· Pure Light Electric & HVAC
Thousands of homes in St. Louis, Kansas City, St. Joseph, Hannibal and older Missouri towns still carry wiring from the 1920s–1970s. Here's what to look for.
Knob and tube (pre-1950)
Ceramic knobs and tubes, cloth-covered wire, no ground. It was fine for a few lamps; it's not fine buried under attic insulation with a modern load. Most insurers require replacement.
Aluminum branch wiring (1965–1973)
Aluminum expands and contracts, loosening connections at outlets and switches — a known fire risk. Options range from approved pigtailing to full replacement.
Two-prong outlets
No ground means no protection for electronics and no GFCI-free way to plug in three-prong devices. Rewiring fixes it properly.
What rewiring involves
We fish new wire through attics, basements and wall cavities, add a grounded outlet network, install AFCI/GFCI protection and usually pair it with a panel upgrade. Most homes take 3–10 days, with power kept on each night. See house rewiring, rewiring St. Louis or rewiring St. Joseph.