| As an Electrical Contractor, each day, I'm called | | | | type that is protected best from critters, nails, |
| upon to come to a residence and try and locate | | | | and any other means of cutting into the wire. |
| the reason that there are electrical issues or | | | | Knob & Tube is definitely not safe. Early Romex |
| outages. I drive what I refer to as a rolling supply | | | | tends to shred where stapled to studs and attic |
| house stocked with over 10,000 residential | | | | joists, causing the potential for a shorted circuit |
| electrical parts on my truck so that I am | | | | (when a hot wire comes in contact with the |
| prepared to fix any problem on the spot. Getting | | | | neutral wire or ground wire). A short is supposed |
| back to the title question, residential wiring is | | | | to trip the circuit breaker or blow the fuse. If the |
| usually still safe after many years of service. | | | | breaker does not trip, the short will continue to |
| However, there are many different types of | | | | get hot and can very easily start an electrical fire. |
| residential wiring, depending on the age of your | | | | If you own an older home, have a professional |
| home. Some of the very first electrical systems | | | | licensed electrical contractor come out and |
| in houses and apartments was called Knob & | | | | evaluate your electrical system. Did you know |
| Tube wire. It worked well at the time it was | | | | that in many older homes, the kitchen light fixture |
| installed, pre 1920's and into the 1930's, but is no | | | | has burned up the wires in the outlet box above |
| longer considered safe. Many insurance companies | | | | it? Most older kitchen lights use a sealed drum |
| will not insure a home that still uses Knob & Tube | | | | type of light fixture. The maximum wattage of |
| wiring. During the 1930's, steel conduit became the | | | | light bulb for a sealed drum fixture is 60 watts. |
| standard method of residential wiring. The conduit | | | | Many people over the years have installed 100 |
| began at the fuse box and traveled from outlet | | | | watt bulbs in their kitchen fixtures to make the |
| box to outlet box, from wall outlet to light outlet | | | | kitchen brighter! The fixture becomes an oven. |
| to switch outlet. Wire was pulled through the | | | | The best wiring methods in my opinion are post |
| conduit to each needed location for switches, | | | | 1970 Romex and also early steel conduit. With |
| lights and receptacles. In my opinion, this was the | | | | steel conduit, it's so easy to completely rewire |
| best method ever conceived, even to this day. | | | | the entire house. Just connect new wire to the |
| During the 40,'s & 50's, many homes were wired | | | | old wire and pull it through the conduit! And if you |
| with a spiral steel jacketed cable called BX. Inside | | | | still have glass plug fuses instead of circuit |
| the spiral steel jacket were either 2 or 3 | | | | breakers, it's time for a meter upgrade or a panel |
| conductors, or wires, usually copper or sometimes | | | | change-out. Just today I went on a service call |
| steel. Steel was used often during WW2. After | | | | and quickly found the problem. However, I came |
| the BX stage of wiring came Romex. Today's | | | | across something inside the panel that had I not |
| Romex is a plastic jacketed cable containing 2 or | | | | looked inside, the potential for a fire was possible. |
| 3 conductors (wires) similar to BX. Romex and BX | | | | Someone had added a 15 amp circuit into the box. |
| are very similar in that the outer jacket is | | | | Instead of placing that 15 amp, 14 gauge wire on |
| stripped where it enters the outlet box so that | | | | a new 15 amp circuit breaker, the electrician |
| the conductors can be spliced or attached to the | | | | doubled it onto another breaker with a wire |
| switch, light fixture, or receptacle from inside the | | | | already attached. It was a 20 amp circuit breaker! |
| outlet box. Both the BX and the Romex were | | | | Good thing I checked. |
| stapled by hammer to the joists & studs. BX was | | | | If you are concerned about whether or not the |
| difficult to strip. Romex was much easier and | | | | wiring in your older home is safe, you should call in |
| faster to strip. A sharp knife is my preferred tool, | | | | a licensed electrician or electrical contractor to |
| whereas BX requires a special tool that cuts | | | | take a look and do a safety inspection. Often if |
| through the steel jacket. During the late 1940's, | | | | you are having some repairs done, the contractor |
| there was Romex in existence, but the outer | | | | may do an inspection and give you a verbal |
| covering was a cloth and oil based substance. It | | | | report at no charge. If they are not already |
| changed to various types of outer coverings until | | | | there, you can expect to pay a few dollars for an |
| the early 1970's when it became the standard | | | | inspection, however the peace of mind you will |
| plastic covering that we continue to employ | | | | have knowing your wiring is safe is worth a few |
| today. | | | | dollars. |
| The safest residential wire, in my opinion, is the | | | | |