ECN Forum Forums General Topics of the Trade General Discussion Area Knob and Tube Advice?

You guys have covered all the bases so I won't comment on the work ... but if you do replace the tubes, save them, they make excellent hones to put a fine edge on a kitchen knife.

Steve, that is nice to know...

Which ones? The ones that make blue sparks when smashed, or the non blue sparky type?

I have never seen K&T nor the devices for it.

I was hiking in WA and came across a very old abandoned house, which was falling apart and saw a strange receptacle... is this K&T?
http://64.202.179.213/rec.JPG

This is a quick picture I found of K&T:

http://www.splefty.com/Images/knob-n-tube-wireless.jpg

What exactly is balloon framing? From the comments I'm thinking it might be something with few or no horizontal noggins?

Distributor:

Your receptacle is a surface-mount receptacle. A Leviton brand to be exact. I have two of those at home in my collection.

It was used when people would staple 16-AWG parallel cord (like SPT-2 type extension cords) around the baseboard of the wall in order to add convenience outlets to a room.

A lot of apartments (particularly really old ones that haven't been remodelled) have those - usually put in by tenants. I grew up in a couple of places like that and was very much used to seeing them.


[This message has been edited by SvenNYC (edited 09-09-2005).]

Homes with balloon framing, have an open cavity from basement to attic, the good news is you spend less time at the fire scene, because they usually go to the ground faster then the newer standard construction homes, the bad news is when they have a fire, you don't have much time to get out.

Back in the late 70's we were working at a home with balloon framing, the plumber was installing pipes from the basement to the new kitchen , he was soldering a fitting near the outside wall, we all went to lunch, as we were sitting in the sub shop, we were wondering where all the fire trucks were racing to, well after we returned to the site, we knew where the trucks were going, only the foundation, and chimney were left standing, half hour lunch, they do go fast.

[This message has been edited by LK (edited 09-09-2005).]

LK: LOL! BTDT. :razz:

Why are you guys going to the attic? The fire was in the basement...


As far as other things to be concerned with... I converted an 1870's era (former farm) house with K&T that had switched neutrals last year. Keep an eye out.

BTW - If you're opening walls, and can punch out the tubes, NM fits right through the holes...

[This message has been edited by DougW (edited 09-09-2005).]

Hmm.. a good example of a hack job..
Flying splices, can't tell if there is a box under that fixture, and of course, the screw-in adaptor with the wall wart..

Looks like it's powering a naked Apple Airport wireless base station (version 1, without the flying saucer case..)

I'm trying to visualize how this works. Is this an open cavity between every upright stud? It seems as though with no cross-bracing the frame would lose at lot of its strength.