Complete nonsense. Knob and tube *can* coexist with modern electrical systems. There is no federal law banning modern outlets with K&T.
BTW, there is good reason to use grounded outlets with ungrounded systems. It's perfectly safe, and even meets (most) code, with the addition of a GFCI.
Because the thing broke? Because the bathroom was remodeled? Does it matter why?
Utter nonsense (you're good at that). Often the whole house has to be demoed to replace the plumbing. That's unlikely with a bathroom upgrade.
Yes, but according to your logic you should be able to go down to the local home center and buy the old two prong ungrounded outlets. Good luck with that. Damn government interfering with your choice again. :)
A GFCI is not a substitute for a real ground wire. Yes, code allows a GFCI to be used in remodel situations to increase safety when a real ground wire can't be installed. But you can't substitute a GFCI for a grounded outlet when installing new electrical.
Now that's nonsense. You don't have to replace the entire plumbing system, just install proper venting for the toilet. At most you cut the flooring and wall finish back so you can run a vent. Granted, this can be more complicated in a two story home, but it's not a huge job if you're remodeling the bathroom anyway (anything more than cosmetic changes like paint).
I just remodeled my in-laws bath. I gutted the old plaster and lath, cut back the old cast iron pipe so I could splice in new PVC drains and vents, and installed new wiring. No big deal. Except for a couple holes through the floor and ceiling for new pipes, none of the rest of the house was affected.
But what do I know, I'm just a stupid lying Democrat spouting more nonsense. :)
Last time I checked, I could. They're still an acceptable replacement for existing devices, for ungrounded receps that are not downstream of a GFCI. I expect that to change soon however as I doubt the few mfgrs. that still make them will retool for tamper proof.
I am surprised that tamper proof are still hard to find in the big boxen. One would think that that would be all that you could buy now but that is not the case.
Clearly availability varies by area. I haven't seen new ungrounded outlets for sale around here in many, many years. In fact, I don't know that I've ever seen them for sale in the home centers. Small mom and pop hardware stores and specialty electrical probably had them around a while longer.
Yep, surprised me too. They do carry them, but they're not real obvious unless you're specifically looking for them.
It wouldn't be the first time, and it won't be the last.
I bow to your superior intellect.
You won't find many homes on slabs around these parts, but I understand it is common in other parts of the country.
Obviously, cutting into a slab is more work, but it's not impossible. Just jackhammer enough to gain access to the pipe, it is done all the time. You only need enough room to install a new toilet flange and angle a vent up to the nearest wall. Clearly this is no small undertaking, but if your remodel project includes installing a new toilet, it makes sense to upgrade the plumbing while everything is accessable.
An unfinished basement is about as good as it gets for access to plumbing.
Well that's good, I was going to live a long happy life till you told me I was too stupid to keep living. :)
The NEC (National Electrical Code) is used in most parts of the United States. The tamper resistant requirement is detailed in article 406.12.
Some parts of the country use the IRC (International Residential Code) instead. However, it has a similar requirement for tamper resistant outlets in section 4002.14.
I do not know which code is used in Chicago, and local jurisdictions may have their own requirements (often stricter). The only way to know for sure would be to contact your local permit agency to find out what they use.
It certainly is common where basements aren't necessary. My Alabama house is on a slab. Basements are virtually unheard of. Of all the houses we looked at (50+) only one had a basement. I only looked at houses with basements, this time.
It makes the job 10x worse. It's not going to be done.
Sure, but they are rare in places. ...and getting more rare everywhere as people look for more living space.
As long as the wiring is in good condition, there is nothing inherently unsafe about Knob and Tube wiring. However, the knob and tube wiring I have seen had old cloth based insulation that had degraded leaving many parts of the wiring bare and exposed. This is both a shock and fire hazard. In addition, Knob and tube wiring is not rated for use under insulation. It can overheat and cause a fire.
My in-laws had difficulty getting home insurance, and paid higher rates until we upgraded the electrical system. I think most of that was due to the old rusted fuse panels that kept blowing, recepticles mounted without boxes, and exposed K&T wiring that had lost it's insulation. The entire system was in dangerously poor condition.
Evern notice that these things are always FOAF, never any credible first hand experience? How would the insurance company know anything about how often fuses blew or how much rust was on the panel? That said, anyone with a rusty fuse panel is a moron. Actually, less than a moron; even a moron knows that electricity and water don't mix.
I work every morning for a large insurance brokerage. Houses with knob and tube wiring are EXTREMELY hard to insure in the Ontario Canada market. They require a "condition" inspection - and not too many K&T wired houses will "meet condition" enough for an inspector to sign off. A bit of K&T in lighting circuits only will often pass if it is the "later" K&T that was installed with boxes and was NOT part of a "ring" wiring topology. "Ring" wiring was not common - and was virtually history by the early teens (1910-1915), but was found in quite a few "early" homes.
K&T to outlets is virtually impossib;le to get a pass on, regardless of condition.
Same situation exists with aluminum wiring. To write a new policy with aluminum wiring requires a "condition inspection" - and either pigtailed to copper or switched over to co-alr wiring devices to pass.
60 amp or smaller main service panels are also virtually un-insurable. Fuse panels are not a problem (yet) but are part of the "condition" inspection.
Galvanized water pipe and cast iron sewer pipes are another red flag - getting them insured is getting harder every day.
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