Knob-and-tube wiring did its job a hundred years ago, but a century later it has no place running the electrical load of a modern home. With no ground, aging insulation, and a design never meant for today's demands, it leaves many older Lehigh Valley homes at risk and difficult to insure. Revival Electric replaces knob-and-tube wiring for homeowners across Hellertown and the surrounding area, removing the old system and installing safe, grounded, code-compliant circuits in its place.
Owner Michael Cantilina leads Revival Electric, a third-generation electrical contractor based in Hellertown, Pennsylvania, that serves Easton, Bethlehem, Allentown, and the wider Lehigh Valley. Knob-and-tube wiring replacement is a specialty of the company's rewiring work, covering the removal of original ungrounded wiring, installation of modern copper circuits, panel and grounding upgrades, and the GFCI protection current code requires. A licensed electrician with 23 years of experience, Michael oversees a team that works to OSHA safety standards while bringing century-old systems up to today's code.
Homes built before the 1950s often still run knob-and-tube wiring, recognizable by the ceramic knobs and tubes that route old cloth-covered wires through the framing. It may have powered the house for generations, but it brings real trouble: no grounding for modern outlets, insulation that has dried and cracked with age, and a system that was never designed for the loads a household runs now. Many insurers will not write a policy on a home that still has it.
The danger is built into the design and the years. Knob-and-tube has no ground wire, so there is no safe path for fault current and no grounding for the three-prong devices we all use. The original insulation degrades over decades, and the wiring runs hot under modern loads it was never sized for. The risk climbs sharply when homeowners bury knob-and-tube in blown-in attic insulation, since the system was designed to shed heat into open air rather than trap it.
Replacing knob-and-tube means removing the old system and wiring the home properly for the present. We start by tracing the existing wiring to understand how far it runs and what it feeds, then plan modern circuits to replace it. The crew installs new copper wiring, grounded outlets, and GFCI protection where code calls for it, upgrades the panel and grounding as needed, and removes or safely retires the old knob-and-tube. Permits, inspection, and code-compliant work are part of every job, and we keep wall disruption as contained as possible.
With the knob-and-tube gone, the home is finally safe, grounded, and built for modern life. Insurers stop balking, your three-prong devices have the ground they need, and the fire and shock risks that came with century-old wiring are behind you. You end up with a system that protects the house and the people in it for decades to come.
Pulling out knob-and-tube is one of the most meaningful safety upgrades an older home can get. Here is what the replacement brings.
Removing ungrounded, aged knob-and-tube wiring eliminates a leading source of electrical fire and shock risk in older homes. The new system gives fault current a safe path and your family one less thing to worry about.
Many companies refuse to insure a house with active knob-and-tube, or charge a steep premium for it. Replacing the wiring clears that hurdle and often makes coverage straightforward again.
Knob-and-tube offers no ground, which leaves today's electronics unprotected. We install grounded circuits and GFCI protection throughout, so your devices and wet-area outlets meet current safety standards.
Century-old wiring was built for a handful of lights and little else. New copper circuits give your home the capacity to run modern appliances and electronics without overloading or overheating.
Every knob-and-tube wiring replacement carries a one-year workmanship warranty. If anything tied to our work needs a second look within that period, we come back and resolve it.
Knob-and-tube replacement often overlaps with broader rewiring needs. These related Revival Electric services connect closely to this one.
When knob-and-tube runs throughout the house or other wiring is also failing, our Whole-Home Rewiring service replaces the entire system with modern, grounded circuits.
Some homes carry a mix of old wiring types. Our Aluminum Wiring Replacement service addresses the hazards of aluminum branch wiring and swaps it for safe copper connections.
For the full range of options, the Electrical Rewiring hub brings whole-home, knob-and-tube, and aluminum work together so you can see what your home needs.
Working safely in a century-old home takes patience and knowledge that newer wiring never demands. Here is why owners of older Lehigh Valley homes bring this job to Revival Electric.
With 23 years in the trade and a third-generation background, Michael Cantilina has worked in plenty of the Lehigh Valley's older houses and understands how knob-and-tube was run and how to replace it cleanly.
Replacing old wiring means working around fragile insulation and live systems in tight, aged spaces. The team follows OSHA safety standards throughout, keeping both your home and the crew protected.
You get an honest assessment of how much knob-and-tube is in the home and what removing it involves, with no pressure or fear-selling. Free estimates let you plan the project with the full picture in hand.
The company's Home Initiative provides a free electrical job each month to a nominated local family. That same care for neighbors shows up in how every customer is treated.
Replacing knob-and-tube across a home is an investment, and financing helps spread the cost. You will see the full scope and price before any work begins, with no surprises later.
It shows up as ceramic knobs and tubes routing single cloth-covered wires through the framing, often visible in the basements and attics of older Hellertown-area homes. If you are unsure, we can inspect the home and confirm how much knob-and-tube is present and where it runs.
It is risky. Even where it still functions, the lack of grounding, aged insulation, and incompatibility with modern loads make it a real hazard, and the danger grows when it is covered by insulation. Most Lehigh Valley homeowners replace it for both safety and insurance reasons.
Many insurers in the area either refuse coverage or charge higher premiums for homes with active knob-and-tube. Replacing it usually resolves the issue, and we are glad to provide documentation of the completed, permitted work for your insurer.
We replace the active knob-and-tube with modern circuits and remove or safely retire the old wiring as part of the job. During the assessment, we will explain exactly what stays, what goes, and why for your specific home.
Yes. This work requires permits and inspection throughout the Lehigh Valley. Revival Electric handles the permitting and schedules the inspection so your new wiring is properly documented and to code.
FAQs reviewed by Michael Cantilina, owner of Revival Electric and a licensed, certified electrician.
Knob-and-tube wiring is not something to live with or work around. Revival Electric will assess what is in your walls and replace it with safe, grounded, insurable wiring across Hellertown and the Lehigh Valley. Get in touch today for a free estimate.
Business Name: Revival Electric
Address: Hellertown, PA, 18055
Phone: 610-222-5907
Business Hours:
Mon - Fri: 7:00 AM to 5:00 PM
Sat-Sun: Closed
Financing Available
One-year Warranty
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