My neighbor's old knob and tube wiring finally gave out last Tuesday

The house was built in 1928 in Springfield and they never updated it... the insulation just crumbled after all these years. I saw the scorch marks on the joist in the attic, and the old cloth wire was completely bare in spots. How do you even start that conversation with a homeowner who thinks it's 'still working fine'?

3 comments

3 Comments

jessica70715d ago

Guess they're waiting for the free light show before they call an electrician.

grant47815d ago

Man, that's scary... I had a similar thing happen with my own place a few years back. Seeing those scorch marks is a real wake-up call, it's not just about it not working, it's a straight-up fire hazard. Maybe show them a picture of the damage? Sometimes seeing it makes it real.

ivanbell15d ago

Exactly, pictures are key. I had a landlord try to brush off a faulty outlet until I sent a close-up of the melted plastic inside. Took it to the city's building department when they still dragged their feet. That got a real electrician out within 48 hours. Don't just talk about it, make a paper trail with dated photos.