“Students end up renting old converted homes that have been divided up into as many living spaces as possible. They’re affordable — but at a price.
Let me paint a picture for you: The house is more than 100 years old. The wiring is too. It’s the old knob-and-tube wiring from the late 1800s and early 1900s. It’s definitely not equipped to handle six or seven students, each with three or four electronic devices they plug in each night. Plus a television, plus a microwave, a fridge, a washer-dryer.
The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), a non-profit organization that writes a lot of the fire code that is later adopted by states and towns, suggests that when a single family house is converted into apartments, it should be updated and sprinklered.
The NFPA also says its best practice to retrofit sprinklers into any building that has three or more units.
Those best practices are just a suggestion. Not a standard.”
Read more on the issue of fire hazards of older homes converted to student apartments here
Knob & tube wiring is an outdated form of electrical wiring that poses serious safety risks. Frankly, it’s just not equipped to handle the demands of today’s technologies. Rewiring a home to comply with the current safety standards is quite an undertaking. You’ll want to make sure you hire an experienced and licensed electrician for home rewiring.
At MJ electric we follow all of the code guidelines for home rewiring to the letter. No job is too big or too small so call us at 612-598-0793 to learn more about our services!
