Residential Electrical Wiring
Posted on June 20, 2007 - Filed Under Housing |
WonderWoman has shunned her nickname and since we all know her as Mikki, well the "WonderWoman" moniker no longer applies.
Eighty years ago, when the house was being built, the state of the art in electrical wiring was installed.
Knob and Tube.
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The fact that wiring was sent through plastic tubes, or suspended via ceramic knobs does not bother me. What does bother me is the cloth material that was used to insulate the wires. |
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Why does that scare me? Constant heat, natural decay of fabric, little hungry creatures . . . leads to exposed wires.
Does this happen? Well the chances are slim. But after the "luck" I’ve experienced with these houses, it wouldn’t surprise me if half the wiring was exposed.
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Since new wiring is being installed, and walls have been demoed, it makes sense to go ahead and redo the electrical now. Plus, it will be up to code which is always goodness. |
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Then on resale of the house, this is extra encouragement to the buyers that the 80 year old house they’re looking at won’t kill them. They will not awake in the middle of the night, smoke everywhere, because some multi-legged creature got hungry and gnawed on the wires.
The kitchen area was completely redone. With the addition of the GFI receptacles, one every 24 inches, the kitchen will be a powerhouse for appliances. If anything, it will be "up to code" which is her mantra.
This knowledge will be useful on my next project. Being able to size up the electrical in the house will help determine, with greater accuracy, the budget.
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Located in Article 210.52 of the 2002 NEC
“In the kitchen, pantry, breakfast room, dining room, or similar area of a dwelling unit, the two or more 20-amp small appliance branch circuits required by 210.11 (C)(1) shall serve all receptacle outlets covered by 210.52(A) and (C) and receptacle outlets for refrigeration equipment.”
210.52(C) says
“Wall Counter Spaces. A receptacle outlet shall be installed at each wall counter space that is 300mm (12″) or wider. Receptacle outlets shall be installed so that no point along the wall line is more than 600mm (24in) measured horizontally from a receptacle outlet in that space.”
How’s that for a mind boggling, boring, read? Those sections do not even cover the requirements for the lighting, or separate appliances like microwaves, dishwashers and garbage disposals. And that’s just the kitchen!
A real estate friend of mine told me that the best thing you can do to sell a house is to put all the bargaining chips on your side of the table. Take away the potential buyers ability to say “Yeah, I’d pay that money, but is outdated.
The electrical chip is now on your side. After this week, the plumbing will be too!
Hey, Clifford, can you tell us how much are you having to spend for the re-wiring? No need to say how much you’re paying for Mikki’s labor–I just wondered about the total costs (permits + materials + labor + etc).
Hey, Trisha, yes I’m going to release the details towards the end of the project. Probably within the next two weeks. It’s hard to say right now because we’re still finding “surprises” in the house. You know how that goes!
Multi legged creatures that would knaw through knob & tube can also knaw through romex.