![]() ![]() I will ground the ceiling fan box with the run back to the breaker box. I've got a ceiling fan mount in place with a supporting brace that can support the weight of the fan. Looking for more help with repairs around your home? A home warranty may help.I'm installing a ceiling fan into a room that has no existing ceiling mount (no light or ceiling fan previously existed). Grounded receptacles cannot be retrofitted to this wire. Two-Wire Plastic-Sheathed CableĬaveats: Plastic is easily damaged. Check condition of insulation every five years or so it degrades over time, as shown above, or if too much current is allowed to flow through the circuit. The sheath provides a ground, so grounded receptacles are easy to retrofit.Ĭaveats: Sheath must be anchored securely to a metal outlet box. A flexible steel sheath covers hot and neutral wires, which are insulated with cloth-covered rubber. Rewire or disconnect any circuits covered with building insulation it causes this wiring to overheat. Its soldered connections may melt if too much current flows through them. Ceramic knobs anchor the wires to the house framing ceramic tubes are used where wires cross or penetrate framing.Ĭaveats: Cannot be grounded or spliced into a grounded circuit. The earliest residential wiring system has a cloth-covered hot wire and a neutral wire, which run parallel about a foot apart. Here are some wiring systems you’ll find in older homes. But the vintage copper wiring in many older houses works just as well as the new stuff, as long as it’s in good condition and hasn’t been altered in a way that violates code. Today’s standard household wiring is a plastic-sheathed, insulated three-wire cable, universally known by the trade name Romex. Electricians will charge about $8 or $10 per outlet, although there’s likely to be a minimum charge for small jobs. (A new one costs about $2.) Many homeowners feel comfortable doing this themselves. Solution: Replace the old receptacles as soon as possible. Loose contacts can cause arcing, which can ignite dry wood and dust. What it means: Worn contacts in receptacle no longer grip the prongs firmly.ĭanger level: High. ![]() Remember: Anytime you work with wiring, be sure to turn off the circuit at the main breaker panel. To help you assess the state of your own electrical system, we’ve asked Gallant to identify the 10 most common wiring problems he sees, the dangers they pose, and his recommended solutions. ![]() Code only requires you to update wiring in rooms being gut-renovated. Each time the electrical code is revised, old wiring is “grandfathered,” on the assumption it was installed correctly. After that, he recommends getting a quick follow-up inspection every five years.ĭon’t be alarmed if the inspection turns up code violations. “He’ll look at the insulation on the wires to see if it’s dried out and fraying, he’ll look for corrosion in the service panel, and he’ll look to see if a previous owner did anything unsafe,” Gallant says. If you’re buying a house (especially one that’s more than 50 years old), or if you’ve never had your wiring inspected, it’s a good idea to hire a licensed electrician to give your home a thorough going-over. But others can pose serious fire or electrocution hazards. ![]() Some wiring problems are just inconveniences. To fix it, the old circuit must be rewired. Once the insulation has been damaged, the danger remains even if the offending fuse is replaced with one that’s the proper amperage. That can cause the wires to overheat, damaging their protective insulation and increasing the risk of fire. Protecting the Fuse Boxįuse boxes, like the one above, are less common these days than circuit breaker panels, but they work just fine - unless someone installs fuses with a higher amperage than the wires can safely handle. The signs of strain may be obvious-a tangle of extension cords and power strips sprouting from a single outlet-or lurking unseen behind walls, ceilings, and cover plates. “The circuits in these older homes weren’t designed to power the many gadgets of modern life,” says electrician Allen Gallant, who has wired six This Old House TV project houses. The wiring inside many houses is also out of date, straining to supply our ever-growing collection of electricity-hungry appliances, lighting, and electronics. It’s not just the nation’s power grid that’s antiquated. ![]()
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