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Pro tip: a customer's old house taught me about knob and tube wiring
I was running a new line in this 1920s bungalow last week and found the original knob and tube still active behind the baseboard. The homeowner had no idea it was still there, and neither did I until I pulled the trim. It was tucked right next to the new cable run I was putting in. What's the safest way you guys deal with that when you find it on a job?
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miles_fisher6mo ago
Ever find knob and tube and just stare at it for a minute like it's a museum piece you're not supposed to touch? My first time I was so careful I probably looked like a bomb tech. What's your move, cut it back and cap it right there or trace it out first?
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jennifer_jenkins6mo ago
Trace it out every single time, no question. You never know if that one wire is the only thing feeding an outlet in the next room. I've seen guys cap it at the find spot and then get a call back when a bedroom goes dead.
6
burns.jenny6mo ago
It's like that with a lot of hidden systems, you know? You don't trace a wire, you get a dead outlet. You don't check the main valve before changing a faucet, you get a flooded kitchen. The real work is always in the prep, the stuff nobody sees. People skip it to save ten minutes and end up with a weekend-long problem.
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