Old Cloth Wiring. Web a brief history of home electrical wiring. Web once cloth wire becomes brittle, these household pests can chew through it quite easily.
Old Electrical Wiring Types Photo guide and History of Types of from inspectapedia.com
Eventually, the cloth over the bare wiring faded away and plastic was added in between the cloth and wire. It was most commonly used in homes built before 1960, and it was highly prevalent because it was inexpensive. As with anything, cloth wiring can deteriorate over time.
The Material Had Two Safety Problems:
1) the rubber hardens, cracks, and pieces start to break off over time, especially in a hot attic. Eventually, a household pest can compromise your cloth wiring. Over time, the cloth sheath would become brittle and crack.
Web Lack Of Grounding:
Cloth was added over bare wire. This cracking would cause exposure of the wires, which then poses electrical danger. The best solution to unsafe cloth covered wiring is rewiring the home to standard.
As With Anything, Cloth Wiring Can Deteriorate Over Time.
This wiring is much more susceptible to insect and rodent damage. Sometimes, it flakes and falls. It was most commonly used in homes built before 1960, and it was highly prevalent because it was inexpensive.
Used For Antique, Classic, Car Or Motorcycle Rewiring And Restoration Jobs.
Another reason is that the cloth was put over the bare wire. Often times a professional electrician changing a basic switch or receptacle in an older cloth insulated system will experience large pieces. Web some cloth covered wiring may be in good condition and reasonably safe, but only a professional electrician can determine that.
Over Time The Insulation On Cloth Covered Electrical Wiring Becomes Brittle, Cracks And In Many Cases Literally Falls Of The Wire.
This circumstance increases the risk of exposed wires. The rubberized cloth was the primary way of insulating wires before polymers became widely available and economical. If you live in an old home or suspect you have cloth covered wiring, contact a licensed electrician for an inspection.
