Updating whole house wiring
#1
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Updating whole house wiring
1927 home in Columbus, OH. It has push button breakers but a variety of types of wiring including knob & tube, aluminum, and copper. Some grounded from what I see and some not, as far as I know. All major equipment such as furnace, water heater, a/c, washer and dryer have all been updated, but the outlets and fixtures have not. The house is 1100 square feet and does have basement and attic access.
I will tackle almost all renovation projects but this is the one area that I don't want to get involved in on a DIY level because I'm afraid of it and I just don't get it when it's explained to me. I have the opportunity to drywall the entire interior of my house because the plaster is separating from the lath and I'm covering it before it gets to bad and has to be a tear out. I would like to run new wiring through the house and now would be the perfect time. I need advice on how best to tackle this. My idea is to run of the wiring myself carefully labeling with the endpoint being the breaker box, though not connecting them. I would then have an electrician take it from there to completion.
In addition, I can run wiring mirroring what is exactly in place currently but it drops down from the second floor at many different points then runs through the basement to the breaker box. It would be easier if I could run the lines to one point and drop it down through was is a cavity of wall also housing the 2nd floor return air. There's plenty of space but I need to know if that's okay to do and what I might need to consider.
Thank you so much for your help.
I will tackle almost all renovation projects but this is the one area that I don't want to get involved in on a DIY level because I'm afraid of it and I just don't get it when it's explained to me. I have the opportunity to drywall the entire interior of my house because the plaster is separating from the lath and I'm covering it before it gets to bad and has to be a tear out. I would like to run new wiring through the house and now would be the perfect time. I need advice on how best to tackle this. My idea is to run of the wiring myself carefully labeling with the endpoint being the breaker box, though not connecting them. I would then have an electrician take it from there to completion.
In addition, I can run wiring mirroring what is exactly in place currently but it drops down from the second floor at many different points then runs through the basement to the breaker box. It would be easier if I could run the lines to one point and drop it down through was is a cavity of wall also housing the 2nd floor return air. There's plenty of space but I need to know if that's okay to do and what I might need to consider.
Thank you so much for your help.
#2
I have the opportunity to drywall the entire interior of my house because the plaster is separating from the lath and I'm covering it before it gets to bad and has to be a tear out.
#3
Circuit requirements have changed so mirroring what is currently there will not meet the current codes.
You can run across a duct, but not parallel to the duct.
Many electrician s will not accept liability when a homeowner has pulled the cables. It also takes.extra.time to check what was done.
You can run across a duct, but not parallel to the duct.
Many electrician s will not accept liability when a homeowner has pulled the cables. It also takes.extra.time to check what was done.
#4
Forum Topic Moderator
I'd agree with the others, if you're going to have an electrician do the work, let them do the work beginning to end. It will be easier (cheaper) if the walls are open, or you'll be doing drywall work anyway, since they can make more holes.
As mentioned, the codes nowadays require a lot more receptacles, circuits, etc. than they did in 1927, so it's important to understand what the requirements are and follow them.
It's all DIY-able if you want, but it's hard to sort of half/half with an electrician.
As mentioned, the codes nowadays require a lot more receptacles, circuits, etc. than they did in 1927, so it's important to understand what the requirements are and follow them.
It's all DIY-able if you want, but it's hard to sort of half/half with an electrician.
#5
Pete and PCBoss have nailed it. Electricians won't work on cable they haven't pulled. And gutting it is the best thing you can do to make it affordable for the electrician to do the work. Once gutted, you can remove the old knob-and-tube wiring, double or triple the number of outlets, And maybe the biggest payback, insulate your walls.