This is Part-3 of our 4-Part Article About Knob & Tube (K&N) Electrical Wiring.   Al’s Plumbing — in Plano, TX provides Full-Service Plumbing; maintenance, repairs, and replacements for every plumbing component in your home.  Al’s sells and installs gas and electric water heaters.  Al’s is near your home in; Plano, TX; Allen, TX; Frisco, TX; and McKinney, Texas.  We service all homes in southern Collin County, TX, and northeastern Dallas County, TX with no additional travel charges.

Call Al’s Today To Discuss Any Concerns Or Problems You Have With Your Home’s Plumbing. 

We will arrange an appointment at your convenience.

This Is Part-3 Of Our 4-Part Article With In-Depth Details About

Knob & Tube Wiring — In Homes Built (up to) 1955

Click Here To Go To Part-1 Of Our 4-Part Article: AlsPlumbing.com Part-1 Of 4 Knob And Tube Electrical Wiring

Here’s What Knob And Tube Wiring Looks Like

Image Source: YouTube Embedded Video Link

Part-3 Discusses:

• How To Make K&T Wiring More Safe From Shocking You. 

• WHY Plug-In Surge Protectors Don’t Work With K&T’s Ungrounded Wiring.

• Additional Problems Caused By K&T Wiring — Regarding Home Insulation & Home Onwer’s Insurance.

• Two Things A Home Seller Needs To Know Before Listing A K&T Wired Home For Sale. 
• Both Reasons May Kill The Deal. 

• Must A Home Seller Disclose The Home Has K&T Wiring?  It Depends On Where The Home’s Located. 

How To Make Knob and Tube Wiring Much Less Likely To Shock You

• Electricity always takes the shortest path into the earth (the ground).  
• A Short-Circuit Is Defined As: Electricity taking a shorter path (than the safe & intended path).

• If YOU become part of a short-circuit — you will get shocked.  Electrocution is also a real danger (see details below).
• Current over 10 mA /Milliamps (1/100 of 1 amp) can produce painful to severe shock,
• Currents between 100–200 mA (1/10 TO 2/10 of 1 amp) are lethal.

What Happens During A Short Circuit:

• There’s a Sudden Change In The Direction of the electrical current.

• At the same time — a Dramatic Reduction In Electrical Resistance Occurs (because a shorter path has less resistance than a longer path).

• The 2 factors cause Massive Electricity Flow Through the unintended & unsafe pathway.

• If the unsafe pathway is a person — the massive electricity flow can cause bodily harm.

Sources:

• https://www.asc.ohio-state.edu/physics/p616/safety/fatal_current.html
• https://4starelectric.com/what-is-a-short-circuit-why-is-it-dangerous/

With UNGrounded Electrical Wiring:

• During a short-circuit —  any electrical device can transmit up to a fatal current when touched.
• Current over 10 mA /milliamps (1/100 of 1 amp) can produce painful to severe shock,
• Currents between 100–200 mA (1/10 TO 2/10 of 1 amp) are lethal.

With Grounded Electrical Wiring:

• Grounded Electrical Wiring Routes Any Excess Current Away From You — And Into The Wiring’s Ground Wire. 
• Then the Electrical System safely routes any excess current into the ground (the earth) near the house.

With UNGrounded Wiring

Installing GFCI Outlets Helps Protect From Electric Shock.

Image Source: Amazon.com Embedded Link.  Click On Image For Details.

Shown: Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter (GFCI) Outlet.

This Outlet Shown Has Green & Red Indicator Lights — To Let You Know It’s Working or That It Has Tripped.

With UNGrounded Wiring — you can have Dramatically Increased Electric Shock Protection by installing a GFCI (Ground-Fault Circuit Interrupter) Outlets.  If you start to receive a shock — the GFCI Outlet senses it and immediately shuts off the electricity to that outlet (+ others beyond it on that same circuit).

These Steps Will Identify Which Outlets (on a single circuit) — That Will Also Be Protected By A Single GFCI. 

• TIP: The outlet that’s closest to the Circuit Breakers Panel (or Fuse Box) — Is Likely The First On A Circuit. 

• Turn off the power to the entire house.
• Disconnect the outlet that you think is the 1st outlet on a circuit.
• Turn the power back on.
• Any outlet(s) that isn’t receiving electricity — is “Downstream” (beyond) the disconnected outlet (on that same circuit).
• Those “downstream” outlet(s) Will Also Be Protected by a single GFCI outlet.

• TIP: Outlets, still live with electricity are not “downstream” (on the same circuit) as the outlet you disconnected.

TIPS:

Image Source: Amazon.com Embedded Link

SHOWN: Ground Plug Adaptors — These Allow A Grounded (3 prong) Plug To Be Used With An UnGrounded (2 prong) Outlet.

Click On Image To; View Product, Read Details, or Purchase From Amazon.com

TIPS:

• You Can Install A Grounded (3-prong) Outlet On Any “Downstream” Outlets Protected By A GFCI Outlet.
• The GFCI outlet Does Not make downstream outlets grounded.  The GFCI will cut power to all downstream outlets on that same circuit.

• Installing Grounded Outlets eliminates the need to use Ground Plug Adaptors (shown above).
• Those adapters don’t create a grounded connection — they simply allow 3-prong plugs to be connected to 2-prong outlets.
• Never remove the plug’s ground-prong.  Doing that renders the cord forever ungrounded.  Use the adaptors.

Source: https://www.finehomebuilding.com/2006/03/01/can-i-make-ungrounded-circuits-safer

Instances Where You Don’t Have To Install A GFCI Outlet — With Ungrounded Wiring

TIPS:

• If a device has a 2-prong cord — it’s because the device doesn’t present electrical shock potential.  GFCI Protection isn’t needed for it.
• NOTE: IF you’re operating any electrical item (Made Before 1963) GFCI Protection Is Needed — because that device was grounded when made.

• If an Expensive Device with a 2-prong cord (like large TVs) — Installing a GFCI helps protect the DEVICE.

 Plug-In Power Surge Protectors

Do Not Provide Protection With Knob And Tube (or other ungrounded) Wiring

The devices’ purpose is to route excess current into the outlet’s ground wire — where the excess current is safely taken away.

TIP: Better Plug-In Surge Protectors Have A Light Indicating The Device Is Grounded.  With UNGrounded Wiring — That Light Won’t Be Lighted.

If That Light Is Dark — The Surge Protector Provides No Protection For Devices Plugged Into It.

TIP: To Protect The Devices: With UnGrounded Wiring — A GFCI Oultet Must Be Installed.

Image Source: Amazon.com Embedded Link

Click On Image To; View Product, Read Details, or Purchase From Amazon.com

This Device Just Above Has 2 Blue Indicator Lights:  1=Protected (the surge protector is working) & 2=Grounded (the device is plugged into a grounded outlet).

The Device Just Below Has Green & Red Indicator Lights: 

Green=Protected (the surge protector is working) And Red=Grounded (the device is plugged into a grounded outlet).

Image Source: Amazon.com Embedded Link

Click On Image To; View Product, Read Details, or Purchase From Amazon.com

You Can’t Add Home Insulation To A Home With Knob and Tube Wiring.

• K&T wiring must be in the open air to ensure that it can cool adequately.
• Insulation against K&T wiring causes the wiring to overheat — and may cause a house fire.

Most (if not all) Home Owner Insurance Companies

Won’t Write A Policy For Homes With Knob and Tube Wiring

• FEW (if any) Homeowners Insurance Companies Will Insure a home with K&T wiring — due to the much higher risk of fire.
• Mortgage Lenders Won’t Provide A Mortgage for an UNinsurable home.

In Rare Instances — a few Specialty Home Owner’s Insurance may write a Temporary H.O. Insurance Policy.

Continued Coverage Is Contingent To:

1. The owner must sign a contract stating the K&T wiring will be replaced within 30 days.
2. The owner must submit the electrician’s contract (to replace the wiring).

When the Work Is Completed:

1. The owner must submit a Certificate of Completion showing the replacement is complete.
2. If the owner doesn’t meet these requirements (and perhaps others) by the specified time — the H.O. Insurance will likely be automatically canceled.

To Skip This Section — Scroll Down To The Next Double Lines.

Must A Home Seller Disclose Knob and Tube Wiring? 

It Depends On Where The Home Is Located.

• Disclosure of K&T wiring varies based on the State where the home is located.
• You must research your State’s K&T Disclosure requirements, or consult with an Attorney.

Example: Rhode Island Home Sellers Disclosure requires the Seller to disclose what type of electrical wiring the home has.

Example: Pennsylvania requires a home seller to disclose anything that is not currently code-compliant.

• In most (if not all) States, home seller disclosures are limited to the Home Seller’s Knowledge.
• If the seller doesn’t know about a problem — they can’t be held liable.

TIPS:

• As A BUYER — You have no way of determining what a home seller actually knows.
• PROTECT YOURSELF: Have a Home Inspection done as part of a home purchase. 

• Be Wary Of “As Is” Homes.  The Seller has no liability whatsoever for any repairs the home needs.
• TIP: This doesn’t mean you shouldn’t buy the home — rather that extra diligence is needed to discover any problems.

• Foreclosures & Short-Sales are always “As Is”.   This is because the Lender/Seller has no knowledge of the home.
• Homes sold from an Estate will likely have “As Is”.   This is because the Estate’s Heirs have little or no knowledge of the home.

TIP: A Home Inspection Costs Less Than 1 Minor Repair.

This Is Not Legal Advice

Seek Legal Advice From A Licensed Attorney.

In Texas

Texas Home Seller Disclosure Duties:

Property Code Section 5.008(7)(d) states that the disclosure notice: “shall be completed to the best of Seller’s belief and knowledge — as of the date the notice is completed and signed by the seller.

If the information required by the disclosure notice is unknown to the seller, the seller shall indicate that on the disclosure notice and (by that act) is in compliance with this section.”  The standard is: The “belief & knowledge” of the seller — and specifically refers to only the items listed within the disclosure itself.

Legal Definitions:

• A Patent Defect is Visible. Patent Defects can be seen during a home inspection.
• K&T wiring will be visible in a home’s attic (provided it’s not hidden from view by any means).

• A Latent Defect is Not Visible and may be hidden from view.
• A home seller MUST disclose Latent Defects that they are aware of — because a home inspector might not be able to discover them.
• Example of a Latent Defect: A home that was in a weather-related flood.
• In Texas The Sellers Disclosure Notice Specifically Asks if the home has ever weather-related flooded.

Source: Legal Definitions (just above): https://storeys.com/what-you-need-to-disclose-when-selling-your-home/

• A Material Fact In Real Estate is information that, if the buyer knew, might cause a buyer to make a different decision about buying or the price paid.
• A Material Fact must be; a supportable fact, must detract from the value of the property, or pose a danger to occupants.

• Example of a Material Fact: A home with previous electrical-fires history.
• If the electrical system was found to have started a fire(s) — unless it’s been repaired or replaced, this is likely a Material Fact (if the home seller knew).

A Texas Home Seller’s Duty To Disclose Material Facts 

• Must Disclose Facts that would Not be discoverable by the exercise of ordinary care and diligence by the purchaser.
• OR that a reasonable investigation and inquiry would not uncover.

• A Texas home seller has a duty to disclose known facts — but no duty to know, nor to investigate.

• A Texas home seller has no duty to disclose facts they do not know.

• A Texas home seller is not liable for failing to disclose facts they should have known.  Actual knowledge is required.

Stigmatized Property

Issues Not Related To The Home Itself

To Skip This Section — Scroll Down To The Next Double Lines.

• Stigmatized Property: The National Association of REALTORS® (NAR) defines stigmatized property as: A property that has possibly been Psychologically Impacted by an event that occurred, or is suspected to have occurred, on the property.  The event has No Physical Impact on the home.

The National Association Of Realtors’ (NAR) Stigma Examples May Include:

• Potential Risks created by the home or its condition.
• Murder or Suicide inside the house
• Alleged Hauntings
• A Notorious Previous Owner.

(The above list isn’t comprehensive).

In Many states, It’s Not Mandatory To Disclose A Stigma.

Other Potential Stigma May Include:

• The home has had a fire.
• A natural death on the premises (not caused by suicide or murder).
• The home is the former set of a well-known movie or TV show.
• Paranormal (or suspected paranormal) activity
• Former residence of a famous or infamous person
• Scene of a notable crime
• Located near a registered sex offender (or former residence of a sex offender),
• Former drug lab.
• Home is located within an area with a major environmental issue(s).

(The above list isn’t comprehensive).

• As of Feb 2023, there were no states that require disclosure of a natural death in a home.  Source: Matthew Reischer, CEO of LegalAdvice.com.
• Texas home sellers are required to disclose; a murder, or a death caused by the condition of the property.

Copy The Link Below Into Your Browser To See A Texas Seller’s Disclosure Notice 

https://www.trec.texas.gov/sites/default/files/pdf-forms/OP-H_1.pdf

This is Part-3 of our 4-Part Article About Knob & Tube (K&N) Electrical Wiring.   Al’s Plumbing — in Plano, TX provides Full-Service Plumbing; maintenance, repairs, and replacements for every plumbing component in your home.  Al’s sells and installs gas and electric water heaters.  Al’s is near your home in; Plano, TX; Allen, TX; Frisco, TX; and McKinney, Texas.  We service all homes in southern Collin County, TX, and northeastern Dallas County, TX with no additional travel charges.

Call Al’s Today To Discuss Any Concerns Or Problems You Have With Your Home’s Plumbing. 

We will arrange an appointment at your convenience.