Upgrading Knob and Tube Wiring
Some of the most popular areas in the Winnipeg real estate market, including River Heights, Crescentwood and several others, include older homes built between 1900 and 1940’s. Many of such homes had been constructed using ‘knob and tube’ wiring, and/or fuses instead of breakers. Deemed perfectly safe at the time, knob and tube especially has fallen out of favor with many home insurance companies. While still deemed safe, many insurance companies will no longer issue home insurance for any homes which contain knob and tube. Those companies that DO issue insurance, are starting to charge a premium for the privilege.
Cost of replacing Knob and Tube Wiring
Better sit down for this! Depending on how much of this wiring is still active in the house, replacement can range from around $1,000 for a single room re-wire, to literally 10’s of thousands for an entire house. It has been commented that the “Knob and Tube” system is perfectly safe…..the real problem comes with the fact that it is often 75 to 100 yrs old. Its not so much the system, as it is the fact that in some cases the insulation has eroded over time, exposing bare wire in walls which are sometimes still insulated with newspaper clippings.
Staying Efficient – Should You Upgrade Your New Home’s Electrical Panel? via @copropertygroup https://t.co/o6FLToPPlj pic.twitter.com/DIT3sWtxhr
— Debbie Drummond (@vegashomepro) December 5, 2016
Our provincial Hydro supplier, Manitoba Hydro has for many years been offering to finance upgrades to homes. Such upgrades have included the replacement of windows, furnace, a/c and the addition of extra insulation to help make a home more heat-efficient. Electrical upgrades, such as the replacement of knob and tube wiring and even the replacement of fuse-boxes, IS eligible under our Manitoba Hydro financing plan. My friend, Andre Mager of T & A Electric advises me that, as an authorized dealer, he has all the necessary forms needed to apply for this financing. There are limitations: Electrical upgrade financing is limited to $5,000 per residence, so it will not be sufficient to replace all the wiring in that 3100-sq-ft., 2-1/2 story palace in River Heights.
Upgrading electrical boxes
For those who still have fuses, and perhaps 60 or 70 amp service in their homes, upgrading to 100 or 200 amps with a nice, safe, new breaker box will definitely fit within this budget. Andre tells me that, on average, upgrading from 60 amp to 100 amp and installing a new breaker-box will run around the $1,500 mark…… upgrading to 200 amp would be about $2,000. Thru the “Hydro Plan”, payments would show up on your monthly hydro bill, with an approximate interest rate of 12%. Call me for a referral.
About the Publisher
Bo Kauffmann is a residential real estate agent with over 18 yrs experience in helping buyers and sellers achieve their goals. Inducted into the REMAX Hall of Fame in 2010 and receiving the REMAX Lifetime Achievement Award in 2019, Bo has sold over 500 houses and condos in the Greater Winnipeg market. He is an accredited buyer representative (A.B.R.) and a Luxury Home Marketing Specialist.
Bo provides exceptional service to First-Time Home-Buyers, Seniors looking to downsize and Home Sellers of all ages.
He can be reached easily By E-Mail or call/text him Call/Text Here
Never miss an episode of our real estate podcast. Install our FREE Podcast App available on iOS and Android. For your Apple Devices, click here to install our iOS App. For your Android Devices, click here to install our Android App. Check my videos on Youtube
Wendy
I had an idea on the cost of the electrical fix, goes with electrician labor. I’ll call them out by weekends to check things here! Thanks for sharing this, such a useful article.
Anthony Samuels
Jade Communications did a great job with the wiring in our home. They were terrific and very professional. Nice guys, very trustworthy, and a great recommendation for anyone in Boca Raton. Check them out at https://www.jade-com.com/.
Power Tech
If the finance offering by Manitoba Hydro financing plan is not sufficient to replace all the wiring of a house, then how can it be possible to upgrade this knob and tube wiring as it is very costly.
Bo A Kauffmann
The rest of the cost of the electrical upgrade is going to be the responsibility of the home owner.