Upgrading Your Electrical Wiring

REDWOOD CITY — If your home was built prior to the 1960s, it may still have its original knob-and-tube electrical wiring, a precursor to modern Romex wiring. While it would be excessive to say knob-and-tube wiring is dangerous, there are some potential safety concerns. The main one is that its sheathing tends to decay and fall apart over time due to high heat exposure. This can create an unsafe condition—you don’t want heat conductors coming into contact with metal boxes and light fixtures.

To avoid this safety risk, consider replacing your knob-and-tube wiring with Romex. In a Romex cable, all wires are securely housed within a vinyl sheathing, which insulates and protects them. Plus, unlike knob-and-tube wiring, Romex wiring is grounded. That’s why modern homes have three-pronged electrical outlets while older homes have two-pronged outlets—that third prong connects to a ground wire, which knob-and-tube wiring doesn’t have.

An ideal time to upgrade your wiring is during a home remodeling project. Since the walls will already be opened up, this measure can be done for little additional cost—a small price to pay for the increase in safety.