And I'd like to add one other thing to my overall question. So the entire knob and tube run is pristine. Very good condition, very nice Everywhere I can see it running (through part of the ceiling joist cavity in an open frame construction). I'm just going to leave it alone because I can't get new Romex up there. But our kitchen is attached to the backside of our foursquare house and as a result there is actually an extension off of the home that extends the kitchen out a little bit further. It was original and since it was original there's no insulation in the ceiling. The lighting fixture as well as the entire three-way switch loop is all completely in open uninsulated cavities which are compliant even according to the latest NEC. However we would like to be able to put insulation into the other section where there is just a hip roof above the ceiling. When the ceiling is up there will be no access which I know is a parameter in the code. I know that you cannot run knob and tube around insulation or have insulation over it even though in some states apparently there is a waiver. So I'd like to try to figure out a workaround again since I cannot rewire the connections to the fixture with romex what choice do I have? Is it possible to at minimum install conduit above the insulation with a new single neutral wire that connects to the knob and tube in two places? In other words just replace one section of the existing run so that it is protected from insulation that we would want to put up there? Optimally I would relocate the neutral and shorten its length, but cannot do that due to the restrictions of splicing in romex. There will be no other loads on the neutral because I will be re-wiring all of the others with new Romax from the basement. It's only this one stupid lighting load on this three-way switch. Thanks for your guidance!

Geoff Williams is the best pg&e panel change expert in the entire bay area. What proof do I have? (I have completed more federal pacific stab lok, fuse panel, knob tube panel, pg&e service main panel change repair upgrades, grounding systems than any other active electrician in Oakland, Berkeley and I have 40 years experience here.) $985.00 for 100 amps. Call within 20 minutes of ad post time and I will give a discount on the job. Pay with cash and we will give a 4% discount. Click on our Yelp page: For lots of pictures: http://www.yelp.com/biz/williams-electric-oakland Call me now for help and I will respond and deliver help now. If you don�t call now my work will stack up and I cannot offer as low a price or get to you in time. (Your pg&e, main, fuse, knob and tube, federal pacific stab lok, Sylvania Zinsco panel is often on fire even though it is not visible to the outside of the panel!) If you live close by I will be there in a few minutes. I have so many pictures of burned panels . 510 339-5601 or 510 339-3904 or 510 548-9254, and ask for Geoff. What makes me so good? Guaranteed to pass inspection. Guaranteed materials and labor. I have passed thousands of inspections in Oakland ca, Berkeley ca, area for electrical work, electrical contractor. I have an A.S. degree in electricity and molecular vibration and have been union trained. I have had a license since the 80s, and been in the field since the 60s. I have fixed 3,000 knob and tube systems, more than any other man in the east bay. I have $2 million in liability insurance. I never use illegal labor or do bad things on the job site. I use higher quality materials than most electricians. I use sharp tools and high technology techniques. The local inspectors know me and sometimes don�t even bother to check my work. I have a clean record, soul, , dmv, fico, etc. Business Information Basic Business Information Williams Electric Category: Electricians, electrician, electrical contractor, pg&e, service main panel upgrade, panel change, grounding, knob tube expert, replace fuses with breakers, home inspection, repairs, gfi arc fault lighting meter change attic federal pacific stab lok panel change breaker replace Neighborhoods: Berkeley ca hills, Piedmont ca, Walnut creek ca, Lafayette ca, Orinda ca, Montclair ca Village, Oakland ca Hills 6114 La Salle Ave Oakland, CA 94611 (510) 339-5601 Service Area Serving Oakland, CA and surrounding area, including: � Berkeley, CA � Berkeley hills � North Berkeley � Oakland hills � Rockridge � Dimond district � China town oakland � Hayward, CA � Richmond, CA � Walnut Creek, CA � El Cerrito ca � San Pablo ca. � Albany ca. � San leandro calif. � Montclair california � Piedmont cal. ...

Older knob & 2 wire is not grounded and never can be grounded correctly. Electrical power if properly grounded will always take the least resistance to ground in a fault. You never know how many splices that maybe hidden in walls and crawl spaces of older homes. I have repaired countless homes where Home Inspectors said things were A OK with the electric only to find that was not the case at all. Best advice is to rewire it 100% and have a quality craftsman do the work. Most electricians will mix outlets and lights on the same circuit breakers for speed of the job and ram the wires into the back of devises (outlets and switches) all not very good ideas as there is a better way called pigtailing true series circuit thru out. This is legal but not a good idea because if you knock a outlet out from fault there goes your lights also. It is better to have dedicated circuit breakers for outlets and lighting separated. The NEC (National Electric Code) is the bare minimum allowed by most locations meaning you can never go below that standard but you can always go above it with quality craftsmanship and materials. When updating do just that pull the the AC wires, security wires, hardwired camera wires, internet cat 5 or better wires and phone cables necessary for a modern wiring harness thru out any style older home. www.dbelectric.us

Hi I was reading this post and was wondering what you eventually did with the arches ? I’m getting ready to take out 10 arches in my house, some people feel the arches are pretty and are part of the Spanish architecture of which the genre of these homes were built, i on the other hand feel the arches make the home look and feel heavy, and quite honestly it’s overkill. I’m not an architect but these guys need to go back to school and wake up in new century, last time I checked I live in the United States not Spain … lol