ECN Electrical Forum - Discussion Forums for Electricians, Inspectors and Related Professionals
ECN Shout Chat
ShoutChat
Recent Posts
Increasing demand factors in residential
by gfretwell - 03/28/24 12:43 AM
Portable generator question
by Steve Miller - 03/19/24 08:50 PM
Do we need grounding?
by NORCAL - 03/19/24 05:11 PM
240V only in a home and NEC?
by dsk - 03/19/24 06:33 AM
Cordless Tools: The Obvious Question
by renosteinke - 03/14/24 08:05 PM
New in the Gallery:
This is a new one
This is a new one
by timmp, September 24
Few pics I found
Few pics I found
by timmp, August 15
Who's Online Now
0 members (), 260 guests, and 20 robots.
Key: Admin, Global Mod, Mod
Previous Thread
Next Thread
Print Thread
Rate Thread
#163245 05/04/07 07:00 PM
Joined: Jul 2006
Posts: 5
R
rowland Offline OP
Junior Member
I will be the first to tell you I don't know everything. I don't have much experience with K&T and I am looking at doing a service upgrade on a house that has some K&T, not all just a couple of circuits. It looks like the circuits that are K&T are the orignal general use circuits to the house. The K&T wiring is in good shape, bendable, no cracks, it doesn't appear to have been over heated. The home owner doesn't want to open up the walls, so I was going to cut out half of the K&T circuit, there are no outlets on this section, set a 4x4x2 non-metallatic junction box and bring the remaining K&T in on opposite sides of the box, then tie in with romex and run back to the new panel. I ran this by a friend of mine at the local inspection office and he saw no problem with it, as long as the existing K&T was it good shape. I read this board alot and was wondering what was your thoughts or suggestions.

Rowland

Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 214
E
Member
just bring the old K&T in through seperate knockouts in a NM box and you should be good to go, most areas have some form of a "grandfather clause" that covers stuff like this. I would check behind the lights though, a lot of old lights on K&T hlack boxes, and have crispy wires from overlamping, just a CYA (cover your behind)

oh, and welcome to the board!

-Will

Last edited by Elviscat; 05/04/07 07:11 PM. Reason: add last sentence
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 74
T
Member
Look in the NEC, not sue what article but you might need to protect the existing K&T with a GFI. Ran into this about 8-9 yrs ago and that was the solution then, not sure if NEC has changed since.


Joined: Jul 2006
Posts: 5
R
rowland Offline OP
Junior Member
I was planning on bringing the K&T in through different knockouts, in fact I am planning using one of those NM junction boxes that you drill your own holes in and I was even going use some rubber groments in the holes. Thanks for the input. In my area K&T is taboo, everyone says rip it out. The way I look at it, it has been that for 100 years and if it is good shape why rip open walls and ceilings.

Rowland

Joined: Jul 2006
Posts: 5
R
rowland Offline OP
Junior Member
Originally Posted by Tom H
Look in the NEC, not sue what article but you might need to protect the existing K&T with a GFI. Ran into this about 8-9 yrs ago and that was the solution then, not sure if NEC has changed since.



The artical in the NEC for K&T is about 2 pages long and just says splices will be in an approved manner and wire will be in accordance with 310. I and my friend found nothing about GFCI, but I will double check.

Thanks
Rowland

Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 9,923
Likes: 32
G
Member
The only way to get to GFCI being required on K&T is if you serve a grounding type receptacle and no ground present


Greg Fretwell
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 1,429
L
LK Offline
Member
K&T is still an approved method of wiring, however, in the last few months we have been getting calls from home sellers, it seems the buyers of homes, that have K&T can not get insurance for them, and are requiring rewire before insuring.

Joined: Apr 2003
Posts: 362
Member
Hi Rowland,
u can use solder on the K&T and tape it up just as was done on all the joints and taps. It is one of the approved mean, and is simple. I have been out on many calls from realtors, to remove wirnuts and other splices from K&T. Inspectors here seem to like this approch.

Ob


Choose your customers, don't let them choose you.
Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 265
S
Member
Where the old K&T enters existing boxes, there should be an additional sleeve on the wire. I always have a couple of pieces of this sleeving on hand when working with K&T for entry into new boxes to protect the wire.

As for insurance, we have the same issue here as what Les said above. Once a house with K&T is sold, insurance companies give a fixed period of time to have it replaced, otherwise the homeowner can't get insurance.



Sixer

"Will it be cheaper if I drill the holes for you?"
Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 31
M
Junior Member
Originally Posted by Sixer
Where the old K&T enters existing boxes, there should be an additional sleeve on the wire. I always have a couple of pieces of this sleeving on hand when working with K&T for entry into new boxes to protect the wire.

As for insurance, we have the same issue here as what Les said above. Once a house with K&T is sold, insurance companies give a fixed period of time to have it replaced, otherwise the homeowner can't get insurance.


The same is true here, as well. The last job I did the homeowner was required replace the K&T within 30 days after closing.


Link Copied to Clipboard
Powered by UBB.threads™ PHP Forum Software 7.7.5