My first inspection

[larster70]

I completed my first inspection and I have a ?

I came across a some wires in the panel and it has some type or rope type material around it, my question is 'is this knob and tube wiring?' and if not what is it?

what happened to the pic I attached?

uploads/larster70/2007521184832_Picture036.jpg

[hausdok]

Hi,

If you are going to attach a picture, make sure that you resize it to less than 100Kb and save it as a .jpg file.

Then ensure that the name of the photo doesn't have any spaces or special symbols in it. In other words, no apostrophe's, no asterists, etc.

House photo will not work but HousePhoto will. House Photo (1) will not work but House_Photo_2 will. Got it?

Lastly, if you are using netscape or Firefox, browse to the picture, upload it into the pop-up and then copy the url to the photo out of the window and paste it into your post, because Netscape and Firefox won't do it.

ONE TEAM - ONE FIGHT!!!

Mike

[larster70]

Thanks for helping this noob hausdok. I tried your suggestions and it didn't work, I also turned off my firewall for this:(

gosh darn finally got this posting pics[:-party]

[kurt]

Not sure what it is, but it doesn't look like K&T.

[larster70]

Originally posted by kurt

Not sure what it is, but it doesn't look like K&T.

Kurt, thanks for taking the time to check out the pic. I'll just see what I can find about this on google. Are you a cubbies or sox fan?

[kurt]

I tend to like whoever's winning @ the time. Not really a baseball guy; kinda wish the Bull's would've hung in there though.

I think what you've got is some old ragwrap, but can't tell for sure from the pic.

[Jim Katen]

Originally posted by larster70

I completed my first inspection and I have a ?

I came across a some wires in the panel and it has some type or rope type material around it, my question is 'is this knob and tube wiring?' and if not what is it?

Certainly not K & T. Probably cloth-covered romex or, as Kurt called it, rag wrap.

- Jim Katen, Oregon

[chicago]

I agree as I have seen that type many times while changing light fixtures,and it usually pretty old.The stuff next to it with the red caps is BX and I will go out on a limb guessing they ran long lengths of that stuff replacing the old cloth or rag wrap as you guys call it.

My personal experience is in finding the wire covering on the copper so brittle that it deteriorates as you try to work with it.

If you look close I think you can see broken covering on the black rag wrap conductor.

Larry welcome and what type of bike do you have.

[Terence McCann]

Can't miss knob & tube when you see it. You can see the knobs and tubes in the attached picture.

[larster70]

Thanks to everyone who responded. This is a great forum and I'm glad to be part of it. Chicago, you are correct on the shielding. On one of the circuit wire, there were cracks in many places and pieces broken off and the inner conductor can be seen in many places. Btw 'chicago', I have a CBR 600F4I. Do you ride?

[chicago]

Sure do.750 Suzuki Intruder 1991 which is perfect for around the city,and I just walked in after a pleasant day riding ,so I may have changed my mind about selling.

Back to the wire.I used to pull plenty of that stuff out of old converted gas pipe and found it close to impossible to yank out.When you see it you can expect to find alot of electrical tape wrapped around it in junction boxes to repair the broken covering.

[larster70]

Originally posted by chicago

Sure do.750 Suzuki Intruder 1991 which is perfect for around the city,and I just walked in after a pleasant day riding ,so I may have changed my mind about selling.

Back to the wire.I used to pull plenty of that stuff out of old converted gas pipe and found it close to impossible to yank out.When you see it you can expect to find alot of electrical tape wrapped around it in junction boxes to repair the broken covering.

Nice bike. Have you ever visited chicagolandsportbikes.com? It's just not for sportbikes. Speaking of old gas pipes, I helped a friend install a new ceiling in the his kitchen and the light fixture wiring was wrapped around an old black pipe with a cap on the end of it. I kind of guessed that it was an old gas pipe, but since he has new piping I didn't think anything of it because his gas piping was updated. So, being the idiot that I am I took off the cap and to my surprise gas just shot out of it. Man, I've never screwed on a cap back on that quickly. What a half a** job that was.

[chicago]

Yeah.. I am guessing that was an old house as I have seen this many times in old greystones near the lake,where it made installing new light fixtures an extra trip to the hardware store so the fixture base could be extended past the old gas pipe.

They should be disconnected,but we are talking Chicago.

Thanks for the link.

[kurt]

It might have been old gas light riser pipe.

People's Gas sez they want all gas light risers disconnected, ventilated, or removed entirely.

[chicago]

Kurt ..that is exactly correct.

Of course it would be rare that we make this observation on an inspection

[Tim H]

Hi Larry,

Since no one else mentioned it, I strongly suggest that you pick up a copy of 'Electrical Inspection of Existing Dwellings' by Doug Hansen, Redwood Kardon and Mike Casey. Amazon should have it. A must for a new inspector IMO.

Good luck,

Tim

[ghentjr]

Originally posted by larster70

I completed my first inspection and I have a ?

I came across a some wires in the panel and it has some type or rope type material around it, my question is 'is this knob and tube wiring?' and if not what is it?

It looks like really old, (1920's ? ) BX wire with fabric insulation. See it around here often. When the insulation is frayed that way the black coating on the wire is usually dry and brittle.

But did you report the red caps coming down the wire? They protect the wire at the end of a cut bx run from rubbing and shorting out on the sharp edges of the cut. They should have stayed in the cable and cable connector.

[chicago]

That is how you know it was a handyman special.

They just bend the armour back and forth until it breaks thus the red cap has no place to sit once the opening is warped.

In Chicago they only allow somewhere between 6-8 foot lengths of the stuff,which I suppose is just enough for a switch.

[kurt]

6' whip is all that's "allowed".

FWIW, if a licensed union guy installed >6' of AC, it's OK.

If you or I install >6' of AC it's not OK.

[Frankie Boy]

I also look at wire management as far as workmanship and alot of times if the insulation is brittle [ not only from age ] but from heat also.

Frank

[larster70]

Originally posted by ghentjr

Originally posted by larster70

I completed my first inspection and I have a ?

I came across a some wires in the panel and it has some type or rope type material around it, my question is 'is this knob and tube wiring?' and if not what is it?

It looks like really old, (1920's ? ) BX wire with fabric insulation. See it around here often. When the insulation is frayed that way the black coating on the wire is usually dry and brittle.

But did you report the red caps coming down the wire? They protect the wire at the end of a cut bx run from rubbing and shorting out on the sharp edges of the cut. They should have stayed in the cable and cable connector.

I checked amazon, borders and barnes and noble and there's not a single copy. I guess I'll have to keep looking.

[larster70]

But did you report the red caps coming down the wire?

Yeah, I did note that in my inspection.

Thanks

[larster70]

Originally posted by kurt

6' whip is all that's "allowed".

FWIW, if a licensed union guy installed >6' of AC, it's OK.

If you or I install >6' of AC it's not OK.

Great side note 'thanks'.

[larster70]

Originally posted by chicago

Sure do.750 Suzuki Intruder 1991 which is perfect for around the city,and I just walked in after a pleasant day riding ,so I may have changed my mind about selling.

Back to the wire.I used to pull plenty of that stuff out of old converted gas pipe and found it close to impossible to yank out.When you see it you can expect to find alot of electrical tape wrapped around it in junction boxes to repair the broken covering.

that's my bike after crashing it at over 70mph on a very sharp decreasing radius turn in WI back in June of 05.

that's me in the black shirt looking over the damage.

Ok sorry back to electrical

[chicago]

Both my accidents were the results of idiots deciding to turn at the last second causing me to slide sideways with the bike landing on top.No bike damage ,just me.