Fred B
Senior Member
- Location
- Upstate, NY
- Occupation
- Electrician
Is there a way to easily test existing wiring for damaged insulation that won't further damage it? I know meggering would generally find wire insulation faults but also heard that it might further damage a wire that might be only marginally suspect (and it is 40+ yrs old).
Dealing with a house full of old NM that as work began to isolate and change out lighting fixtures, I found multiple wires that original "electrician" (using title loosely with all the shoddy workmanship) had severely sliced the conductors when removing the NM sheathing, some of these slices extend the entire length of the conductors (house is undergoing an extensive renovation). About minimally 75% of all wires inside the breaker panel and relay switching distribution trough has this damage. I now am wondering of the rest of the system and damage that I haven't seen, (hidden J boxes have found a few, and outlets not opened as not changing). Yesterday had to go into a subpanel that had kitchen breakers and found the same. AFA I can determine its originally wireing from house build date of early 70's, no new NM B.
A little extra background, old Westinghouse 200A main panel, old Murry 100A subpanel, old GE Remote Control relay switching panel. Murray panel doesn't have a seperate ground bar (they terminated a bunch of the grounds under a single screw lug normally used for connecting your system ground).
My gut says a whole rewire, but need some substantiation or proof as "the wireing has worked for 40+ years", breakers aren't tripping (but not even sure if they can), as GC on job doesn't want to have that large of a project for wiring. How would you proceed to get substantiation or validity of leaving it in place?
Anyone know of a "sleeving" product for repair of insulation damage?
Another question what would be the cause, several of the breakers in both panels have an oily substance oozing up around breaker handles, what is it, and do they need to be replaced? Is that from breakers heating?
Dealing with a house full of old NM that as work began to isolate and change out lighting fixtures, I found multiple wires that original "electrician" (using title loosely with all the shoddy workmanship) had severely sliced the conductors when removing the NM sheathing, some of these slices extend the entire length of the conductors (house is undergoing an extensive renovation). About minimally 75% of all wires inside the breaker panel and relay switching distribution trough has this damage. I now am wondering of the rest of the system and damage that I haven't seen, (hidden J boxes have found a few, and outlets not opened as not changing). Yesterday had to go into a subpanel that had kitchen breakers and found the same. AFA I can determine its originally wireing from house build date of early 70's, no new NM B.
A little extra background, old Westinghouse 200A main panel, old Murry 100A subpanel, old GE Remote Control relay switching panel. Murray panel doesn't have a seperate ground bar (they terminated a bunch of the grounds under a single screw lug normally used for connecting your system ground).
My gut says a whole rewire, but need some substantiation or proof as "the wireing has worked for 40+ years", breakers aren't tripping (but not even sure if they can), as GC on job doesn't want to have that large of a project for wiring. How would you proceed to get substantiation or validity of leaving it in place?
Anyone know of a "sleeving" product for repair of insulation damage?
Another question what would be the cause, several of the breakers in both panels have an oily substance oozing up around breaker handles, what is it, and do they need to be replaced? Is that from breakers heating?