replacing lights installed on cloth insulated wire

[Riograndeelectric]

I have customer how was replacing the overhead light in her bedroom room. the house was built using Black GRC, Pancake boxes and cloth insulation type wire.

Home owner called me when she see's there char marks behind old fixture.

upon arrive I notice the old cloth wire has become brittle. char mark are not char marks but discoloring of ceiling to hot and to many bulbs on existing fixture.

home owner telles me that the circuit feeds the bath lights that was remodeld in 2007. previous electrician changed Bath 2 gang switch to 3 gang switch controlling new bath fan and 2 new sconce lights.
bath originally had 1 single light over sink and EC changed to 2 lights using 14 romex feed form ceiling pancake box with new 14 romex
they ran new 14 wire but tapped of the overhead light pancake box that is wired with the old cloth wire.

Home Owner said previous EC did not want to pull a permit because it took to long to acquire permit and to long for inspection and told home owner all work would be done to code.

.

2 questions here.

1. on the existing bedroom fixture if I were to take out all the cloth insulation wire and install a J box in Attic and reefed light with new THHN wire would this be acceptable. The light says to install on degree rated wire.
2. is the bath room installation a violation by tapping off the existing cloth wire. over fill on pancake box and GRC and associated boxes not rated as grounding means. no ground wire installed for new bath switches. contractor reused balk pipe as raceway with THHN single conductor wire. also ground pigtail from 3 gang box to switches

would you advise customer to rewire this circuit so she can install new lights or convert the cloth wire to junction box and reefed light with THHN spliced to cloth wire.
the bath pancake box has 3 black conduits with 5 #14 THHN ,6 cloth wire. I do know this is over box fill but why the previous EC tapped into th pancake box with out replacing it is beyond me. remember this bath job is code compliant according to the homeowner via the Electrician.

if I do re wire this circuit I plan on pulling a permit to cover my self. but prior to doing any work would inspector come out for a courtesy walk thru on the bath wiring

 

[jaylectricity]

I have customer how was replacing the overhead light in her bedroom room. the house was built using Black GRC, Pancake boxes and cloth insulation type wire.

Home owner called me when she see's there char marks behind old fixture.

upon arrive I notice the old cloth wire has become brittle. char mark are not char marks but discoloring of ceiling to hot and to many bulbs on existing fixture.

home owner telles me that the circuit feeds the bath lights that was remodeld in 2007. previous electrician changed Bath 2 gang switch to 3 gang switch controlling new bath fan and 2 new sconce lights.
bath originally had 1 single light over sink and EC changed to 2 lights using 14 romex feed form ceiling pancake box with new 14 romex
they ran new 14 wire but tapped of the overhead light pancake box that is wired with the old cloth wire.

Home Owner said previous EC did not want to pull a permit because it took to long to acquire permit and to long for inspection and told home owner all work would be done to code.

.

2 questions here.

1. on the existing bedroom fixture if I were to take out all the cloth insulation wire and install a J box in Attic and reefed light with new THHN wire would this be acceptable. The light says to install on degree rated wire.
2. is the bath room installation a violation by tapping off the existing cloth wire. over fill on pancake box and GRC and associated boxes not rated as grounding means. no ground wire installed for new bath switches. contractor reused balk pipe as raceway with THHN single conductor wire. also ground pigtail from 3 gang box to switches

would you advise customer to rewire this circuit so she can install new lights or convert the cloth wire to junction box and reefed light with THHN spliced to cloth wire.
the bath pancake box has 3 black conduits with 5 #14 THHN ,6 cloth wire. I do know this is over box fill but why the previous EC tapped into th pancake box with out replacing it is beyond me. remember this bath job is code compliant according to the homeowner via the Electrician.

if I do re wire this circuit I plan on pulling a permit to cover my self. but prior to doing any work would inspector come out for a courtesy walk thru on the bath wiring

First of all, of course the electrician would tell her the installation was code compliant...so we can throw that right out the window and decide for ourselves if it is compliant.

Second, it's hard to decipher some of what you are saying. Am I to understand that they fed the bathroom from the bedroom circuit? And they used romex? Did they ground that circuit? Is that ground an acceptable ground?

You mention a pancake box with three conduits...do these conduits all enter through the back of the box? And then what do they do, 90 over towards where the feed is coming from?

Just trying to get a mental image here, if you can help me I would appreciate it.

 

[Riograndeelectric]

First of all, of course the electrician would tell her the installation was code compliant...so we can throw that right out the window and decide for ourselves if it is compliant.

Second, it's hard to decipher some of what you are saying. Am I to understand that they fed the bathroom from the bedroom circuit?
Yes . the bath was always feed for the bedrooms ,hallway porch etc. this is the original cloth covered wire and circuit
And they used romex? Did they ground that circuit? Is that ground an acceptable ground?
They did not physically ground the circuit via GEC nor bond . I do not believe that the black GRC pipe and black fixture and device boxes were and are not listed as grounding.

the previous EC juts extend and tapped of the original cloth wire to install the new bath fan and sconce lights.

You mention a pancake box with three conduits...do these conduits all enter through the back of the box? And then what do they do, 90 over towards where the feed is coming from?
They 90 towards the 3 gang switch and the front and back bedrooms. the bath is in the middle and a bedroom on each side of the bathboth .

Yes all of the Black GRC conduits originate thru the back of the pancake boxes. wiring is 1930s cloth coved single conductor wire.


Just trying to get a mental image here, if you can help me I would appreciate it.

thanks cameron