I had a call from an attorney today

[Scottpat]

No, I'm not in trouble for anything that I know of![:-bigeyes

Anyway it was a very timely call and I thought of the debate that we had going on with "Bulldog" and his website while talking to the attorney about his problem.

It all boils down to the inspection he had on his 100 year old home six months ago. The home has K&T wiring throughout. He received a letter from his insurance company that they were canceling his homeowners coverage unless he updated the electrical in his home.

His home inspector simply said in the report that the home has K&T and that he should monitor it and have inspections by an electrician as needed! The inspector went on to say that many homes in the area have this wiring and that it is safe and has very few problems.

It was very obvious that this was a Realteer friendly report.

[Chris Bernhardt]

He received a letter from his insurance company that they were canceling his homeowners coverage unless he updated the electrical in his home.

Scott have you heard of this before?

I remember awhile back that insurance companies were doing the same for fuse panels. They got sued and lost because they couldn't prove that fuse panels correctly wired were a hazard.

I wonder about the same argument with K&T wiring?

Chris, Oregon

[Mark P]

If it is broke say so.

Hanging out on TIJ for the last 2+ years has taught me a lot and one thing is to not beat around the bush. When I see live K&T I tell my customer (among other things) it is outdated and it needs to be replaced. Also on Stab-Lok and Zinsco panels I get straight to the point and tell them the panels / breakers have a track record of failures and to have them replaced. I don’t recommend further evaluation, just replace it, because I’ve talked with “qualified electriciansâ€

[Jim Morrison]

My very good friend and HI mentor, Bob Caldwell, has a Residential Electrical Handbook from 1920 that describes Knob and Tube wiring as obsolete and dangerous. Anyone who isn't advising their clients to replace it immediately is about 90 years behind the curve. This is one of those HI 'issues' that shouldn't be an issue.

[Scottpat]

Originally posted by Chris Bernhardt

He received a letter from his insurance company that they were canceling his homeowners coverage unless he updated the electrical in his home.

Scott have you heard of this before?

I remember awhile back that insurance companies were doing the same for fuse panels. They got sued and lost because they couldn't prove that fuse panels correctly wired were a hazard.

I wonder about the same argument with K&T wiring?

Chris, Oregon

Yes, all of the major insurers are like this. What happened to this fellow was he got caught in an insurance company audit six months into his coverage.

[kurt]

The NFPA has flat out stated that if an electrical system is >40 years old, it is likely, or certainly, to contain dangerous defects.

Not that every system is dangerous, but the study factored in the "toxic environment" of humans working on the system. Since I've never seen a K&T job that wasn't mangled up by humans, I think it's fair to say they're all nasty bad.

Anyone ever seen a K&T job that didn't have stupid human tricks perpetrated upon it? I haven't, and I've seen my share.

[davidlord]

This is from this mornings inspection. Listing agent told everyone all the old wiring had been updated. The main panel was new but there was live K&T everywhere.

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[AHI in AR]

David--

Is that wiring in the first photo what it appears to be...something like 24 gauge attached to the original K&T? With CRIMP connectors!!!!!