Heard a homeowner in line at the hardware store say something that made me stop

I was grabbing some 12/2 at the local supply house yesterday and the guy ahead of me was telling the clerk he was going to 'just tap into the old knob and tube for a new bathroom fan' himself. He said it was 'still hot and working fine.' I didn't say anything there, but it got me thinking about how many people don't get that old insulation crumbles and it's a major fire risk. Has anyone else had to explain this to a client after they tried something similar?

3 comments

3 Comments

kim.jake21d ago

Man that's scary to hear... people really don't get how dangerous that old wiring is. I've seen the cloth insulation just turn to dust when you touch it. Makes you wonder how many houses are out there with accidents waiting to happen.

mason_fisher21d ago

Turn to dust when you touch it" is such a vivid and terrifying image. That really drives home how fragile the whole system becomes over time. It's not just old, it's actively crumbling.

michaeltorres21d ago

Look at old houses still standing after decades, seems like the danger gets overblown sometimes. Sure the cloth can get brittle, @kim.jake, but that doesn't mean every wire is about to burst into flames. Most of that stuff has been fine for fifty years, so what changed now? Isn't it possible we're just more worried about everything these days?