What is knob and tube wiring?
Knob and tube wiring was a wiring method used in homes in the early 1900s to 1940s that is no longer used.
Is knob and tube wiring safe?
Knob and tube wiring can be safe, if properly maintained by a Licensed Electrical Contractor. The Electrical Safety Authority (E.S.A.) and the Ontario Electrical Safety Code recognize knob and tube wiring methods. However, you should have your wiring assessed to be sure it follows the Ontario Electrical Safety Code to ensure electrical safety in your home.
Will knob and tube wiring effect my home insurance?
You may be surprised if your insurance company refuses to provide or renew coverage on homes with this type of wiring, which they consider a higher risk. You may even have to replace the knob and tube wiring before you can get insurance coverage.
This is because older electrical systems do not have the same safety benefits of modern ones. For example, modern ground fault circuit interrupters (GFCI) make bathrooms and outdoor locations safer and can only be fully utilized with a grounded system. The same can be said about arc fault circuit (AFCI).*
Why didn’t my home inspector find the knob and tube wiring?
If you own an older home you may have found yourself in this scenario:
You hire an electrician to hang up a new light fixture, one to replace that hideous light fixture that came with the house. He takes it down only to find Knob and Tube wiring connected to the light fixture. But wait, that can’t be true, you were told by your home inspector that your home has no Knob and Tube. This situation is something that I’ve seen take place time and time again.
You see, if you were to remove the switch that controlled that light, you would find new modern wiring. Most likely, your home inspector performed this check and for that reason deemed that along with all the new wiring present at the panel and no Knob and Tube present in the ceiling of your unfinished basement, your house must have been rewired properly. But why the Knob and Tube at the light?
Unfortunately, there are a lot of contractors out there who are illegally attaching newer wiring to the Knob and Tube wiring that leaves the switch box to the light. They then stuff this open splice connection in your wall and install a new switch box with the new wiring in it. So yes, when the home inspector opens that switch box all he sees is new wiring, and no, he is not going to pull out his ladder to remove that antique light fixture to insure that its new wiring all the way.
Why do they do this? I’m not sure, couldn’t even imagine doing something like this. The only reason I could think of is that they made a promise not to make any holes in your walls?
What should I expect with a knob and tube rewire?
The reality is that when you re-wire your Knob and Tube filled home, you will most likely have holes in your walls. No, not stud to stud, floor to ceiling holes if you know what you are doing. We make holes smaller than two fingers in strategic places, and yes, we can even patch our holes ready for paint.
We will also take out a permit with the Electrical Safety Authority (E.S.A.) and you will receive a certificate of inspection upon completion.
Call us today for a free quote on your Knob and Tube rewire project.
Enrico’s Electrical Company
Your Ajax Electrician
Toronto and GTA
416-455-5796
Durham Region
905-239-0077
Trust your knob and tube to a professional
A letter from a Customer
We purchased a 100-year old semi in downtown Toronto, and had a few concerns with the electrical in the house. Home inspection revealed knob and tube in the master bedroom, and visually the outlets seemed old and misplaced. Light switch boxes were in strange locations, and the second bedroom didn’t have a ceiling light fixture. Enrico was so thorough, so patient explaining all the work he suggested should be done (not in a pushy way – in a “if this was my house” way), and the quote came back with options … I was very very impressed with the process, with his professionalism, and his knowledge – especially of older homes. I hired him immediately upon receiving the quote.
Enrico was scheduled to come in the following week, so I never had to wait for the work to be done. He was super punctual. They were the most conscientious workers. Booties over their shoes, drop sheet where they kept the tools, and even bags taped to the wall under areas they had to cut/drill to minimize dust. They even cleaned up afterwards!
My impression was that Enrico went above and beyond what was quoted for my job. I had knob and tube removed from the master bedroom. The house has no attic, so there were holes cut out in the walls to fish out the wires. But then Enrico plugged the walls back up and put drywall compound over it to patch it right back up! Completely unexpected and done in a professional manner. They installed a ceiling light outlet in the second bedroom where there was none. Perfection.
They replaced an old macgruber hack job in the upstairs hallway (outlet with three plugs…?! from previous owner’s “electrician”) with an updated plug and again, they filled in the hole that was left. It was cut into the wainscoting, and Enrico even put a groove in the plastered area to make it look like the wainscoting was intact where they had cut. Amazing!!!
They installed an astronomical timer for my front porch light (automatically changes on/off time according to almanac/longitude/latitude), and changed my front hall 3-switch panel that had been installed INTO the doorframe into a standard 3-switch panel outside the doorframe … And then yep, you guessed it, they patched up my doorframe with some putty to keep the frame intact. As I said, above and beyond!
Now the best part… It only took two days! These guys are machines. Enrico – THANK YOU
Toronto, ON