knob and tube, wiring for home automation


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Old 12-09-08, 09:08 PM
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knob and tube, wiring for home automation

hey fellas trying to figure out, how to wire my home automation, I have knob and tube wiring, trying to figure out my knob and tube setup, when I test the wires at the switch, when its on there is no voltage detected, but when I switch is off I can read voltage in one wire. I guess that would be the line , and the other is the neutral. So I guess they tied in the load in the wall somewhere? Thanks for the help
 
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Old 12-09-08, 09:23 PM
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How are you measuring voltage? From what wire to what wire using what type of meter?

Don't assume anything with K&T; you'll find that the neutral wire is switched as often as the hot in lighting circuits. Identifying which wire is which usually requires dragging an extension cord from a known good ground to your testing location and measuring voltage from the unknown wire(s) to the known good cord ground.
 
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Old 12-09-08, 09:32 PM
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here's some extra info, I am using insteon switchlinc which has 3 wires and a ground. Red black and white. They want the red to hook up to the load and black to black same with the neutral. I was thinking of hooking the red and black together. Then hooking them both to the hot. And so on with the neutral. Is that the right way of determing the neutral at the fixture? Just seeing which wire is hot? I don't know if my idea will work, I think it might because with only two knob and tube wires the load wire must be spliced in it somewhere behind the wall. I checked one at the fixture and they both beeped with voltage, I think the wires may have been to close together to read the neutral. Thanks for any help!
 
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Old 12-09-08, 09:35 PM
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I was just using a greenlee voltage detector. The pen looking one. How would I go about testing the wiring with the extension cord?
 
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Old 12-09-08, 09:59 PM
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The load wire is probably the switched hot wire. If you connect the reed and black together you will not have control since the load will always have power.

If the cord is plugged in to a grounded source you will be able to test for voltage between the female cord end and the wires at the switch. Only the hot wire should have voltage on it.
 
 

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