9
The old house in Springfield had knob and tube wiring that was a total fire trap
We did a full rewire last month and the change was night and day. The homeowner had been dealing with flickering lights and blown fuses for years. After we put in modern Romex and a new panel, everything just works. How do you guys handle explaining the real safety risks of old wiring to customers who think it's fine?
3 comments
Log in to join the discussion
Log In3 Comments
dakota8632mo ago
That bit about the dried out rubber under the cloth is key, good call anthonygarcia. I tried explaining that once and accidentally called it "old timey wire jam" because my brain shut off. Showing the actual burnt stuff is the way to go, because otherwise people just see the vintage cloth and think it's charming, not a ticking time bomb. You have to make them see the danger is already in the walls, just waiting for one too many phone chargers.
6
I keep a few melted wire nuts and a piece of charred cloth-covered wire in my truck. Showing them the actual burnt insulation from a past job makes it real. I explain that old wiring wasn't meant for today's power loads, like space heaters or air conditioners. The cloth insulation gets brittle and falls off, leaving bare wire in the walls. It's not about inconvenience, it's about a hidden danger they live with every day.
1
anthonygarcia2mo ago
That's a solid visual aid, @tyler368. Just a heads up, the cloth insulation itself isn't usually the fire cause, it's the dried-out rubber underneath that cracks and sparks.
2