A talk with my dad about old wiring made me see things new

He was a master electrician for 40 years and we were looking at a 1950s house I'm rewiring. He pointed at the old cloth-covered knob and tube and said, 'Back then, we thought this was the peak of safe work. We were wrong.' It hit me that the code book I treat like gospel today might look just as silly in 50 years. It's not about being right forever, it's about doing the best, safest work with what we know now. Made me way less stubborn about some 'new' methods I've been fighting. Anyone else have an old-timer give them a reality check that stuck?

3 comments

3 Comments

leelewis1mo ago

My grandpa said the same thing about old plumbing methods.

patricia3171mo ago

My uncle still swears by lead pipes, says they give water character.

taylor_young1mo ago

The Romans built entire aqueduct systems with lead pipes that lasted centuries. There's a reason that material was the standard for so long, it's incredibly durable and doesn't corrode like some modern plastics. Maybe the real problem is our water treatment being too aggressive and stripping out all the natural minerals. We replaced something proven with cheaper stuff that tastes worse and might leach other chemicals.