On May 31, 5:33*pm, "RBM" wrote:


Originally, the K&T would have entered the fuse panel through screw in
ceramic insulators. When that panel was replaced they probably ran a piece
of BX cable to a junction box, and ran the K&T insulators into knockouts in
the J box, then either spliced with wire nuts or solder depending upon when
it was done. Here is a picture of an old K&T fuse box. Notice the fused
neutrals:http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b9...ause%20renovat...

Hmmm. So one of the left "feeders" is hot, and the other neutral, and
the right-hand wires are pairs of hots and neutral, all fused? That's
interesting. I'll assume that this is a property you worked on and
that this is what you found.

Just looking at the picture, I'd have guessed that two feeders were
two hot legs of a 240/120 supply, feeding three pairs of fuses, with
the fused wires going out on the right. The other side of the circuits
would likely run back to the service entrance, unfused, and go nowhere
near the box.

What really stands out for me, whichever it is, is that each of the
left-hand wires are each feeding (or being fed by) three fused legs
but aren't noticeably heavier gauge. If they're feeding three 20-A
circuits (orange fuses) they ought to be, by our standards, 8 ga or
heavier. Was this in fact the case?

Chip C
Toronto