How to Rewire Your Home Without Burning It Down: Obscure Methods Used Before Electricity

Introduction

Rewiring a home is a daunting task, but with some knowledge of old techniques used before electricity, it can be done safely. In this article, I will go in-depth on methods to rewire your home without any fire hazards, using techniques from the gaslight era.

Understanding Electrical Fires

Before we get into the rewiring methods, it's important to understand what causes electrical fires in homes. The main culprits are:

• Faulty wiring - Exposed, damaged or outdated wiring can cause shorts, sparks and fires. This is the most common cause of electrical fires.

• Overloaded circuits - Too many appliances on one circuit will overload it, heating up the wires and starting fires.

• Old appliances - Appliances with damaged or frayed cords can ignite fires by sparking. Older appliances also draw more power and strain circuits.

• Incorrect installation - Poor wire connections, improper wire gauges, and other mistakes in installation can lead to dangerous situations.

The key is preventing exposed live wires, overheated wires, sparks, and other risks - the same things that cause fires with modern electricity. The methods below address these risks.

Rewiring Walls and Rooms

Rewiring within walls and rooms is the most labor intensive part. Here are some methods used in the gaslighting era:

Fish New Wires Through Walls

• Use a long flexible rod with a hook on the end to fish new wiring through openings in walls and ceilings. Feed the new wiring through the rod.
• At corners, use a small saw to cut openings to thread the rod and wiring through. Patch up openings after.
• When feeding downstream, leave excess wiring folded up in the ceiling or wall to pull through later.

Remove Baseboards and Floorboards

• Pry up baseboards carefully to avoid damage.
• Remove floorboards or carpet tacks to access the space under floors.
• Thread new wiring under floors and along walls before replacing boards and baseboards.

Rewire Existing Conduit

• Some homes have existing metal conduit inside walls that carried old gas lighting.
• Carefully pull out the old wires. Clean out conduit before threading new wiring through.

Use Temporary Trunk Lines

• Run heavy gauge temporary wiring along floors and ceilings between rooms.
• Keep it tidy and out of walkways. Connect individual room wiring to the trunk.
• Remove trunk lines after all permanent rewiring is complete.

Wiring Junctions and Devices

Connecting wires properly is crucial for safety. Use these gaslight-era methods:

• Solder connections - Twist wires together securely and heat with a soldering iron to bind them. Cover with insulating tape.
• Terminal screws - Early switches and outlets had terminal screws to wrap wires around and tighten.
• Insulated spade lugs - Crimp these onto wire ends to plug securely into terminals
• Splice nuts - These twist-on wire connectors insulate connections reliably.
• Junction boxes - Use these to enclose and protect connections.

Avoid loose wires touching each other or touching grounded metal junction boxes. Use insulating tape liberally.

Providing Overload Protection

Without circuit breakers, here's how to avoid overloads:

• Carefully calculate expected load on each circuit.
• Use thicker gauge wiring and limit number of outlets based on load.
• Install in-line fuses or sacrificial metal strips on each circuit.
• Monitor wires and junctions for overheating and replace undersized wires.
• Remind household not to use too many appliances at once.

Inspecting and Testing

Meticulous inspections and tests will ensure safety:

• Visually inspect for loose connections, exposed wires, damage, etc.
• Use a multimeter to test wires for continuity and shorts.
• Turn power on and test each outlet for proper operation.
• Check for hot spots at junctions under full load. Monitor temperatures.
• Perform insulation resistance testing to ensure no ground faults.
• Verify proper grounding and polarity.
• Consider hiring a professional electrician to inspect the system.

Following obscure old methods like these rigorously will allow you to upgrade wiring without burning your house down! With some perseverance, you can achieve modern electrical reliability using techniques from over a century ago.