what is the law regarding knob&tube wiring in a home in PA?

I'm not sure about PA but in MO I have run across insurance companies that will refuse to insure a house with K & T wiring.

how about as far as a inpection is concerned? part of the house is knob and tube

Why is Knob and Tube considered so dangerous? Other than being old with the potential for brittle wires and other than modifications, improper splices, etc. If the insulation is brittle it can be a big hazard where exposed (basement, crawl space, etc.) With K&T theres no risk of shorting in the walls since the wires are seperated. Theres a risk of overheating if installed in insulation, is this because its a single wire and no return current running next to it to cancel out the induction, so the magnetic field will cause heating? If there is original un-altered K&T, wire insulation still decent, serving only light duty loads (heavy load areas re-wired) is there any safety risk leaving it?

the house wiring was updated-new panel and some main new wiring but there are still some K&T recepticals in the house

not necessarily a safety risk but no ground in that system.

ront

The code says if it is unaltered it is fine. You are not required to change it or abandon it unless you need to alter the circuit. As long as it was done to the code inplace at the time of installation, it is grandfathered.

our buyer had the house inspected last night--i over hear him say it's fine but some insurance companies may not accept it........we had no problem when we bought the house 4 years ago

thanx guys!

Code wise it is fine.

Insurance companies are whole different story. They have their own agenda - to make money.

MCA, the problem with K & T is that was never desinged to handle todays loads. Sometimes it has been overheated or buried in insulation in the attic unbeknownst to the present owner. In it's day it was great. Yes there is little danger of a short in a main run but coming down a wall it is encased in an extra covering and is closer together. Main things I have seen in the way of safety with it are the lack of boxes at switches, receptacles and lighting outlets. Main reason IMHO to get rid of it is the fact it can be on a max of 15A breaker.