Knob and tube wiring

Knob and tube wiring in residential installations

Knob and tube wiring, also known as open wiring, was used in Canadian homes for almost 50 years, beginning in the early 1900s. Older homes may still have it in service, fortunately parts are still available for maintenance purposes. Knob and tube wiring, properly installed, can still provide many more years of service. However, it does raise insurance concerns.

The issues started with changing lifestyles

Most old homes do not have as many electrical circuits as a new one. To get around this, some homeowners installed additional outlets or new circuits and tied it into the old wiring, rather than starting a new circuit at the electrical panel.
Often, when a circuit became overtaxed and 15 amp fuses were constantly blowing, homeowners put in heavier fuses to stop the problem. Having 25 or 30 amps in a wire not designed to handle it causes the wire to overheat resulting in the wire and the insulation becoming brittle. This in turn, led to safety issues.
Some homeowners also did their own renovations, adding outlets but connecting them into the old wiring without making the proper connections.
Knob and tube wiring, on its own, is not inherently a problem. Some argue it does not have a ground conductor, but that is true of any wiring installed prior to 1960. The ground conductor — or "third prong" — is necessary if you are plugging in appliances that have a 3-prong plug.

What to do

If the home involved in your transaction has knob and tube wiring, it is recommended that you follow these guidelines:

Have a qualified electrical contractor check the knob and tube conductors for sign of deterioration and damage. Some insurance companies may ask for a specific electrical contractor report.
The general home inspection report will also identify visible electrical safety concerns in the electrical wiring.
Knob and tube conductors should be replaced where exposed conductors show evidence of mechanical abuse and or deterioration, poor connections, overheating, or alterations that could result in overloading.

Source: CREA

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This file last modified Thursday, 27-Dec-2007 16:53:52 CST

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Knob and tube wiring