One of the most important systems in your home is your electrical system. As technology has progressed, the number of electronic devices used on a daily basis within our homes has increased exponentially. As a result, so has the average electrical load on our systems. To accommodate this, newly constructed homes are built with electrical systems that are designed to handle this type of load. If you live in an older home, however, your electrical system may not be equipped to safely handle all of the electricity that you need. This is especially true with homes that still have knob and tube wiring, which was popular during the 1930s. If you have knob and tube wiring, then you should speak with an electrician about updating it to safer, more robust wiring.

What is Knob & Tube Wiring?

Knob and Tube wiring uses insulated knobs and tubes to help distribute the electrical wiring throughout your home. Most of the knobs used in these systems are made of ceramic, which works as a great insulator. Knobs are used to hold the wires, while tubes help to support them. One of the greatest dangers of knob and tube wiring is the fact that it often has outdated insulation, which can be highly deteriorated. When this happens, you are at a much greater risk of arcing, electrical shock and fire. Your best bet is to have an electrician complete a complete home rewire.

Reasons to Replace

Because it has not been used for many decades, all homes that have knob and tube wiring should be upgraded.

· Much of the wiring is uncovered, poorly insulated or damaged. This can lead to electrical shock and fire.

· Knob and tube wiring is just not designed to handle the type of usage that is required of a modern day household. It is designed for very simple electrical usage only, and can be easily overwhelmed with today's electrical usage.

· Most insurance companies do not cover knob and tube electrical systems. For this reason alone, you should have your knob and tube wiring replaced as soon as possible.