I have an older house with knob and tube wiring. I s that too inadequate to handle a track light system with five7 lights? I live alone. So I tend to turn practically all lights off in the rest of the house, except where I am working. I have 500 amp service.

I have an older house with knob and tube wiring. I s that too inadequate to handle a track light system with five7 lights? I live alone. so I tend to turn practically all lights off in the rest of the house, except where I am working. I have 500 amp service.


I think this is a home improvement question, not a legal question, and should be moved.

To Judy: Of course it is a home improvement question. An intelligent assumption would be to consider that the poster, (ME), somehow entered it into the legal question I asked, instead of the OTHER home improvement one. Understand now, Judy? :rolleyes:

Moved from Real Estate Law forum to Electrical and Lighting forum.

To answer your question, it should be fine.

I have 500 amp service.

Is that also an error or is your house that big?

Knob and tube wiring probably is inadequate, since it was more than likely installed 80 years ago when electrical loads were minimal in most cases. When was the last time you had an electrician check the condition of your wiring? Knob and tube wiring also does NOT provide a ground, and most insurance companies frown on insuring a home with this type of wiring. And that 500 amp service... is that accurate? Sorry to rain on your parade.

Actually, knob and tube is safer than the next generation of wiring that put both cloth/rubber insulated conductors inside the same sheath. Ignoring the no ground issue, which is common to most wiring before the early 60's, correctly installed K&T is almost impossible to short out except right at the devices. The insulation is very suceptable to environmental degradation and becomes very brittle, but can be worked with if you know what you are doing and are very careful.

I just repaired a job where that type of conductor was paired in one jacket and whoever tried to replace the timeclock twisted the cable and shorted the circuit. Amazing that there wasn't any fire. Got to love SquareD QO breakers.

As to the original question. K&T is adequate if it is still reasonable condition and it is properly protected with the CORRECT over current devices.

EPM

Just don't think about blowing insulation on top of it!

I've decided to stay out of this, but let me say this. If it can be replaced, replace it!

Track lighting is a minimal load and k&t is probably the safest wiring method there is. Lighting does not usually require a ground so that is not an issue. Get some heat shrink tubing and your blow dryer to shrink it on the conductors. Be sure to turn off the circuit before you start. This should go well as long as you follow the manufacturers instructions.

hedlok, When does lighting not need a ground, I have been grounding everything, and must have wasted a lot of wire on lights.
If lighting has no ground, there is a possibility of them becoming live?

I see. Sincere thanks for that piece of information, Sir