Dangerous wiring found in most older homes

Dangerous electrical wiring exists in the majority of pre-1950 homes in B.C., especially those with secondary suites, according to preliminary findings by a Vancouver company.

Of 104 older homes inspected by last year by PowerSafe Inc., 60 per cent had electrical problems requiring immediate attention.

Hazards that could lead to a fire zoomed to 84 per cent in 30 homes with secondary suites, said Brian Cook, co-founder of the firm.

Horrors like live wires hanging out of junction boxes or dangerously overloaded flexible cords were more than twice as common in homes with secondary suites, Cook said Friday.

Bad wiring can be a life or death issue. Of 242 fires blamed on faulty electrical systems, 3.2 per cent of B.C.'s total in 2004, three caused fatalities, according to the most recent numbers from the Office of the Fire Commissioner.

"Secondary suites are more likely to be home handyman add-ons where homeowners don't use a licensed electrical contractor to put in extra wiring," Cook said.

"It's illegal for any licensed electrical contractor to wire a home for a secondary suite without taking out a permit, so the work gets done by people who don't necessarily know what they are doing."

PowerSafe was launched last year by Cook, a 30-year electrical contractor, and Ric Pow, a professional engineer, to take a closer look at potential electrical hazards that can render pre-1950 homes uninsurable unless thousands of dollars are spent on updating.

Six months ago, rather than insist that all owners of older homes bring old-fashioned "knob and tube" wiring up to current standards, B.C. Automobile Association began referring clients to PowerSafe to make a 50-point electrical safety check.

If the home checks out, BCAA insures it and refunds the $250 inspection fee over four years of reduced premiums.

While there may be no need to replace the old wiring, Cook and Pow often discover more serious hazards.

That's what happened to Daphne and Michael Francis who had been told they could only get homeowner insurance if they rewired their immaculate 1916 heritage home in Vancouver's Point Grey.

They called in PowerSafe which determined the old wiring was fine but then spotted a hazard the insurance company's inspector had missed -- a detached "emily knob" at the point where BC Hydro's power line connects with the house.

That was putting tension on the power line which Cook says could have contributed to "a huge fire." Daphne Francis immediately called hydro which fixed the problem without charge.

BCAA is now extending the program beyond knob and tube wiring, which affects about 200,000 homes in B.C., to include more recently built homes with potential problems like 60-amp rather than 100-amp service, or aluminum wiring.

Sixty-amp service was common prior to the 1970s but may not be able to handle extra loads from modern add-ons such as electrical baseboard heating and hot tubs. Aluminum wiring, widely used as substitute for high-priced copper in the decade prior to 1975, can be hazardous when used in conjunction with copper wire.

"Through our discussions with PowerSafe we came to realize there were better ways of dealing with older wiring and getting a better understanding of the risks," said Brook Hanson, BCAA's product manager for home insurance.

"It means we don't have to turn members away and it has opened the market to new customers who may not be BCAA members but have heard we have this product."

(prepared by Michael Kane/Vancouver Sun)