Originally Posted By: darmstrong This post was automatically imported from our archived forum.
In an old home, is it possible to determine if there is any active knob and tube wiring in the walls or other hidden areas that cannot be seen in a visual, non intrusive inspection?
I'm doing a home tomorrow built in 1890 and I know this is a concern for the buyer.
Originally Posted By: gbeaumont This post was automatically imported from our archived forum.
Hi to all,
Danny, the home will undoubtedly have some older wiring styles, that have not been fully removed, you may see evidence of these is the basement or crawl space or in the attic. the quick was to check if they are still energized it to use a voltage tic this flashes and beeps when held against the conductors.
Originally Posted By: darmstrong This post was automatically imported from our archived forum.
Thanks, Gerry. I have one of those. The purchaser of this property has been burned before on this on another old house by the home inspector, so I’m being very carefull with this one.
Originally Posted By: William Dorsey This post was automatically imported from our archived forum.
Danny an old home of this age is likely to have some hidden wiring problems that are impossible to see. The best that you can hope for is that a home’s wiring was at least professionally done to the standards existing when the work was performed. This as you know if not always true.
To find hidden building features with minimal invasiveness, a useful tool is a flexible fiberscope. These tools are not cheap, but they can be very worthwhile to own. The tool has a bright light source and an eyepiece in the body of the tool and a flexible fiber optic wand that delivers the light to the end of the wand and delivers the image back to the eyepiece. You use it by either slipping the wand through an existing crack along a electric box in to the wall cavity, or by drilling a small hole into the cavity. Spot checks near several boxes should tell you if any knob and tube was used.
The cost to own a fiberscope is around $300, but it can be a good investment.