Is your home's wiring covered by insurance?

According to recent reports, Vancouver homes that have "knob and tube" electrical wiring may be considered hazardous and obtaining insurance for such homes may be difficult in the future. Knob and tube wiring gets its name from the knobs (or insulators) used to keep the wires isolated from objects and the ceramic tubes used to line holes. Homeowners are being asked to replace electrical wiring throughout such homes to secure adequate insurance. Re-wiring an older home can be expensive and many home owners are surprised to learn that they cannot obtain adequate insurance until the wiring has been replaced. Any homeowner with knob and tube wiring, or the potential buyer of such a home, should hire an electrician to give the system a complete check. If an inspection uncovers problems, you should make the necessary repairs for personal safety as well as insurance concerns.

Knob and tube wiring is usually found in homes that were built before 1950. There are more than 1.5 million homes built with this type of wiring in Canada.