Testing dryer receptacle?

[Doug Miller]

In article , John Albert wrote: [snip tale of woe]

Try these guys:

Or

[clare]

You have a problem. The parts have not been made for almost 50 years. Finding used replacements will not be easy - most are scrapped when pulled - and the vast majority were pulled years ago. Might try an OLD demolition yard. Putting in a new panel is pretty much your only solution, and most electricians won't touch the K&T.

Only solution is to put the K&T to junction boxes and wire from there to the new panel with romex. It will have to be "temporary" You will also be replacing the wires in the stack, and possibly the overhead as well because it will HAVE to be at least 100 amp

[bud--]

Salvage yard? Another possibility is an electrical contractor that works on older houses.

There are weatherproof fused disconnects that use a cartridge fuse pullout. They are used with A/C compressor/condenser units. I doubt they are the same size. All the ones I have seen are 30A rated.

I would describe what you are looking for as a "fuse pullout for a main and range panel".

Don't know why it is "temporary". It should be code compliant. The jurisdiction may have requirements beyond the NEC for what to do with K&T, and for what is required with a new service.

[clare]

K&T is not code compliant, and "officially" cannot be connected to a new panel. Totally different "architecture"

[John Albert]

Bud wrote: "I would describe what you are looking for as a "fuse pullout for a main and range panel". "

You're the guy that gave me the info I needed.

I was able to paste that into ebay and found someone selling old parts. Got exactly what I was looking for.

Thanks,

- John

[John Albert]

RE: "K&T is not code compliant, and "officially" cannot be connected to a new panel. Totally different "architecture""

Does that mean that anyone who happens to own a house with a

60-amp knob-and-tube system must replace the ENTIRE wiring of the house along with the fuse panel? With lathe & plaster walls, what would that entail? We could be talking 15-20,000 or more.

Sorry, cant - and WON'T - do that. Haven't got the money, plain and simple. Or to put it more succinctly, considering the deteriorating neighborhood this house is in, it would be foolish to throw much money into it with any hope of getting it back, dollar for dollar.

My house was built in 1911. I'm _guessing_ that the K&T is original from that time, but that the original fuse panel was replaced at some point with a more "modern" (at least for the time) 60-amp service panel. I notice that "between" the 60-amp fuse panel and the runs of K&T, there is an "intermediate" junction box. It has [what I think is called] "BX" armored cable between it and the fuse panel. I'm going to guess that the current panel was installed not long after the advent of BX. Would that be, say, late 40's or early 50's?

- John

[clare]

The intermediate box is what I was saying would be required to connect K&T to a "current" fuse box.

Up here in Ontario Canada, NO insurance company will write new business on a house with K&T wiring. Depending where you are you MAY be able to get an electrician to install a new panel and connect it to the existing wiring - but it would not be code compliant. Depends on your level of inspection requirement etc.

[bud--]

Of course, you pick up K&T in a box. But it is not "temporary" in the US.

There was a case where insurance was denied because of K&T in the US. The owner appealed to the state insurance regulator, and the insurance company was reversed because they produced absolutely no data showing K&T was a hazard. (IMHO this is another form of redlining.) I have not seen data on hazards from K&T. (But it would be a good idea to replace it when walls are open.)

K&T is still in the NEC (394). Use is very limited, but reconnecting to K&T on a rewire is certainly allowed.

Wiring is K&T only when concealed. When exposed (as in an open basement ceiling) it is "open wiring on insulators" (398).

I have read (don't know if it is true) that K&T was used relatively recently in some areas where flooding was a problem (allowed by "special permission").

I believe the electricians in this newsgroup are not fond of K&T but do not see it as a major problem unless it has been abused.