Timeline for Can a fuse panel supporting knob-and-tube wiring be replaced without a new feed or updated circuits?
Current License: CC BY-SA 4.0
11 events
| when toggle format | what | by | license | comment | |
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| Mar 21, 2023 at 2:36 | comment | added | Peter Green | What is concerning me is that I don't see any wires that are *NOT" connected to fuses. This suggests to me either that the neutrals are connected elsewhere, or that this panel has fused neutrals! | |
| Mar 21, 2023 at 0:39 | comment | added | Ray Butterworth | @Harper-ReinstateMonica, either way, it's difficult to say how difficult it will be without first opening up the wall and ripping out the sides of the enclosure. My experience is that no matter how it actually is, there will be a can of worms in there somewhere. | |
| Mar 21, 2023 at 0:33 | comment | added | Harper - Reinstate Monica | @Ray Well, I'm assuming OP will take our "think BIG, get lots of breaker spaces" advice and not go with a tiny 8-space panel. That would put them into larger panels that are all 14-1/2" wide. That would be wider than their existing space I think. | |
| Mar 21, 2023 at 0:29 | comment | added | Ray Butterworth | @Harper-ReinstateMonica, it might be possible, but there is very little leeway there. The new unit would have to fit almost exactly on both sides. | |
| Mar 21, 2023 at 0:20 | comment | added | Harper - Reinstate Monica | @Ray why not? Just get the original wire into the panel and extend with wire nuts. Even Canada allows that. | |
| Mar 20, 2023 at 16:32 | comment | added | jay613 | Probably the best approach to "correct value breakers" is all 10A, and if any circuit uses more than 10A, change the loads around to stop doing that. Unfortunately I don't think there are 10A AFCIs ... so ... I wonder if the entire new panel could be fed by a 20A two-pole AFCI upstream? | |
| Mar 20, 2023 at 16:06 | history | edited | isherwood | CC BY-SA 4.0 |
added 7 characters in body
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| Mar 20, 2023 at 2:28 | comment | added | Ray Butterworth | Note that the wires are all cut off short, so there's no way to simply drop in a plug-n-play panel. It's complicated enough that you need to hire a professional to do the job. But yes, it's definitely worth doing, even if only to ensure that the correct value breakers are installed (who knows how many times someone has replaced a fuse with a larger one because the old one kept burning out). | |
| Mar 20, 2023 at 2:13 | comment | added | Ecnerwal | Seek out an old geezer or semi-to-mostly-retired guy, not a whippersnapper. Probably... | |
| Mar 20, 2023 at 2:08 | comment | added | OldHomeonLongIsland | I’m not opposed to taking down a good part of the wall around the panel. I just went through and counted 16 separate fixtures between the 3 floors and 2 stairwells. There are wall sconces in the stairwells, on an “exterior” stucco wall now enclosed as a sunroom, over the front stoop which has a giant copper covering and a cement-stucco underside…. I’d really like to replace ALL of the old wiring, but I view it as nearly impossible without completely gutting much of the 5500+ sq ft. Good to know the fuse panel can be replaced - now to find a qualified electrician who can do the work. | |
| Mar 20, 2023 at 1:43 | history | answered | Ecnerwal | CC BY-SA 4.0 |