ok.......making the computer/toy room into moms new bedroom, as she won't be able to go upstairs anymore. i've got walls paneled, need to paint the other 2......floor base installed, and gridwork all hung for drop ceiling. i started to pull down the light fixture to see how easily i could hang a new fan in there for her........the fucking thing's still got the old cloth(or whatever the hell it was) covered wiring from the switch to that socket. went down in the basement, and found it is also the same shit from downstairs to the switch. but it's fed from the circuit panel by romex..they mate in a junction box. so.......i dunno why the hell it was left that way...but i've got a week and 2 days left to finish this........it's been good all this time. so.......is it gonna be safe for me to power the ceiling fan/light combo off this stuff? how 'bout a 50" flat screen tv? that'd be plugged in to the one single outlet that's still that shit....the other outlets in there are updated to romex.

LT,

I'm a plumber, but I drove by a holiday inn yesterday. Get rid of that cloth covered crap. I live in an old house, changing a light fixture has turned into a two day project rewiring multiple circuits.

Run new romex, it's safer and you will sleep better at night. 

You might want to contact a specialist for this stuff as it may contain asbestos.

Shit, don't even mention the A word! Gives me chills!

I’m just a DIY guy so take this FWIW. In a nutshell if you have the grounded old cloth type you may be OK but if you have the one without the ground which predates the grounded type that may be a candidate for replacement.

We have the old grounded cloth-type cabling all throughout the home and it fine and I have no intention of replacing it   When I took possession of my home 30 some years ago all I did was upgrade the service from the old 60amp fuse box to a 100 amp service and relocated all the exiting cloth grounded branch circuits back in the new box. I pulled a permit with the township and had it inspected upon completion and NO problems.Our house is just over 60 years old...

42 minutes ago, FXDX said:

I’m just a DIY guy so take this FWIW. In a nutshell if you have the grounded old cloth type you may be OK but if you have the one without the ground which predates the grounded type that may be a candidate for replacement.

We have the old grounded cloth-type cabling all throughout the home and it fine and I have no intention of replacing it   When I took possession of my home 30 some years ago all I did was upgrade the service from the old 60amp fuse box to a 100 amp service and relocated all the exiting cloth grounded branch circuits back in the new box. I pulled a permit with the township and had it inspected upon completion and NO problems.Our house is just over 60 years old...

not grounded. this house is an 1890's build.

fyi

http://www.lamorteelectric.com/cloth-wire.html

thanks man.

 

 what i was thinking of doing...at least for this one circuit...was to disconnect the old cloth crap, and leave it in place....then run new romex up through the wall to the switch, then from the switch to the ceiling...but since it's nearly impossible to access inside the ceiling for me.....i was gonna come outside the wall up there, and run it across the ceiling outside of it.....but it'd still be hidden by the drop ceiling. neighbor's an electrician, and is gonna stop over to look at it tomorrow night for me

 

8 hours ago, Brisco said:

LT,

I'm a plumber, but I drove by a holiday inn yesterday. Get rid of that cloth covered crap. I live in an old house, changing a light fixture has turned into a two day project rewiring multiple circuits.

Run new romex, it's safer and you will sleep better at night. 

thanks man...i laughed.

2 hours ago, 1LtCAP said:

what i was thinking of doing...at least for this one circuit...was to disconnect the old cloth crap, and leave it in place....then run new romex up through the wall to the switch, then from the switch to the ceiling...but since it's nearly impossible to access inside the ceiling for me.....i was gonna come outside the wall up there, and run it across the ceiling outside of it.....but it'd still be hidden by the drop ceiling. neighbor's an electrician, and is gonna stop over to look at it tomorrow night for me

 

Attach a fish tape to the old stuff and when you yank it out it will thread a line to pull the new stuff through.

And yeah, that is probably asbestos...

if i pull the old stuff out, i'll wear breathing protection.......probably gonna leave it and work around it....

Cheers to you taking in your mom, man.   God bless.