Got a call for a flickering light in a 1950s house in Cincinnati

The old cloth wire was crumbling every time I touched it. Instead of rewiring the whole room, I tried using a push-in connector with a built-in clamp. It held the fragile wire without crushing it and got the light working. Anyone know a better fix for this kind of antique wiring?

3 comments

3 Comments

drewsullivan24d ago

Flickering lights are often just a loose bulb or bad switch. That old wiring might be fine if you leave it alone. Messing with it could cause more problems than it solves.

the_gray24d ago

Ignore that advice at your own risk. Old wiring is a fire waiting to happen, not just a simple annoyance. A loose bulb is one thing, but constant flickering can mean bad connections inside your walls that get hot. Putting off an inspection because you might "cause problems" is how small issues become house fires. Would you really bet your home on a guess from someone who hasn't seen the wires?

rubyschmidt22d ago

Used to believe the same thing as drewsullivan. Thought flickering was just a bulb thing. Then my neighbor's old place had a wall outlet that got hot to the touch. The electrician found a melted wire nut inside. @the_gray is right, you can't see the problem until it's too late. That risk isn't worth taking.