# Troubleshooting knob and tube



## jw0445 (Oct 9, 2009)

What tips and advise do you have to troubleshoot a short on knob and tube. Had a call from a customer that has 4 units on one meter in a 3-story victorian home. Tells me it affects various recepts and lighting in all 4 units. I haven't been there yet but I'm assuming all splices are in the walls. Never had one like this before. Thanks.


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## HARRY305E (Jun 14, 2013)

jw0445 said:


> What tips and advise do you have to troubleshoot a short on knob and tube. Had a call from a customer that has 4 units on one meter in a 3-story victorian home. Tells me it affects various recepts and lighting in all 4 units. I haven't been there yet but I'm assuming all splices are in the walls. Never had one like this before. Thanks.


A tic-tester comes in really handy to identify the neutral because you do not have an equipment ground.

Also many of the splices are soldered as well and just covered with friction tape .

You will also find change over splices to BX cable but keep in mind that,that BX is not grounded.


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## Spunk#7 (Nov 30, 2012)

Time for an upgrade?


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## daveEM (Nov 18, 2012)

jw0445 said:


> Had a call from a customer that has 4 units on one meter in a 3-story victorian home. Tells me it affects various recepts and lighting in all 4 units.


Probably not a short. Lets see... 4 units, one meter, maybe 3 or 4 circuits.

Four units all cooking toast on one circuit. Cold, space heater running somewhere.

Eight guys and a couple of bins and they can completely shred the inside of that place in a couple of days. 

You can then wire it.


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## retiredsparktech (Mar 8, 2011)

jw0445 said:


> What tips and advise do you have to troubleshoot a short on knob and tube. Had a call from a customer that has 4 units on one meter in a 3-story victorian home. Tells me it affects various recepts and lighting in all 4 units. I haven't been there yet but I'm assuming all splices are in the walls. Never had one like this before. Thanks.


I lived in the one of the oldest sections of Milwaukee.
There was an old home that was owned by an electrical contractor, similar to the one mentioned. The entire house was rewired in EMT. None of the original wiring was used.
It was really rewired properly. Each unit had it's own sub-panel, as the basement was kept locked.
BTW, all wiring was surface mounted. No concealed wiring. :thumbsup:


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## chicken steve (Mar 22, 2011)

jw0445 said:


> What tips and advise do you have to troubleshoot a short on knob and tube. Had a call from a customer that has 4 units on one meter in a 3-story victorian home. Tells me it affects various recepts and lighting in all 4 units. I haven't been there yet but I'm assuming all splices are in the walls. Never had one like this before. Thanks.


The best you'll be able to offer this side of a complete rewire is a bandaid JW

And in fact, seeing as there's 4 units on century old wiring, you've most likely a # in a long line of sparkies that have been solicited FOR that bandaid.

~CS~


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## jw0445 (Oct 9, 2009)

Thanks for all the replies. I was shown around by the property manager what was not working. It was alot. I then go to the panel and try the breaker. It holds and everything comes back on. I'm thinking something was wet and dried out or something got unplugged and cleared the fault. The owner showed up and wouldn't go for individual meters and breaker boxes since it's now working again. I did convince him to reduce the load and got a nice job out of it. Thanks again.


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