On 6/4/2010 11:07 AM J Burns spake thus:

bud-- wrote:

The K&T I have run across has insulation that is in good condition after
all these years. The exception is at light fixtures, where the heat of
the lamp, or especially a ballast, has raised the electrical insulation
temperature far beyond what was intended. The same problem happens with
BX, and other wiring.

K&T is actually still in the NEC (article 394 - with very limited use)
and is intended to be concealed (some exceptions in attics).

The refeed I have seen is to put a j-box near the knobs and run wires
into a box with "loom" over the wire from the knob to inside the box.
RBM's picture show loom. I have seen the loom just go through a knockout
(preferable both wires through the same knockout). The K&T is spliced
inside the box to Romex, or some other wiring system.

The house my grandfather owned has a pair of light switches inside the
front door. They still work fine after nearly 90 years. By coincidence
my other grandfather, 1,000 miles away, invented those switches.

I might want to replace the K&T to the two ceiling lights but not to the
switches. (It's an exterior wall, and anyway I don't want to tamper
with the switches.)

Using "loom" to run K&T into a j-box could be just the thing for me. I
imagine the material shouldn't crumble or support a flame. Where could
I find loom material?

Damn good question. Me, I collect loom from places where I tear out old
K&T--knobs and tubes, too. So far I haven't found any use for the knobs,
but the tubes make a dandy way to connect K&T wire to junction boxes:
cut them short and insert them into NM clamps. I consider this an even
better way to connect than using loom, which is softer and easier to break.


--
The fashion in killing has an insouciant, flirty style this spring,
with the flaunting of well-defined muscle, wrapped in flags.

- Comment from an article on Antiwar.com (http://antiwar.com)