On Mon, 26 Oct 2009 11:38:56 -0400, "Existential Angst"
wrote:

Awl --

No real problem here, just some inneresting stuff, a general Q.

Of course, the wiring is old, cloth covered, but in BX, and super-high
quality. The wire seems to be nickel or silver coated/tinned -- not just
ends, but the whole wire. Curious as to what the purpose of that coating
is.
And today, in 2009, the cloth is STILL supple!!

The wire appears to be only 14 ga, but still more than ample for 15 A, AND
each splice is wire nutted AND soldered!!

Imho, soldering adds a big safety factor to the splicing process, and I'm
surprised they dispensed with the requirement -- esp. in a union trade,
where the slower the better.

Most peculiar, tho, is the "circuitry strategy", which seems to be a kind of
statistical shotgun approach, where one room is not wired on one or two or
three breakers, but rather randomly throughout the house. So if a breaker
trips, 4 different locations could be affected, all over the house. Really
a pita, but it is what it is. Fortunately, there are many many circuits --
over 20.

Curious if other people in older houses have this wiring strategy. I don't
think it's easily solvable.

The idea behind it is - if one circuit blows the whole room does not
go dark.

I've seen wiring done that has, say, all the outlets on the left wall
of all rooms on one circuit. Outlets on the right wall on one circuit,
outlets on the back wall on one circuit, and on the door wall on one
circuit.

All switched outlets on one circuit, and lights on alternate circuits
so no 2 adjacent lights share the same fuse . This was for safety
reasons - never have more than a short distance dark at one time from
a blown fuse, and for seviceability - which outlet went out? - it's
the fuse for that "location".

Not common - and only in more expensive homes, because it took a lot
more wire, and work, to install.

I'd put new wires in the wall if possible.

The electrical wisdom seems to be, leave the old as is, just add new as you
need it -- appliances, A/C, etc.

The Q is, to go through the trouble to run the new in the walls (a real
pita), or use wire-mold?