Free tool
Knob and Tube Assessment
Ten plain questions about what you've noticed and what started the question. You get a level of urgency, next steps and anything else worth knowing. Nothing to open, touch or test.
Trace and plan
Get the circuits traced, then plan the work
What you describe is consistent with older wiring somewhere in the house. Tracing shows what is actually there.
Next steps
- Have every circuit traced from the panel and identified.
- Get a written scope: nothing, outlet fixes, partial replacement or a whole-house rewire.
- Settle attic wiring before any insulation goes in.
- Keep the written record for insurers, buyers and insulation contractors.
This is a planning guide based on your answers, not an inspection. It can't see inside walls or say whether any wiring is safe; tracing the circuits does that.
How the assessment decides
The rules are fixed and explainable. Warning signs from normal use, such as warmth, burning smells, scorch marks, buzzing or sparks, always come first, because they can mean an overheating connection. Next come deadlines: an insurer's request or a sale needs a written answer by a date. Then signs of original wiring: porcelain knobs, a fuse box, two-prong outlets, buried attic runs or fuses that blow often. If none applies, the result is simply that it's worth finding out what the house has.
Notes are added for conditions that change the plan: possible vermiculite in the attic, insulation over old wiring, ungrounded outlets, and duplex or commercial buildings. The assessment never says wiring is safe, never predicts what an insurer will decide, and never asks you to open or touch anything.
About the assessment
Can an online quiz tell me if my knob and tube is safe?
No, and this one doesn't try. It sorts what you already know into a level of urgency and next steps. Whether wiring is safe depends on conditions inside walls and attics that only tracing and inspection by an electrician can see.
What does the assessment do with my answers?
It applies fixed rules: warning signs come first, then deadlines from an insurer or a sale, then signs of original wiring. The same answers always give the same result. Nothing is sent anywhere unless you choose to send the form below.
Should I check my wiring to answer the questions?
Only by looking. Every question can be answered from normal use, from the basement stairs or the attic hatch, or from a report you already have. Please don't open boxes, remove covers or touch wiring.
Read next
- Is Knob and Tube Wiring Dangerous?Your knob and tube isn't dangerous just because it's old. It turns into a hazard through what's happened to it since, and we can find those conditions.→
- Signs Your House Needs RewiringSome signs you notice at home, some arrive in a report or a letter, and some only show up when we trace your circuits. Here's how to tell which ones can't wait.→
- How Do You Identify Knob and Tube Wiring?You think you've spotted old wiring, or you want to check before someone else does. Here's what to look for, where it hides in a Minneapolis house, and what looking can't tell you.→
- Is My Knob and Tube Wiring Still Active?You've spotted old wiring and want to know if it still carries power. Here's how we find out, and what each answer means for your house.→
Talk it through
Your result travels with the form. Tracing the circuits answers what the questions can't.
Monday to Friday, 8 AM to 6 PM; Saturday and Sunday, 9 AM to 2 PM. Outside these hours, emergency calls only.