Your electrician might be right about the copper being in good shape but your insurance company and local code enforcement are going to have the final say anyway.

foster.charles28d ago

Riverdale's a weird market for that, @valh32 is right about the insurance issue. Also check if your house still has the original ceramic fuses, because that old-timer might be ignoring the fire risk from homeowners swapping in bigger fuses than the wire can handle.

valh3228d ago

Is he like 80 years old and been doing this since before you were born? I swear those old timer electricians have a totally different take on knob and tube than anyone else. My buddy had one tell him the same thing and his home insurance actually made him replace it anyway so maybe check with them first.