Eigenvector wrote:
So me and my wiring instructor buddy are down in the basement clipping the
romex that powers the basement. I'm about to rewire the whole thing and add
an additional circuit - so we shut off the breaker and clipped the wires to
make demolition easier.

Anyway we get to one notorious section of my basement where the empty but
powered light sockets hang down from the splice in the wire. My buddy is
curious about how the splice was done, and taking a knife proceeds to unwind
the electricians tape from the splice. Turns out the original installer
simply stripped a section of the original hot wire of insulation - about 4
inches worth, then wound the hot wire of the socket around the bare wire -
and covered it with electricians tape. The same was done with the neutral
wire. Keep in mind, he didn't cut the wire, he simply removed the
insulation (how I don't know). The socket wire, strand type, was only
losely wound around the bare copper wire.

He did suspend the wire from the wall by using a bent finishing nail (and
nicked the Romex in the process). I'll be grateful when the rewire is done,
all it would take is for one spider to call that place home and that'd be
all she wrote.

I guess this is why the inspection process is so important, and one of the
reasons why I'm having mine inspected before closing up the wall. No need
to leave the next owner a ticking time bomb.


That was pretty common "in the day". They also used T-taps to add
wires
http://www.tpub.com/content/construc.../14027_123.htm
Wait until you find some of those babies.