# Identify age of old Romex - also funny ground



## texelect (Jan 7, 2010)

*older than me*

Gotta be about 50 years old.


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## gregzoll (Dec 25, 2006)

The box is grounded, which means, the only time the outlet has a ground, is when it is attached to the box. As for the cloth covered Romex, I would guess post 50's, pre 70's. If all of the house has the same type going to the fuse/breaker panel, and you know the age of the house, that would put the wiring at that age. If the house is older than the wiring you have in the closet and there are no other circuits feeding back to the main panel, then it would date the last time a retro was done in the home.


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## codeone (Dec 31, 2009)

My Dads house had this type of wiring. His house was built in 1948.


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## Leah Frances (Jan 13, 2008)

gregzoll said:


> The box is grounded, which means, the only time the outlet has a ground, is when it is attached to the box. As for the cloth covered Romex, I would guess post 50's, pre 70's. If all of the house has the same type going to the fuse/breaker panel, and you know the age of the house, that would put the wiring at that age. If the house is older than the wiring you have in the closet and there are no other circuits feeding back to the main panel, then it would date the last time a retro was done in the home.


The box actually isn't grounded, i.e. there is no continuous wire or BX-type connection from the box to any 'ground'.

FYI - wiring in the house is truly hybrid. The K&T in the house is circa 1890s. We have some 'old romex' with no ground. And some early romex. This green stuff is unique in the house as far as I've found at this point.


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## Scuba_Dave (Jan 16, 2009)

I dunno...I saw the Title & thought ....watch

Based on other wire I've seen I'd say about 50 years old too


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## texelect (Jan 7, 2010)

Leah Frances said:


> The box actually isn't grounded, i.e. there is no continuous wire or BX-type connection from the box to any 'ground'.
> 
> FYI - wiring in the house is truly hybrid. The K&T in the house is circa 1890s. We have some 'old romex' with no ground. And some early romex. This green stuff is unique in the house as far as I've found at this point.


You are correct K&T is not grounded. If that is the wiring method that feeds this outlet, then the ground from the romex is irrelevant. The romex is not close to being as old as the K&T.


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## kbsparky (Sep 11, 2008)

That green romex was commonly used in the early 1960's -- about 50 years old as others have stated. The grounding conductor was smaller than the circuit conductors in those days, full size ground wires were not required until after the 1971 _Code_ was adopted.


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## gregzoll (Dec 25, 2006)

The bare copper in the picture on the right would be a ground wire. It should be connected back at the main panel.


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## Techy (Mar 16, 2011)

gregzoll said:


> The bare copper in the picture on the right would be a ground wire. It should be connected back at the main panel.



Not if the feed is coming from the left. :thumbsup:


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