Old cloth wire renovation

[Wiregirl]

I just started with an electrical company that primarily does renovation after an incident compromises a building. I am a licensed electrician with the state of North Carolina.. This house had a tree fall on it. The house has a full basement, and the wires go up through the floor. One of the electricians tied an old hairy mouse eaten cloth covered wire from the basement in a receptacle box above the floor. It had been chewed to the conductors inside, but it looked terrible so I came behind him, cut it out until it was free from any visual chewing and put into a junction box in the basement. I also found two more hot wires in the back of the receptacle box that had been just tucked away there and wire nutted off. I would have never noticed but I was instructed to remove all old wires in the floor that were hanging out in space. So, I had to trace them. I could have just nutted them off in jbs but the code states ti remove them all the way back to the panel. I decided to junction box and identify them as there was sheetrock on parts of the basement ceiling.
I am licensed and found it to be not only a potential hazard but bad workmanship. He feels that the liability of what he is doing ends at where the company picks up the old wire to the new wire.
Also, in another renovation, the client added ceiling fans to the okd bedrooms that were using no neutrals in the switch legs. Code
requires that each switch should have a neutral. When he added the ceiling fans, he also added four can lights to each bedroom. He did not shift the power to the switches but instead used the power to the light so now he has no neutrals in the switches.. Would either one of these methods pass inspection?

 

[infinity]

So, I had to trace them. I could have just nutted them off in jbs but the code states ti remove them all the way back to the panel.

What code are you referring to? The NEC does not require that you remove unused power conductors.

Also, in another renovation, the client added ceiling fans to the okd bedrooms that were using no neutrals in the switch legs. Code
requires that each switch should have a neutral. When he added the ceiling fans, he also added four can lights to each bedroom. He did not shift the power to the switches but instead used the power to the light so now he has no neutrals in the switches.. Would either one of these methods pass inspection?

There is no requirement to add neutrals to switch boxes unless you are rewiring them as new or they are needed for a control device that's being installed.

 

[Little Bill]

Unless walls are opened or complete new wiring installed, there is no code saying you have to bring it to current code. Bad as I hate it, power can go to the light, then switch looped down to the switch.

 

[readydave8]

Stick around, you'll see worse

 

[kwired]

Unused wiring can even be energized if the end is inside a switch/junction box or other proper enclosure and is not a NEC violation.

Grounded conductor (neutral) at switch locations is somewhat a new requirement because of automated control devices potentially needing a grounded conductor to operate. Otherwise a two wire loop to a switch has been common for like a century or better and still is allowed in some conditions. I don't see any language in NEC to update these switch loops unless the grounded conductor is needed for a particular device being used or you are actually replacing the switch loop for whatever reason.