Question about electrical wiring in house.

[XS650]

Originally Posted By: andyd
In a code update course I took, knob and tube was mentioned and it is fine as long as you don't touch it.

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That can be taken two ways

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Veedub, whatever you do, take care of the grounding problem, especially the three prongers that don't have ground to them. They are a booby trap.

If the house is otherwise what you and your wife agree is right for you don't let the wiring work stop you, just budget for it.

 

[VeeDubb]

Thanks XS650.
This house is basically a "present" to my wife. If it was only up to me, we'd be living in a 1200 sqft condo. But I see no way of overcoming her desire to have this house, so I gotta pick my battles, and I ain't winning this one!

I'm definitely going to get some of the three prongs grounded. That is non-negotiable as far as I'm concerned. The question is whether I'm going to get them to re-wire the entire house.

 

[rjundi]

Just get an appropriate amount of funds to correct the issues. I have lived with 2 prong wiring and simply added an outlet where I deemed a 3 prong needed. Most household items only use 2 prong so I don't see the issue of plugging a 2 prong item into a 2prong outlet as long as current draw is not excessive.

I would get an estimate/negotiate to tear out that 50amp service and replace the entire circuit panel with a 200amp at least.

I live in a 1900 home with incredible character. The wiring is a mix of 2 prong and 3 prong and it works for us.

 

[eljefino]

If I were to buy the house, I'd do it as-is and have an electrician of your choice do the work. Lots of ways to cheat-- like a 3-prong outlet can have the ground connected to neutral inside the box then they don't have to tear the wiring out of the wall.

 

[XS650]

Rjundi, right, there is nothing wrong with 2 prongers when you are only plugging in two prong loads. The problems start when someone uses an adapter to plug a three prong plug into a 2 prong outlet, or clips the third prong off the plug, or installs a 3 prong plug with the ground disconnected.

 

[XS650]

Originally Posted By: eljefino
like a 3-prong outlet can have the ground connected to neutral inside the box then they don't have to tear the wiring out of the wall.


Not to code and not an ethical thing to leave behind when you move.

 

[brianl703]

Quote:
The breaker for the # 1 air conditioner is rated at 30-amps the wiring installed is rated for 20-amps.


This may be OK. The air conditioner should have a rating for MCA, minimum circuit ampacity. This should be 20 amps or less, if the wire is 12 gauge.

There is also a rating for MOP, maximum overcurrent protection. This specifies the size of the the fuse or circuit breaker to be used to protect the AC unit.

Quote:
Why can we put an "oversized" fuse or circuit breaker on an air conditioning compressor circuit?

An air conditioning electrical circuit is different than a general household circuit in that we have a known current load. [There is only one device connected to the air conditioning electrical circuit, and we can read its operating characteristics.] We are not worried about an overload situation where people plug several appliances into receptacles on a single circuit. Generally speaking, the amperage draw is fine or is way too big.

Section E3602.10 of the IRC says, "Branch circuits for air conditioning and heat pump equipment. The ampacity of the conductors supplying a multi motor and combination load equipment shall not be less than the minimum circuit and capacity marked on the equipment. The branch-circuit overcurrent device rating shall be the size and type marked on the appliance and shall be listed for the specific purpose." In short, do what it says on the data plate.


http://www.inspect-ny.com/aircond/aircond14.htm

It is possible and indeed normal for the MOP to exceed the MCA, so it may well be OK to have a 30 amp breaker feeding 12 gauge wire.

You should be able to find the MOP and MCA ratings on the outdoor condensing unit's dataplate.

 

[VeeDubb]

Thanks Brian.
Well, the latest update is the sellers have agreed to ground the 3 prongs and fix the other issues. Apparently a reputable local electrician has said re-wiring is not necessary to ground because of the romex/Bx wiring. They will also inspect the sytem thorougly. So things are looking good.