Any horror stories due to old wiring?

[GuitarStv]

I have fixed up an repaired a lot of old guitar amps.  Safety approved stuff from the 50s and 60s.

Back in the day amps came with two blades on the plug.  You could plug the blades in so that either side was hot and the other side neutral.  The metal chassis of a guitar amp is designed so that it's grounded . . . unless you plug the cord in the wrong way or the outlet isn't properly wired.  Then you are the ground.  In that case you get a nice zing of electricity coursing through your guitar strings, fingers, and toes.

We've come a hell of a long way in a short period of time with electrical wiring and safety.

[paddedhat]

Good stories! I suppose it is comforting to know that there are a lot worse places out there ;)

Thumb tacks in lamp wire! Where do people come up with that stuff?

The funny comment about a throw switch reminded me of this pic--this wonder was in a different rental of mine and was live without a cover. I had it replaced. Did people have to use those types of switches in the olden days to change out a fuse? yikes.

They sure did. And if you go back further than that the panels were made of slate, or other stone, with everything mounted to the face, no panel box, no cover. I once worked in an electrical room in the basement of an Art Deco era, 1920s skyscraper. The entire room was giant exposed knife blade switches and fuse blocks, all mounted on slate walls. I was a nervous as a cat trying to relax in a room full of rocking chairs. You could of literally tripped on your shoe lace, and died a horrible death. On a related note, one of my electrician buddies has a small open faced panel as wall art, in his living room. It is an early last century piece with all brass hardware mounted on white marble. It's beautiful, in a steampunk way.

[paddedhat]

Faulty wiring is the leading cause of residential fires  If you don’t know the condition of your wiring, it’s worth paying a licensed electrician to inspect your electrical system. Expect to pay $150 to $300 for this service.A good reason to consider replacing old wiring, aside from electrical home safety, is that some insurance carriers may refuse to insure houses with older electrical systems, or they may insist owners pay higher premiums.I recommend you shock doctors http://www.theshockdoctors.ca/  who are licensed electricians in canada.I have got mine done in last year.

No, not really.

According to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) the folks that write the National Electrical Code (NEC) in the US, the leading cause of fire deaths is smoking. They also state that three in five home fire deaths are in residences that either have no smoke alarms, or non-functional alarms. If you are smart enough to  keep functional smoke alarms in your home, and can resist falling asleep with a cigarette in your hand, the chance of dying in a home fire is damn near non-existent, like one in a million. Now if you don't smoke, you have functional smoke alarms, and your number comes up, the fatality would most likely be a result of an electrical fire. Now, in keeping with the topic of this thread, your theoretical  demise may well be due to defective wiring. However, it could just as easily be a defective appliance, a defective cord on an electrical device, a wall charger for a computer, or phone, or even a lithium battery that melts down.

[zolotiyeruki]

Faulty wiring is the leading cause of residential fires  If you don’t know the condition of your wiring, it’s worth paying a licensed electrician to inspect your electrical system. Expect to pay $150 to $300 for this service.A good reason to consider replacing old wiring, aside from electrical home safety, is that some insurance carriers may refuse to insure houses with older electrical systems, or they may insist owners pay higher premiums.I recommend you shock doctors http://www.theshockdoctors.ca/  who are licensed electricians in canada.I have got mine done in last year.

No, not really.

According to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) the folks that write the National Electrical Code (NEC) in the US, the leading cause of fire deaths is smoking. They also state that three in five home fire deaths are in residences that either have no smoke alarms, or non-functional alarms. If you are smart enough to  keep functional smoke alarms in your home, and can resist falling asleep with a cigarette in your hand, the chance of dying in a home fire is damn near non-existent, like one in a million. Now if you don't smoke, you have functional smoke alarms, and your number comes up, the fatality would most likely be a result of an electrical fire. Now, in keeping with the topic of this thread, your theoretical  demise may well be due to defective wiring. However, it could just as easily be a defective appliance, a defective cord on an electrical device, a wall charger for a computer, or phone, or even a lithium battery that melts down.

You can believe paddedhat--he's an electrician.  I can back up his statements--I've actually gone through the NFPA's reports, and you are literally more likely to die from a lightning strike (about 50 people per year nationwide) than from a faulty-wiring-induced fire (about 30 per year).