Electrical Code - Old Houses

If you want to know when the house was built, an old trick is to look at the underside of the toilet tank lid. There is a date of manufacture cast into the lid that will approximate when the house was built, unless of course the toilet is not original.

It wont really matter. In an original un renovated home its still completely legal to have the original wiring that may have been put in in the early 1900's!

Realistically however whenever the last addition or renovation work was done that part of the home will at least have the wiring up to code to that point in time of when they were redone. Still there can be much of the home that could still original wiring in use.

My mom had a old farm house some years ago that was built in the late 1890's and it has at least four different electrical system add ons in it relating to when different parts of the house were redone since the first wiring systems went in during 1930's or 40's.

The basement and attic had some of the original wiring still in use. The main floor had 1960's and some 1980's wiring the upper floor and kitchen had 1980's and some 1960's wiring while the garage addition was late 1990's code specs. All were still active and in use and considered up to code when she bought it.

Using the age of the structure is probably a poor screening criteria since the current/prior owner may have upgraded the electrical system. Your best bet is to check the real estate listings for "220 Volt circuit breaker panel" and even that is a necessary but not sufficient condition since you never know what you will find in the walls.

Only a complete visual inspection will reveal what's hidden from view, but you could try seeing how large the main circuit breaker is. A "modern" panel will have a 100 Amp main with a minimum of 20 breaker positions. I would be concerned if it is full, especially if there are a lot of duplex breakers (ones that feed two circuits while occupying a single position). You should also see if there are any recent inspection stickers on the panel, as part of a preliminary screen.

You can get a receptacle tester, which will quickly identify if the receptacles are grounded and polarized correctly. Of course, if the house has two-prong receptacles and/or knob-and-tube wiring, it will not meet your specs.

Age alone will not be enough to tell.

To me, an old house with suspect wiring, is just a good argument to reduce the price of the house. Even some modern houses could have been screwed up by previous owners so that extensive repairs/corrections are still needed.

My last house in the UK was built around 1450 (YES 1450!!!!), before the USA was even officially "discovered" by Columbus. My father and I completely rewired it in two weeks work (as well as removing a lot of modern junk building to reveal old beams and fireplaces 8 feet wide!)

My house here was built between 1908 and 1910, but both needed complete rewiring to make sure that the latest codes, even though NOT required by law in either country, were met. Anything less than that is just:-

"saving money no matter what it costs!"

(My favorite Old German saying that I have loosely translated into English for you)

I put ELCBs in both houses even though local code did NOT require them for older houses In the UK then, it was only for new builds. Still not a requirement here for private housing, sadly!!!

I once accidentally touched a live Phase about 20 years ago and dropped the ELCB at my office in Germany, it hurt like hell, but I lived to tell the tale!!! I'm convinced.

So plan a complete update in ANY house purchase.....You will be FAR happier for you and your family when its done. If the seller won't drop the price, look further afield.

You could even employ an electrician of your choice to give any house a once over before purchase.....tell him to be VERY negative (loudly) for every problem found.

If you are looking for a very rough 'sifting' guide to aid your search for a property, the question is fine. Even if you narrow the search, the question/problem remains. A 'modern' house may well have a botched wiring job, and an older one may have been completely rewired. I've seen both extremes.

The wording sounds a bit like you would be happy with a house that had wiring that simply met legal needs. Don't go there. I may have misread your meaning on that point.

Buying a house is not cheap, but the last thing you want is for it to burn down or kill anybody. You are looking in a "rural" area, and that would make anyplace suspect to my mind. Budget for a complete rewiring job - it might not be as expensive as you think (%-wise), and would give you peace of mind.

I don't think you can screen possible houses on the basis of age. The general condition of the building may give some indication, but that is not enough. What legislation demands, and what safety demands, are not the same beast.

Best of luck - it will be interesting if you can get back when you have found a place. How you decided on the wiring issue, were there any unforseen problems etc.

Given that I have a Bakelite fuseboard and nothing anywhere close to MCB's, I'll shut up. It's a perfectly legal death-trap. Strange but true.

I'd entirely ignore the 'legality' or any bits of paper certifying anything and simply consider the safety in terms of fire risk and safety to the user and maintainability.

It may be better to have the whole lot re-wired on mybe it won't.
Some old wiring is IMO better quality than the new stuff.
Del
(terms and conditions apply, don't believe cats etc)

Beings that I had cause to rewire many an old home in Southern Okla. in the 60's, 70's and 80's many that were wired with ceiling drop lights on stranded wire to 4 room homes with one receptacle and everybody doing their own thing as things got more modern,money was short so electrically safe was the issue. The receptacle is a starting point[only] remove it and see if the wireing is in romax and the size is large enough to run the newer appliance to be used. Many old homes was wired with #14 guage with 2 wires only and while this was good for lights it will not work for the new appliances. A stepladder and a light in the Attic, will tell you the story. Knob and tube wiring just won't cut it in this changing world. Open junction boxes was allowed for a time and then came blown insulation, a fire hazard. Grounding to a shower pipe or to a waterline was a must do until plastic pipe came along. An Electrician is a must to inspect and like any professional get one you can trust...

"Grounded" receptacles were required by the NEC in kitchens and bathrooms of new construction or remodels in 1961. They were required in all rooms newly constructed or remodeled in 1965.

Although all of the other answers make valid points, I think this is the answer to the question.

Thanks for all of the great responses to my question. The more I read about the real and potential problems the more I am considering buying raw land and building new. Thanks specifically to Ed Watts who gave the 1965 code edition I was looking for. I am always impressed by the insight provided on CR4 --- "Good Job" and thanks for taking time to comment.

No matter when it was built, you should consider a couple basic upgrades to make it safer. Even if the home was built after the National Electric Code grounding requirements came into play, many rural homes were wired with 2 wire as there is no enforcement of codes in many rural areas.

Many older homes have 3 wire outlets that are installed on the older 2 wire system. The NEC allows replacement of a 2 wire receptacle with another 2 wire receptacle or a GFCI receptacle. While it is "legal" to continue using the outdated wiring (the code allows for continued use of wiring that was code compliant at the time of installation) it is not as safe and you should upgrade.

At a minimum you should inspect or have a qualified inspector check:

1. The fuse/breaker box to verify that all fuses and breakers are sized appropriately for the wire being served. (30 amp fuses on #12 wire (20 amp) or #14 wire (15a).

2. Breaker box should show no signs of overheating (melted insulation, black marks from arcing), FPE breaker boxes should be replaced immediately.

3. Pull out a couple receptacles to verify that a ground wire has been pulled. Many times a 3 wire receptacle is installed by looping the neutral around the ground screw so that it will read correctly with the plug testers.

4. Test all Ground Fault receptacles to verify operation.

5. Visually check out exposed wiring to insure there are no "open joints" or "flying taps". These are splices that are made without an electrical box. Almost all troubles occur at splice points, so we want them in a box.

6) Look inside the box for breakers/fuses that feed multiple wires - such as a 30 amp breaker that feeds both an air conditioner and an electric dryer.

Once you purchase the house, you should:

1) Install GFCI breakers or receptacles to cover all areas required by current code; these include kitchens, bathrooms, any are within 6 feet of a sink or wetbar, garages, unfinished basements. The current code requires GFCI protection on even sump pumps, garage door openers, sewage ejection pumps, freezers, etc if they are in the above areas.

2) Install GFCI protection on all basement receptacles even if not required by code. Many people are electrocuted by entering a flooded or wet finished basement where GFCI protection is not required by code. (This does not guarantee 100% safety in a flooded basement as you still have some 220 volt appliances or a furnace that may be live, -- but it is safer for a cheap price.

3) Consider upgrading the receptacles to the now required Tamper Resistant style.

4) Consider upgrading circuits to the now required Arc Fault breaker type (these breakers sense an arcing event and trip before a fire can start).

It is better to have the wiring looked at before purchase and get an estimate so you can bargain with knowledge.

Semi-off-topic: One should also be aware of the presence of lead-based paint. If the home was built prior to 1978, it is almost guaranteed to have LBP. Most states require a disclosure of this, but if no disclosure, then anything pre '78 is a ringer. If you have any areas such as window sills, floorboards etc. which are common areas for chipping, then you will be exposing you and the other residents to this toxin...especially harmful to children. Also, kids crawling around get it on their hands, and you know where all kids hands eventually end up...!