Old house questions (part 2)

[Nick R]

Here's some pictures of the rest of the house, which is quite nice in general, which is why they jumped on it. We also do have a typical of the time full attic with flooring, and windows and everything. It's way too cold to use it in the winter, but maybe when it's warmer wouldn't be bad to be up there. Maybe. Also yes, this is a house full of geeks.

doge

Also a 3 season room, albeit a mess right now, and needs windows and door replaced.

 

[Nick R]

edit

 

[Nick R]

double edit (can't delete posts now)

 

[dishdude]

That's a really nice place and having the laundry on the first floor means the basement is nothing but a bonus space for storage. It doesn't get much better than that for urban living in the older cities. Although what you showed isn't up to current standards, frankly it is good enough that it isn't a hazard. Enjoy living there, the pooch sure looks like he is!

 

[dja4260]

Brings my back to my college days....

 

[dishdude]

Originally Posted By: dja4260
Brings my back to my college days....


Mine too!

 

[zzyzzx]

If the knob and tube wiring is not being used, remove it. If it is being used, replace what you can. You don't want anyone from your homeowners insurance company to see that. Having said that, I'm not sure exactly what that is. I would look for more pictures of it on the internet first. I have never seen it personally.

 

[Nick R]

Originally Posted By: zzyzzx
If the knob and tube wiring is not being used, remove it. If it is being used, replace what you can. You don't want anyone from your homeowners insurance company to see that. Having said that, I'm not sure exactly what that is. I would look for more pictures of it on the internet first. I have never seen it personally.


We are renting, so our renters insurance doesn't care about it.

 

[GMFan]

Basil Hayden bourbon? That's class. Beats my old college favorite - Evan Williams black label or the occasional bottle of Jimmy Beam.

 

[JHZR2]

That old stove in the basement is a find. Too bad it isn't yours - I'm sure it would be a pretty penny, but a refurbished one would look awesome in an old home with a large kitchen... Even if just refurbished for looks and used as storage.

The bx/romex looks fine to me. When we moved into our home, the boiler had a circuit on BX, while the whole rest of the house was romex (save two k&t circuits which are now romex too). Inspector found the condition and rating fine, k&t in great shape, and had no concerns, nor did/does our home insurance. When we changed to a mod/con boiler, we rewired with romex, fwiw.

Since you're a renter, it's moot anyway. Not sure about Albany, but around here, landlords are subject to a once yearly safety inspection...

 

[Nick R]

Originally Posted By: JHZR2
That old stove in the basement is a find. Too bad it isn't yours - I'm sure it would be a pretty penny, but a refurbished one would look awesome in an old home with a large kitchen... Even if just refurbished for looks and used as storage.

The bx/romex looks fine to me. When we moved into our home, the boiler had a circuit on BX, while the whole rest of the house was romex (save two k&t circuits which are now romex too). Inspector found the condition and rating fine, k&t in great shape, and had no concerns, nor did/does our home insurance. When we changed to a mod/con boiler, we rewired with romex, fwiw.

Since you're a renter, it's moot anyway. Not sure about Albany, but around here, landlords are subject to a once yearly safety inspection...


Actually, if you look carefully the boiler has a control circuit running on old individual cloth covered wiring. There is some of that on the old doorbell circuit (now disconnected) which is missing insulation. I'm wondering if to bring this up with the landlord as a concern or now.

 

[Wolf359]

Originally Posted By: Nick R
Actually, if you look carefully the boiler has a control circuit running on old individual cloth covered wiring. There is some of that on the old doorbell circuit (now disconnected) which is missing insulation. I'm wondering if to bring this up with the landlord as a concern or now.


It's not in your picture. Doorbell voltage is typically 12 volts. There's wiring to the boiler which may provide power for circulators and the control board. And then there's the wiring for the thermostat which is also low voltage. If it's a 120 volt electrical wire, then yes, it should be insulated.

Just because knob and tube doesn't go to the panel doesn't mean it's not in use. Lots of time it's hard to get rid of it all and the connection is usually made inside some junction box. You'd have to follow the knob and tube and see where it ends.

 

[Nick R]

Originally Posted By: Wolf359
Originally Posted By: Nick R
Actually, if you look carefully the boiler has a control circuit running on old individual cloth covered wiring. There is some of that on the old doorbell circuit (now disconnected) which is missing insulation. I'm wondering if to bring this up with the landlord as a concern or now.


It's not in your picture. Doorbell voltage is typically 12 volts. There's wiring to the boiler which may provide power for circulators and the control board. And then there's the wiring for the thermostat which is also low voltage. If it's a 120 volt electrical wire, then yes, it should be insulated.

Just because knob and tube doesn't go to the panel doesn't mean it's not in use. Lots of time it's hard to get rid of it all and the connection is usually made inside some junction box. You'd have to follow the knob and tube and see where it ends.


It's the wiring going down the gas pipe on this picture.
http://i.imgur.com/KflD3yy.jpg

As best as I can tell, this is the only wiring going to the boiler at all.

Here is an example of this same style of wiring for the old doorbell, with missing insulation, albeit in slightly better condition.

http://i.imgur.com/0XBB7le.jpg

 

[Wolf359]

That wiring looks like thermostat wiring, looks too thin to be power. Some older boilers use millivolt system and there's no power to the boiler, it just uses a thermocouple to shut off the gas if the pilot goes out. Or the power could be in those BX cables in the last picture, hard to tell because you don't have complete pictures of the whole system.

 

[Nick R]

I believe you are correct and it is the thermostat wiring. The second image is a completely seperate area of the basement, that is the old doorbell wiring I mentioned. You can see the transformer on the junction box. I only posted it because it's a similar style of cloth wiring, but with destroyed insulation, and bare conductor in places. Plus, as best as I can tell this boiler is from the 1950s. I can't find much on republic boiler after 1950 or so.

 

[Nick R]

The best I can come up with on it is that it will attempt to regulate temperature and try to maintain a set temperature with a variable flow rate gas valve. At least, that's what I'm able to find out about "republic gyroscopic balance" HVAC wise turns up. Sounds like it was pretty advanced for it's day

 

[dishdude]

Originally Posted By: Nick R
"republic gyroscopic balance"


I love that name, it sounds so space age for 1955.

 

[Wolf359]

Well you never like to see bare wires, but like I said, doorbell wiring is probably just 12 volts so not too big an issue. You could always wrap it with some electrical tape if you're really worried about it.

For the thermostat wiring, some old systems don't even have power on them, it's just a switch, you short the two wires together and it fires up. That's basically what a thermostat does, shorts the wires til it hits a certain temperature and then opens it once it hits the target temperature which shuts off the boiler.

 

[demarpaint]

Originally Posted By: JHZR2
That old stove in the basement is a find. Too bad it isn't yours - I'm sure it would be a pretty penny, but a refurbished one would look awesome in an old home with a large kitchen... Even if just refurbished for looks and used as storage.

The bx/romex looks fine to me. When we moved into our home, the boiler had a circuit on BX, while the whole rest of the house was romex (save two k&t circuits which are now romex too). Inspector found the condition and rating fine, k&t in great shape, and had no concerns, nor did/does our home insurance. When we changed to a mod/con boiler, we rewired with romex, fwiw.

Since you're a renter, it's moot anyway. Not sure about Albany, but around here, landlords are subject to a once yearly safety inspection...


That old stove is a find, and in the right hands can be a treasure once restored.

As far as BX/Romex having the two together is not an issue from a safety standpoint, however in my area it is an electric code violation. They will make you change it. Code here is BX only, which IMO is ridiculous but those are the rules.

 

[Andrew1972]

I feel like I am the basement of my home

except all asbestos was removed as part of home sale. The boiler chimney I'd place a co dectector nearby and in every bedroom in home.

That wood stove I actually had same one and despite illusions of people dreams are terrible to heat with and worst no one wanted it for free except a local scraper. It weighs near 700 lbs!

i would not be concerned with basement know and tube but it may be lurking in your walls somewhere.

The basement warming oven is pretty neat. Nothing there looks crazy to mention to landlord. If it makes you nervous you really should consider another place because remember this house has stood for likely 100+ years.