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I live in an old house, built in the 1920's so. The house wiring is the old wiring with the cloth covering and the black stuff that flakes off.*
Meanwhile, some of wall outlets has almost no grip on a plug. One doesn't even grip the plugs; you have to 'wedge' it in and even then a plug falls out 75% of the time I figure if I have to replace the outlet, I may as well go with one with some decent audio qualities. My choices include the Oyaides, Furtech, Hubble, Acme, etc.
So, my question is: is the house wiring a consideration in my choice AC wall outlet? Do any of the brands work better or should be avoided?
I know next to nothing about house wiring.
While I'm asking, this old house has a fuse box, not a circuit breaker. Is that good, bad?
Thanks
SmokeTest
Plug it in, see if it smokes! (I'd rather avoid smoke it house wiring!)
*A dedicated line in this house would involve tearing up floors and/or walls and/or digging trenches under the house to gain access. In other words, a major and expensive project, easily double the typical cost. I've also been told that in these older houses, the act of replacing one line often damages other lines which then require replacing, and you can get into a cascade effect where pretty soon your $200 project becomes an $800 or $2000 project.
Follow Ups:
Thanks for your thoughts. Several of the outlets have been replaced over the past few years. I did have an electrician put in two grounded outlets that are wired to a copper ground stake. No more hum! He wasn't interested in doing much more.
Regarding moving: I'm paying rent that's way under market rates and aside from the wiring I'm pretty happy here. Yes, I've learned to not run the microwave and the clothes iron at the same time, and when the electric space heater died I didn't replace it. The house is 30 amp 120V. I'm not running any Krells so I'm okay with that. Just a modified Golden Tube Audio SE-40 that I seem to think draws about 400 Watts.
There are a few electricians around here who a very familiar with old houses. I may ask them about a dedicated line etc., but probably can't afford it.
K-Bob said "If you are just going to do the sockets....Just get some decent industrial grade ones--no need to overkill here." I doubt that anyone would argue that doing that would be a good idea. Keep them plugs off the floor and in the wall! Anyone care to comment on whether I would get any benefit from getting something more 'audiophile approved'?
Last question: is it kosher to run a ground wire direct from the wall outlet? Or should it go back to the fuse box or ???
Thanks,
SmokeTest
By the way, you're all invited. In my chiropractic office I only use the most modern therapies as pictured above!
I did have an electrician put in two grounded outlets that are wired to a copper ground stake.
Though not a safety equipment ground it does work great for hunting fish worms.....
I think the route the wire takes doesn't matter as long as it goes the same place. I heard it is dangerous to have multiple grounds. I was going to do separate isolated ground for my audio but was advised against it. All grounds should go to the 1 common ground location.
BTW, good idea to replace 2 prong outlet only with another 2 prong outlet. You know what's there but the next renter won't.
You might want to get one of those little test plugs with the 3 lights in them that test for faults. I consider mine indispensable.
Seems like the prudent thing to do is to find a rental with up-to-date wiring, plumbing, heating, and insulation, and move.
My current house is circa 1913 and my last house was 1947, so I understand.
I believe, and many will disagree, that knob and tube wiring is adequate IF the service is good and the circuits are broken up properly. Knob and tube tended to be of high quality and if left undisturbed is usually fine. BUT, if squirrels got in the attic or anything moved, then not so good. And of course you have no ground line.
Sounds like your service is out of date though. That's scary.
If you are just going to do the sockets- which of course you must if you want to vacuum or read after dark. Just get some decent industrial grade ones--no need to overkill here.
Have you no access under the house or in the attic? Adding an extra line from the box is a cinch (at least with a modern breaker box with a spare slot).
Also, an electrician can run overlays for the accessible wiring in the attic and basement and splice them into the knob and tube in the walls. There is a correct and proper way to do that to code. This is what I have in my old Victorian--modern service and modern wiring in all accessible areas spliced into the knob and tube in the walls.
But as a renter you probably just need to go to Lowe's and get a handful of decent industrial grade sockets. And don't run the hair dryer and the microwave at the same time.
kp
SmokeTest, sorry to say you need to do a complete rewire. If your house was luckily updated in the 1950s you might have a 120/240 volt 60 amp service. If not the service is more than likely a 30 amp 120 volt only service.The wiring is probably old knob and tube. You are right about the insulation, it flakes off very easily. The conductor is hard drawn copper and resists bending with age. It will break quite easily when bent into an open eye.
Check the Yellow pages, call around, look for a residential electrical contractor that specializes in the rewiring of old houses. I would get at least 3 bids. Make sure the contractor is licensed and bonded to do electrical work in your area. Make sure his workers are licensed electrical residential wireman. Also tell him you will want him to pull an electrical permit.....
I'd love to do that, except I rent. Besides the expense, which is another issue.
Why not call the owner of the rental property and ask him if he would have the bad receptacles replaced. Arcing between the plug and the receptacle is one of the primary causes of electrical fires. Arcing will not cause a fuse to blow.Arcing causes heat. Age and heat causes the insulation covering the wire to become hard and brittle.
If you attempt to change out the receptacles yourself and the insulation is really old and brittle as you pull the old receptacle and wire out of the box to disconnect the old recept you could end up with two bare wires before you know it. What will you do then?
Call the landlord, he owns the property. Let him accept the responsibility.By the way NEC 2005 states when changing out an existing non grounding 2 wire receptacle it must be replaced with a non grounding 2 wire recept, or in your case it could be replaced with a GFI recept. If a GFI recept is used the outlet shall have a label stating "No Equipment Ground".
"Why not call the owner of the rental property and ask him if he would have the bad receptacles replaced. Arcing between the plug and the receptacle is one of the primary causes of electrical fires. Arcing will not cause a fuse to blow....."
Sounds like a Smoketest!
Mr. Dowd, my Jr. High electronics class teacher: "Plug it in, see if it smokes." It did, sometimes.
I agree that you should call the owner of the rental property and ask him/her to have the bad AC outlets replaced so everything is okay in terms of liability due to the 'ancient' wiring issue. I would also ask the owner of the rental property to please tell the electrician to call you at least a few days before he comes to install the new AC outlets (figure out a good story as to why you request this). Ask the electrician what type of grade he will install (cheap "79 cent contractor grade" type or a higher quality Spec Grade type?). If he tells you that he can/will install a bare brass Spec Grade type, be happy that you can at least obtain that level without further issue. If the electrician tells you that he can only select a cheap "79 cent contractor grade" type AC outlet, ask him if you can purchase a higher grade AC outlet for him to install as long as the product is clearly marked as meeting NEMA code, and is a 15A receptacle. If he tells you, "That's fine with me", purchase the best AC outlet you are willing to leave behind if-and-when you move out of the rental property. Although not a high performance option, it would probably be best to choose a US made "non-Audio Grade" product printed with NEMA info on it just in case the owner of the rental property has issue with something "so exotic" being installed in their property. If the owner of the rental property tells you it's okay for you to hand over ownership of a more pricey Oyaide or Furutech product, and that's okay with you, go for it... Otherwise, a 15A Spec Grade bare brass Hubbell product or 15A Spec Grade bare brass Pass & Seymour product would be a safe bet in your particular situation... just my 2 cents :-)
Thanks for the detailed ideas. I'll probably contact the landlord.
When I moved in here in 2000 one of my friends did check the outlets with one of those little testers. There was one 'new' 3 prong outlets that had no ground, and we replaced it with the appropriate outlet.
Worms!?! I just knew I was opening a can of worms....
SL
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