When New and Old Collide

Old electrical systems can be safely added onto if the following considerations are followed:

• You have room in your service panel or fuse box for additional circuits.
• Individual existing circuits aren’t fully utilized and can carry an additional load.
• The wiring and insulation of these circuits are intact and not worn.
• You properly join new wire to old.
  

You can’t see inside your walls and observe how every receptacle, switch, and light has been wired, but you can get an idea if an addition has been made to the original system.Look for the following telltale signs:

• A receptacle or switch style that doesn’t match the others in your house (The cover plates also might be a different style.)
• A fixture located in an odd place such as a crawl space
• A receptacle that isn’t as evenly spaced as others
• A receptacle that is cut into a plaster wall while all the others are cut into the baseboards—a common feature in turn-of-the century homes
• Any switch or receptacle that is surface mounted on a wall rather than cut into the wall

Do you have unfinished attic or basement space? These are prime areas for added fixtures to be tied into existing wiring and should be checked thoroughly.