Older wiring

[fan-of-fans]

With the wiring in the house approaching 50 years old, I sometimes wonder if it’s still safe.

From what I’ve seen, my house wiring is probably fine, it’s all copper, and it seems like they used wire gauges for 20 amps on even the 15 amp circuits.

The breaker box is original too, and it’s a Square D QO series, which I think is pretty good quality. Can still get new breakers for it too.

Most of the outlets we use most often have been replaced. I still need to get all of the remaining ones replaced but most of them are in the bedrooms and aren’t used frequently and only for low current draw devices. Almost all of the original outlets in the house used push in wiring connections only, no screw terminals! I don’t like those at all because they can work loose over the years and you wouldn’t know. The switches though had both push in and screw terminals and they used the screws, go figure.

But other than that, I think everything is in good shape. Sometimes I get paranoid that a connection somewhere is overheating and smoldering ready to burst into flames. But like I said, I haven’t seen any reason to believe it’s the case.

I really don’t even hear of many electrical fires around here. I wonder if any homes here have aluminum wiring or knob and tube still.

I collect older fans and lamps and I don’t plug any of them in unless I’m using them. Just as an added precaution, although sometimes I wonder if the new stuff is less safe!

 

[gottahaveahoove]

My 140 yr old house had knobs and tube

It's all been replaced from the pole outside into the basement, etc. I've replaced every plug and switch. Kitchen, bathrooms. Etc. all have ground fault.    It sounds like you wiring is still perfect. 

 

[kirbylux77]

John, you were VERY SMART to upgrade and update your home's electrical system and do EVERYTHING, right down to the plugs. It's very common here in Canada to hear of homes over 90 years old to go up in flames. Sure it could be just the fact the wood framing is so old, dry and brittle, but one has to wonder if it's the old electrical wiring that's to blame. Personally, the only way I would buy a house over 50 years old is if I was prepared to do an entire Gut Job and do the works - plumbing, furnace, AC, electrical, etc. That way it's safe and I won't have to worry.

Cole, I would say that it's probably a good idea given the age of your house to have a electrical inspector to come in and check everything out. With the breaker box being original and the age of the wiring, plus the fact that some of your outlets are still original, I would check things out just to be sure. Everything has a life expectancy, and only a inspector would be able to tell you how much longer you're looking at before everything inside needs to be yanked out and replaced. Especially since we're talking about electrical here, it's better to be safe than sorry right?!

 

[human]

I have a very solidly constructed house, built in 1970, but it has that damned aluminum wiring. I had an electrician pigtail it with copper at the breaker box to act as a heat sink for added protection. Much cheaper than replacing all the wiring, but much better than having the aluminum by itself. For what it's worth, the original HVAC system lasted for 50 years. The new system will probably do well to last for ten.

 

[gottahaveahoove]

wow....aluminum!

I remember hearing the electricians in the basement.  "It's a wonder the damn place didn't burn down by now".


 


This place is 140 yrs old.  When you tell the insurance agent, they usually respond, "Oh GOD".


But, the furnace (3rd different system, coal, oil, now gas), plumbing, bathrooms, kitchen, wiring, roof, windows (33) have all been replaced. It was tough, messy, and expensive. But, I feel much better. You will, too.

 

[centralvacs1928]

QO breakers are the best in my opinion, and about the only ones I have found that actually trip near their rated amperage...makes sense as QO stands for "Quick Open".

Living in Chicagoland, I am fortunate to have a home with all copper wiring in conduit. And having been built as an "all-electric" house in 1970, it has a 400 amp service. Plenty of juice!!! Conduit makes it easy to add or replace wires.

I replaced every fixture, switch, and outlet during remodel. Most of the original ones had been installed with the evil push-in wire connections, with the wires daisy chained through each outlet. I corrected this by pigtailing each outlet and connecting with screw terminals. All "spec grade" devices too...the cheap ones wear out and don't hold plugs well after a decade or less.

 

[huskyvacs]

I have a mix of 1950 wiring and 1970 wiring and a breaker panel from the mid 1970's in my 1950 G.I. bill tract house. I do not plug in or run more than what the outlet allows. Things are only on when they are being used. LED bulbs and HDTV's took a massive strain off the wiring and barely engage it now.

I have messed up electrical projects on accident (exit sign repairing) and the breaker box cut the power faster than even the GFCI outlet could react. It was within a millisecond for a dead short situation. So I am not at all worried. It does buzz and hum a little when you run the microwave or the air conditioner though.

There are only 2 spots where the old Romex wiring is damaged that I need to address, but it is not a danger any time soon. The cable for the air conditioner looks like its splayed out and had overheated in the past (the braids on the romex are puffed out like a snake shedding its skin) and then in my bedroom closet there is a spot where the wire's outer sheathing got singed when they installed the then-new toilet in 1988 and was torching the pipes on the other side. I do not know how badly it is, but I think it's just the outer sheath is frayed. I became aware of that in 2011 and the situation hasn't changed since then. Also another spot where a metal staple looks like it might be digging in.

The romex is coated in a fireproof tar or waxy fiberous material so it is burn resistant, and the original electrician was very careful to protect the wiring in joins and junctions with rubber tubing and heat shrink wrap - he cared about his job and the work he was doing. The only thing I've had to do is replace the Bakelite outlets as they break, as they are so old now they are breaking in half. You also have to be careful when repairing fixtures as the wire is a thin 12 ga. size and you do not have infinite chances to get something right or bend something in the right spot. If you work the wires too much the copper will get soft and snap, so I get very stressed out and anxious whenever I repair anything, as I cannot take the wall down to access the slack in the wire, if there even is any.

 

[huskyvacs]

Also forgot to mention all the junction boxes are heatproof Bakelite or solid steel as original to the house. I think there might be one plastic box in the whole house.