old wiring encountered information needed

Thread Starter

scooter1

Joined Feb 24, 2015
2
Hi, I'm really new. So feel free to correct me. I'm putting in a new bathroom light and I got to the junction box and found what I think are old 1960's 14/3 and 14/2 (I'm also guessing on the gauge but the wires coming out seem to be 14) they are wrapped in fabric? and paper but seem to have no grounds. There is another wire leading to a more recently installed plug. It looks like a regular 14/2 IE black, white and copper grnd. I can wire in the new light (it has a ground ) but the lack of a grnd in the older wires bothers me. Was this common in the '60's? My knowledge is very rudimentary. Help?
Thanks,
Scooter1
 

GopherT

Joined Nov 23, 2012
8,009
Hi, I'm really new. So feel free to correct me. I'm putting in a new bathroom light and I got to the junction box and found what I think are old 1960's 14/3 and 14/2 (I'm also guessing on the gauge but the wires coming out seem to be 14) they are wrapped in fabric? and paper but seem to have no grounds. There is another wire leading to a more recently installed plug. It looks like a regular 14/2 IE black, white and copper grnd. I can wire in the new light (it has a ground ) but the lack of a grnd in the older wires bothers me. Was this common in the '60's? My knowledge is very rudimentary. Help?
Thanks,
Scooter1
Yes, black fabric that feels waxy by now. 1950s to 60s (maybe early 70s even in some areas).

You may want to run a copper grounding wire back to the panel. You may have to if you have a building permit. In some areas, once you open a wall (or once a disaster opens a wall or causes you to open a wall), you must upgrade to current code.

I leaned that the hard way. After I had an insurance claim that cost me a fortune for code upgrades that were not covered by insurance, my agent told me, "you should have had the code upgrade rider on your policy so all of those code issues would have been covered". I said, "thanks for giving me a reason to pick a new agent - one that can advise me on appropriate riders for my house".

Good luck. And I recommend looking into a code upgrade rider on your insurance since you have an older home.
 

Thread Starter

scooter1

Joined Feb 24, 2015
2
Yes, black fabric that feels waxy by now. 1950s to 60s (maybe early 70s even in some areas).

You may want to run a copper grounding wire back to the panel. You may have to if you have a building permit. In some areas, once you open a wall (or once a disaster opens a wall or causes you to open a wall), you must upgrade to current code.

I leaned that the hard way. After I had an insurance claim that cost me a fortune for code upgrades that were not covered by insurance, my agent told me, "you should have had the code upgrade rider on your policy so all of those code issues would have been covered". I said, "thanks for giving me a reason to pick a new agent - one that can advise me on appropriate riders for my house".

Good luck. And I recommend looking into a code upgrade rider on your insurance since you have an older home.
Thanks, I'll check out both adding the grnds and the rider. :)
 
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