Question about old knob and tube wiring in a 1920s house I just worked on

The whole place had original cloth-covered knob and tube, and the owner wanted a full rewire. After three weeks and about $8,500 in labor and materials, we swapped it all for modern Romex. The difference in safety and just being able to add a ceiling fan without a headache is night and day. Why do you think some people still fight to keep that old stuff active?

3 comments

3 Comments

patricia422mo ago

Right? I did a full rewire on a 1925 bungalow last year and the peace of mind is worth every penny. Some folks just get weirdly attached to "original" stuff even when it's a fire hazard.

walker.michael2mo ago

Man, I saw a whole article about this. Some people honestly believe old wiring is fine if you "don't touch it," which is wild. Like @patricia42 said, that attachment to original stuff ignores how brittle that cloth insulation gets. It's not just a fire risk, it makes the house basically stuck in the past. You did the right thing getting it all replaced.

olivia_morgan813d ago

Right, and it taps into something bigger I see all the time - people confusing "old" with "quality." Like my buddy who refuses to replace his 30 year old water heater because "they don't make em like they used to," ignoring the fact that it's literally rusting from the inside out. Or folks hanging onto that ancient furnace because it still "runs fine" even though it's eating cash every month. There's this weird pride in keeping something going way past its useful life, like it's some kind of achievement. But with wiring, that stubbornness can burn your house down, not just waste a few bucks on energy bills.