The dangers of knob and tube wiring
If you live inside a house or a commercial building which was built in the decades 1900s until the early 1950s, your building is almost very sure to be equipped with knob and tube removal wiring or with an ungrounded system. Back then, knob and tube wiring was considered to be state of the art but today, it is very dangerous and is in violation of the current electrical codes and is also not insured by most companies selling insurances. Here are some of the dangers of knob and tube wiring.
- The knob and tube wiring is two-stranded that has a hot wire as well as a neutral wire only. This type of wiring uses no ground wire. Whenever a fault occurs, there is absolutely no protection for the building. Fires and shocks will easily result from the faults caused by the knob and tube wiring.
- The knob and tube wiring uses sheathing for its insulation and that both of these disintegrate easily through time. Since buildings that are equipped with this type of wiring are old, the problem is even magnified. Modern wiring uses a better insulation for materials which are typically much safer compared to the old ones.
- The older electrical systems uses about 60 amp services but the wire is just fused with 15 amps. This means that the current that is flowing through the wire is meant to handle which leads to excessive heat and possibly fire.
- The older electrical systems did not really carry high ampacity loads. The extra loads burdening the system cause the insulation to become brittle which exposes bare wire and the capacity of the system to overhear will cause fires.
- Two prong receptacles is used for those older electrical systems that uses knob and tube wiring. This method restricts the use of small kitchen appliances. Since there really is no ground wire, there is an increased chanced of injury and shock especially on areas where there is water. Knob and tube wiring will put the bathrooms and kitchens at risk.