My house was built in 1921. Along the main floor and basement there is knob and tube wiring that goes to most of the outlets and lighting. At the panel, there is two 30 amp fuses set in, individually, what looks like a porcelain "box" or something. Pretty old system. Also at the panel, is another box with four more fuses in it and a little black box with handle that looks like you can pull it out or something. I'm not sure. I have two meters also and it looks like the second fuse box has one meter, and the first two 30 amp fuses has the other. This second panel has two 15 amp fuses and two 25 amp fuses and whatever that little black box thingy is. Connected to this panel is some other outlets in the house. Two in the kitchen, the oven I think, another outlet in the basement and one in the garage.

My basement is unfinished, but I'm going to finish it this winter. I want to install baseboard heaters, because there is no heat down there. My main floor is gas fired hot water radiators. I have some questions.

First, I'm not sure what my service is? 60 amp, 100 amp?
I want to change it all over to a breaker panel, and whether it is worth it or not and how cheap and easy would it be?
I would like to install basically 5500 watts at 240 volts for the basement, so about two 20 amp 240 circuits (fuses?), as it is about 700 square feet and doesn't need to be "toasty".
Do I even have the capability to install these heaters in the first place? Will I have to upgrade my service AND panel? There is no spot for more fuses either way.

I hope the background info can help and I hope I'm making sense. Thanks everyone for your answers!

KingsX

I know there is differences between the US and Canada (I'm in Canada) but its generally the same. In regards to fishing wires, doesn't the wire have to be stapled to the studs? I installed the electricity in part of the finished basement and I followed code and ran proper distances from the floor etc, per outlet etc, but I had to staple to the studs to follow code I think. So I could cut out a chunk in the wall down to the floor and staple the wire to the stud, and bring it into the basement joists.And I don't know if I can run the wire into the basement joists and back up to another outlet on the same circuit and so on. But if I want to run a light fixture on the same circuit, I'll have to cut the wall out for the entire stretch of the stud all the way into the attic right?

If that was the case what I'd do would be to put all the light fixtures on their own circuits that way I only have to cut down to the switches, and then fish the wire down into the basement, but I assume I'll have to staple to the stud still for each light fixture cable run.

I know a decent amount about electricity, but obviously not enough. Thanks again for all your help as I know this got a little off topic from the basement heaters. But it looks like I have to fix one to do the other...

peter030205

For old work you don't need to secure the cable inside finished walls with staples. You can use internal cable clamps in the device boxes to secure the cable. However, where the framing is accessible you'll need to secure the NM cable with the appropriate staples.

KingsX

Okay, so I would have to use bushings (or whatever they are called) in the boxes etc to secure the wire. But I would't have to staple to the studs unless there was access? So the basement joists, which are accessable I have to staple. I would anyway.

Lets say I have a 16 foot wall on the main floor. And I want to install two electrical boxes on each end more or less. Should I fish the wire to the basement joists from one box, and run the wire along the joists under the wall and up to the second box, so on and so forth and complete the circuit to the panel? Or, whould I fish the wire down into the joists for each box and go to a junction box and then complete the circuit from there?

peter030205

King, either way would work. You can go from outlet to outlet, or from a centralized junction box...I'd say choose the method that uses the least amount of cable.

KingsX

Okay, thanks. Another question, I have 6 light fixtures throughout the entire house. One in each bedroom, so two there, one in the hallway one in the kitchen, one in the front entrance and one in the bathroom. Can I run the wire from each 6 of these independent circuits down the same wall cavity? Or would there be a heat issue or code violation? Thanks again.

Stratmando

You can run them all together, don't allow closer than 1 1/4" from edge of stud, to avoid screws from peircing or protect with steel plates. If you can wire recepticle to recepticle , instead of junction, it will eleminate connections and may allow easier troubleshooting in the future. All work can be done from upstairs.

KingsX

Okay that sounds great. I thought I'd have to open up walls like crazy in order to staple to studs. Of course I should check my local code to be sure either way. I know here in Canada we have slightly different codes.

In regards to what tkrussel was saying about the K&T being at 25 and 30 amps, and probably should have been at 15 amps for each fuse. I forgot that each the outlets are only two poles, but they are 20 amp outlets. And they are original. So maybe the fuses should be 20 amp fuses? But was it different back during the 1920's? I don't know.

tkrussell

If the wire is #12, then 20 amp fuse is fine, otherwise, if #14, then 15 amp fuse is the max.

KingsX

How can you tell with the old K&T which gauge it is? Its all this black round wire?

tkrussell

Get yourself one of those wire strippers that have a hole for each size wire, use it as a wire gauge to measure the copper wire, not the insulation.