DIY & Home Improvement

... this is how seriously your local building code officials feel about it: if you use a licensed electrician, he's required to replace it.

If it's a simple thing like replacing a box, if the wiring is more 60s than 50s - it should cost around $500 or so. It'll make you glad you did just in knowing your residence is code compliant electrically, and just knowing you failed the learning on the job aspect can be a medical emergency and/or a visit from the fire dept.

My dad has an irrational lack of fear with electricity and I've told him he is in a casual relationship with electricity. About 20 - 25 years ago I was helping him move the fountain in the back yard. The soil around it was damp/wet. When he reached for the wiring in the box, I asked him if he had de-energized that circuit. He said, "if you don't touch both wires, you'll be OK!"

I said, this is AC and all you need to do is ground it and you'll know how wrong you are. He touched his wire and yelped. I flipped the breaker.

A little later we went into the house for lunch. "Guess what happened to me", he asked my mom.

"You got shocked."
"Who squealed?"
"You did, I heard you clear upstairs."