What do you think of if you hear the words knob and tube? We don’t know if anything pops into your mind, but when we at Dixie Electric, Plumbing & Air hear those words we get worried because we automatically think of knob and tube electrical wiring in homes.
Let’s start with a little history lesson. As we are celebrating our 110th anniversary this year at the time of publishing, that means Dixie was there when home electricity was in its infant stages. At the time, knob and tube wiring was considered state of the art. and was used as late as the early 1950’s. Today, knob and tube wiring is considered unsafe. In fact, if you have a home or business with it, chances are you will have liability issues and may not be able to get insurance.
Without getting too technical, there are several inherent problems with knob and tube wiring:
- It’s a two-wire system
- Hot wire & neutral wire only
- No ground wire
- Increased risk of electrical shock & fires
- Old style sheathing insulation
- Becomes brittle with age
- Can easily crack or disintegrate
- Modern wire insulation materials are much safer
- Not designed for modern loads
- Modern devices draw more amps
- Wires can overheat making insulation more brittle
- Fire risk increases
- 2-Prong receptacles
- Restricts the use of many small appliances
- Dangerous in kitchens & bathrooms where water is present
If you are unsure about the wiring in your home or if you know knob and tube wiring is present, we urge you to call Dixie and schedule a Safe and Sound Electrical inspection. It’s understandable if some of you are saying, “What’s the big deal? The knob and tube wiring in my house (or business) has been working for years without a problem.” It’s also true that many people of a certain age survived just fine without wearing seat belts in cars that weren’t equipped with air bags. But many others died or were injured needlessly because of the way things used to be done.
We think once you get more understanding about knob and tube wiring, the less you will want to risk your safety and your family’s. Call Dixie Electric, Plumbing & Air to learn more about the removal of old and outdated electrical systems. As always like and follow us on our Facebook page for more important information like this.
